In the realm of Hollywood, characters tossing away cigarettes is practically an art form. But let's delve deeper into the symbolism behind this seemingly mundane action.
Picture this: the antagonist strides onto the scene, exuding an aura of menace that sends shivers down your spine. With a physique like a heavyweight champ and eyes that could pierce through steel, he's the epitome of tough-as-nails. And then, in a moment of nonchalance, he flicks away his cigarette...
Meanwhile, in the real world, millions of cigarettes are snuffed out daily, each one poisoning gallons of precious subsoil water. Our planet is facing a crisis of epic proportions, with rising temperatures, plastic-choked oceans, and rampant deforestation pushing us towards the brink of catastrophe.
So, let's ask ourselves: does stubbing out a cigarette really make this tough guy any tougher? It's a cliché we've seen time and time again, regardless of whether the character is a hero or a villain. But what if we dared to break the mold?
Imagine the same scene, but with a twist. Instead of tossing away the cigarette with careless abandon, our antagonist extinguishes it with deliberate precision, tucking it away in his pocket. What message does that send to the viewer? Perhaps that there's more to this character than meets the eye. Maybe he has a code, a sense of respect, or even a shred of humanity amidst the chaos.
And let's face it: tossing cigarettes is not just bad for the environment, it's a tired cliché that adds nothing to the narrative. It's time for Hollywood to step up and challenge the status quo, to push boundaries and defy expectations. After all, actions speak louder than words, and it's high time we started setting a better example for the world.
So, Hollywood, take note: it's time to ditch the tired tropes and embrace a new era of storytelling. Let's make every action count, both on screen and off, and strive to leave a legacy that we can be proud of.
/Fredrik Sträng
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I don't think I've ever written a character tossing away a cigarette, Fredrik Sträng. I've never needed to. If I did write a character tossing a cigarette, I'd make sure it was important to the story, and I'll try to put a spin on the trope.
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Very interesting take…the deliberate action and putting it in his or her pocket would make your curious about the character.
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Flicking away a cigarette show a lack of care for everything except themselves. It show a disregard for everything, “I don’t want this”, flick. Someone that show care about the outcome of a cigarette may come across as OCD, which may be desirable. A bit like a bad guy eating an apple during a tense situation, it is a sigh of contempt and that they value the tension of the situation less than hunger.
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Good point. Cigarettes have a different connotation now than they used to so it is smart to evolve. I don't know but my favorite use of a cigarette in a scene is in Carl Reiner's (offbeat but brilliant) Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid when Steve Martin is showing off for Rachel Ward and pretends to stick a cigarette in his ear and then pull it out of his mouth. Simple sleight of hand but makes you like his character for trying to impress his new client. For the record, he never flicks it with reckless abandon into the street so always the hero.
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Small but impactful change, thanks for sharing thoughts Fredrik Sträng Certainly time to change the narrative.
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Best cigarette use - Kevin Spacy at the very being of USUAL SUPSECTS. The story is given away in that split second when we see him holding the cigarette in a very Eastern European manner. That imagery comes full circle at the end - he drives away holding the cigarette in the same tell-tale manner. Never been a smoker myself but I did have a character with a pack of cigarettes.
I think there are worst things happening in Hollywood right now than worrying about whether a tossed cigarette is going to leave a carbon footprint…here’s a thought…have an AI actor toss a cigarette…it’s not going to hurt the environment because the actor and the cigarette are not real…the real actor is out of a job and waiting tables to survive.
Already sent it in and hope it is accepted and not another rejection!
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I love this, Fredrik Sträng! Not just because I agree that it's promoting an unnecessary behavior that's bad for our planet, but also because it's lazy storytelling. Your idea of seeing the villain do something different with the cigarette or maybe with something other than a cigarette, can tell us so much more about the character and the world of the story! When we see tired cliches being used, we're not being challenged as an audience to think.