Binary Opposition Theory
I decided to research the binary opposition theory because the two main characters in my story are opposites that attract.
Many concepts cannot be fully understood without considering the opposite idea. For example, the concept of loudness cannot be fully understood until one knows quietness, and this goes for any other set of opposites like hero vs. villain, kind vs. selfish, or light vs. darkness. One cannot exist without the other. Claude Lévi-Strauss believed that the structure of the world was based on binary opposition and that is how we as humans make sense of our existence.
The film world often presents opposite concepts by exploring the gray area between them. Contrast and comparison tend to attract audiences and engage them. The most common ways the film industry uses binary opposition are:
- Hero vs. Villian
- Relaxed vs. Tense
- Strong vs. Weak
- Humanity vs. Technology
- Black vs. White
- Masculinity vs. Femininity
However, there is a prominent issue with stereotypes used to create opposition. For example, saying men and women are opposites because men are brave and strong while women are scared and helpless. Another stereotype would be that wealthy people do not associate with poor people or that someone brave is immediately superior to someone scared. The idea that one is always better than the other is not always ideal as binary opposition is not about establishing which one is best, instead, it is about better understanding concepts through the contrast between them.
Examples:
The entire movie series of The Hunger Games explores the contrast between the Capitol and the 13 Districts and how their social status separates them from one another. The newest movie,
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, explores the gray area between them with the character of Lucy Gray Baird, as she is neither district nor capital. She lives in the districts but stands out with her colorful clothing and defiant and loud personality.
The Harry Potter movie franchise explores opposition by having magical characters and also mortals who are not part of the magical world. In the first movie,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, they explore the gray area between the two by including characters who are "muggle-born" or "halfbloods," meaning that they do not completely belong to either group.
Another example is
Titanic as it explores the concept of two characters of different social statuses falling in love. Their relationship is not allowed as social classes were not supposed to mix and wealthy people valued their status and money above everything. The love story in this movie still alludes to the binary opposition theory, even if it does not abide by the typical stereotypes of the time.
One more example is the movie
Ratatouille, where the contrast between humans and rats is an interesting concept, as rats are usually seen as disgusting rodents. The friendship between Linguini and Remy shows that just because they are opposites does not mean they cannot get along. It also goes against the typical stereotypes of rats as in this movie Remy is a chef.
Takeaways:
I plan to include the binary opposition theory in my film opening as the contrast between my two characters is a key aspect of the story. The idea that opposites attract works because people can complement each other when they have different personality traits that offer what the other one is missing. My characters will have a lot to learn from each other as they will share their different ideas and lifestyles and slowly realize they can enjoy going out of their comfort zone and being a little more like the other.
Sources:
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