Conflict is to Drama...

Conflict is to drama what water is to fish.

Or another way to think about it is that it has something to do with Newton's 3rd law. (That's the one that says that every action has an equal reaction). Too much peace and serenity in a story, and it turns into boredom.

Unfortunately, some films have taken this idea to the level where every scene has to have a chase or an explosion. But does that mean that every movie has to be about bombs blowing up? (We wrote a similar post about this.) If it did, we'd miss out on a lot of good movie plots.

Conflict doesn't have to be manifest in explosions. Yes, it may, but it isn't mandatory. Conflict can be with oneself, with others who are nearby, against a diabolical system. (Yes, even with giant robots who intend to blow up the universe, if that's the genre you're going for).

That's not to say that explosions are bad. It's just to say that sometimes an explosion can be metaphorical.

When story comes second after special effects, it shows.

[Photo via flikr, courtesy of felt is the fabric]