Scribbling Corner: Age of Ultron, Visual Storytelling, and Getting Wood

I was watching Avengers: Age of Ultron recently, and was reminded again of how good the screenwriting was throughout. Virtually all of the menagerie of leads had their own continuing character arcs, though they were often told quite subtly. The secondaries are all put to work effectively, furthering the plot, prodding the leads, and feeling real instead of existing solely to flip a switch in the script. And finally, the overall story arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) felt effectively progressed. Complaints that Age of Ultron felt like just a stepping stone to a greater sequel fall a little flat, given that Ultron's plan to end human life came frighteningly close, which just goes to show how jaded some patrons are: "Cha' whatever bro, so he nearly wiped out all human life, I just never took him seriously as a threat, and Thanos like totally has a glove and marries death and shit... I wish he was my real dad".

What I enjoyed the most were the little examples of purely visual story telling that pervaded the whole film. It is gratifying that in a film filled with such stimulating mass action, the smallest touches are put in place to help tell the story without the need for excessive dialogue. There are the obvious ones, like Ultron's progression from a battered and broken Iron Legionnaire, to a strong shell, to his denied destiny in the beautiful body of The Vision, and of course, the moment when Scarlet Witch rips out his core, symbolizing the death of her own heart (although, both examples are explained with dialogue). A great example of the purer visual story is the scene in which Steve Rogers (Cap) and Tony Stark (Tin Can) argue over Stark's decision to create Ultron without consulting his peers. The dialogue is pretty straight forward, with Rogers shaming Stark's decision, and Stark slugging back with his usual impetuousness and choleric self-importance. Stark is clearly the cause of their problem, though his actions were sparked by the desire to protect his friends, something he cannot trust them to support him in. Rogers, the classic phlegmatic archetype, shames Stark's lack of trust, and unwillingness to confide.

This would make for a great scene if it were dialogue alone, but the director (no introduction required) chose to also build the scene around useful visual metaphors. The pair have their dispute while splitting logs for firewood. This doesn't feel remotely out of place. The scene occurs while the two are unexpected guests on a farmstead, and chipping in with manual work is entirely to be expected. A key failing of writers attempting visual metaphors, or symbolic action frequently occurs when their intended imagery feels forced, unnecessary, or just plain out of place. For example, if this scene had taken place in Stark Tower (Stark's mid-town New York skyscraper), wood-chopping might seem a tad out of place, as indeed would any scene involving manual labour or Rogers "helping out" (In a modern skyscraper full of robots... he could make coffee?). The image is humourous, since the superhuman Rogers is clearly the more practical of the two men, and his pile of split logs towers over Stark's. This image tells us all we need to know about the relationship between the two men. Stark loves to tease Rogers' lack of technical aptitude, and discomfort with the 21st century. Conversely, Stark is brought back to earth in this low tech setting, and is forced to admit Rogers' superiority in practical matters. The two wood piles represent the state of the argument. Rogers towers over Stark at this point, both in his usefulness, and his position in their debate. Rogers is calm, not breaking into anger at Stark. Stark's arguments, though founded in his relative desire to protect, are puny in the face of the overwhelming evidence. He is the lesser man in this situation, in spite of all his good intentions, power, and skills. Of course, Stark is unwilling to back down on the issue, and the scene breaks suddenly when Rogers picks up a log and simply rips it in two with his bare hands. This is a critical moment in not only this film, but also in the larger arc of the MCU. This is the almost literal representation of the moment that Rogers and Stark diverge paths, both in Age of Ultron (representing the team's division), and in the greater scheme, as the two allies break apart on moral grounds. The scene is then capped nicely with a final laugh, and the arrival of Nick Fury, the team's father figure.

This is just one example of the kind of excellent writing and visual story-telling that is present throughout Age of Ultron, and also the rest of the MCU films. It shows how the films are carefully constructed to tell brilliant self-contained stories, but also contribute to a wider story that never feels rushed, or like it is making it up as it goes. The recent attempts by DC and parent company Warner to produce similar quality "shared-universe" films has left a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to being patient and building a worthy universe for film. Fortunately, their TV series', Arrow, and Flash have both made excellent strides toward matching Marvel's patience and willingness to work for its audience's adoration. Take this scene above as a template and try applying it to other scenes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, or any other film you see this week, and see what other stories are being told in the background. Spoiler, if it's a Bay film, the subtext is probably, "dat azzzzzzzzz!"