Narrative technique · used in 2 films
Taking power away from a controlling character step by step until they must trust someone else. The change comes from what the hero loses.
Examples
David Fincher · 1997
Nicholas starts the film as a man who runs everything. As the story goes on, his finances and home are seized and he has to rely on strangers. Fincher has said the film is about loss of control.
Where to see it: The seizure. After he wakes in Mexico, Nicholas finds his money and home taken and learns Conrad has been committed to a psychiatric hospital.
Robert Altman · 2000
Dr. T spends his days managing women's bodies and his evenings managing the women in his house. Step by step, his wife, his daughters and his plans slip away from him. The ending takes control out of his hands completely.
Where to see it: The tornado: after Bree turns down his marriage proposal, Dr. T drives into a storm. A tornado lifts his car, and he wakes in Mexico, where he delivers a baby.
Questions