Narrative technique · used in 1 film

Hidden in Plain Sight Identity

Placing the real subject of the plot in front of you as an apparent bystander. The clues are on screen the whole time, but the role they play stays hidden until the end.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. The Tourist (2010) poster

    The Tourist

    Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck · 2010

    Everyone in the film is looking for Pearce, and the police and gangsters spend most of the film chasing a harmless-looking teacher. You are given the same clues they have. The reason you miss it is that Frank is acting like an ordinary tourist.

    Where to see it: The train to Venice. Elise chooses Frank, a Wisconsin math teacher, as the man the police will mistake for Pearce.

Questions

Quick answers

What is hidden in plain sight identity in film?
Placing the real subject of the plot in front of you as an apparent bystander. The clues are on screen the whole time, but the role they play stays hidden until the end.
Which films use hidden in plain sight identity?
The Tourist (2010).
What kind of technique is hidden in plain sight identity?
It is a narrative technique. Related narrative techniques include Retroactive Reframing Revelation, Fish-Out-of-Water Comedy, Symbolic Object.