Character representation- Wimp

Character representation- of a coward/wimp

The typical representation of a "wimp" is usually a cowardly geek who shies away from trouble or fights. Our character is going  to play on these key traits; however as it is a thriller/action genre it will be different as most wimps are shown in the comedy genre. To start with I began by looking at the conventional comedic geek, which we could draw inspiration from.


The comedic 'wimp' character: Taken from the film Drilbit Taylor of Wende

Mise en scene:

• The close up shot shows a stereotypical 'geeky' young boy, this is immediately identifiable as he is wearing un- fashionable clothing and glasses:
• The costume choice adds to the overall impression of a character and the thin wire glasses used here are conventional of the 'geek' stereotype, as well as being traditionally associated with cleverness, they are also associated with being un cool, and 'nerdy' so it seems unlikely this character will be useful in a fight.
• The close up shot also shows how thin the protagonist is, there is a lack of muscle connoting a lack of physical strength, a trait we should look for in the actor who plays our wimp character Malory.
• Also, the facial expression of the character is a look of bemusement; he appears almost startled at the idea of a fight, showing his discomfort with the idea of violence.
• Un-trendy hair style, classic of the conventional 'un-cool' wimpy kid and again exploits the same stereotype .

The appearance of the character, suggest that he would be useless and uncomfortable in a fight, a trait we are looking for in our character Malory.


Other representations of 'wimp figures within film's:

The above characters known as Pimpel and Ragetti, are portrayed as two comedic wimps in the thriller/comedy/action/fantasy film "Pirates of the Caribbean". They conform to the stereotypes commonly associated with cowardly characters, as they are often filmed running from danger:

As demonstrated in the above montage; the pair are often caught in ridiculous situations or are likely to draw the short straw. We can use similar, but less comical shots of our 'wimpy' character to give the audience a clue that he is unlikely to survive. The third image in the montage above, is a long shot of Pintel and Ragetti both wearing expressions of bemusement, adding to an idea that they aren't particularly clever or brave, we could use a similar facial expression in our film trailer.