The Eye : Dark Water : The Uninvited -- protag we care for?

[Randall_Oelerich]

Why is it that I just do not care for the protagonist in the movie The Eye (Jessica Alba), compared to protagonists in e.g. Dark Water, The Uninvited, What Lies Beneath? I am analyzing supernatural thrillers, including these screenplays/films, and I thought a good question was to ask why The Eye does not grab me, especially Jessica Alba's character. Curious on what you all think on this.

In The Eye, the protagonist is blind, but even she starts out in the story as seemingly happy with her condition-- playing violin in an orchestra, enjoying scents, blah blah blah, and she is incredibly good looking-- thus why would I think her life needs fixing? What if any is the emotional inner journey she needs? In contrast, with Dark Water we have essentially a single mom with migraines from an impending divorce, life stresses including having to find a new apartment in a dank building, low finances, etc. In The Uninvited we have a troubled teen, 'orphaned' hero (mother died), apparently a recent victim of a psychosis of some sort, still trying to cope with her dad about to create a new stepmother for the protagonist. I can care for protags in Dark Water, Uninvited, but sorry I just can not care for the protagonist in The Eye, even though I love Alba in other films.

I guess this rant is just to provoke discussion, or vent and thus learn, about what makes for a sympathetic hero that we care for in a supernatural thriller, to better out stories. A physical flaw-- e.g. blindness, just does not seem to be enough, imho.
r

 

[10s]

Randall, you're obviously partial to "down & out" sympathetic characters. I'm sure if the blindness of Alba was portrayed as a more menacing burden then you might feel more and care more about this character. I will go back to the empathy challenge we all face when presenting a main character. We have to strike a chord of empathy in the audience that makes them care for our Protagonist. If the audience doesn't care, then the story is over before it begins. Sometimes I think we often dislike people that are just too good looking, especially movie stars. If they're really ugly we don't like them, but if they happen to be so-so, then we can accept them more easily. The beautiful carry a burden in trying to get us to suspend our disbelief. IMO, Cate Blanchett is one we can believe more so than Jessica Alba, based on looks alone.

Unfortunately I have yet to see these pictures mentioned so this is all I can offer at the moment.

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

10s, you are onto something. I and millions of others like Naomi Watts (The Ring, King Kong, etc), I think because she is beautiful, but not overly so primarily because of her rounded nose (as opposed to pointed tip noses of goddess-supermodels)-- makes her approachable in a way. Then again, there is Jennifer Connelly, the has the good looks, pointed perfect nose, and yet she is so damn good as an actress (House of Sand and Fog) she pulls it off, so there goes that theory of mine. Hmm.

So I guess I am still floundering in the dark as to why I did not like Alba's character in The Eye. Maybe it just comes down to the fact I do not see much of an inner journey written for the protagonist of The Eye.

 

[raymondluo]

It's easier to identity one's self with a mother's love and sacrifice, than it is to a blind person who needed no sympathy to begin with?

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

Exactly. In The Ring, survival of family is at stake-- Rachel (protag), her son Aidan, and an ex lover who is Aidan's father-- if the mystery of the videotape that kills is not solved; there are high emotional and primal stakes involved-- loss of mother, son, family. Same in Dark Water, or The Changling, etc. But in The Eye, we have a protagonist who is a virtuoso violinist, seemingly happy even, even content at being blind, who then is given sight-- but what is at stake in her life is she fails to solve the paranormal events she keeps seeing? Answer: not much except stress. I just find it interesting, as one ponders protagonist characters to invent for a story.

It's easier to identity one's self with a mother's love and sacrifice, than it is to a blind person who needed no sympathy to begin with?