The Spider and the Fly is a poem by Mary Howitt, published in 1829. The first line of the poem is "'Will you walk into my parlour?' said the Spider to the Fly." The poem tells of a cunning Spider who ensnares a naïve Fly through the use of seduction and flattery.
My understanding is that this story type is about the Spider's use of flattery and charm to disguise their true evil intentions and the Fly's naivety.
Red Riding
The 7 minute short Red Riding, directed by Louis J. Parker and Dominique Miranda is a film based on my story type.
3 Act Structure
Act 1 - Set Up
In the beginning of the film we are introduced to the protagonist and the antagonist. As the protagonist is happily dancing in the forest alone we see the antagonist sneaking up and watching her from behind a tree. He creeps up to her while her back is turned and as she turns to face him, he winks and smiles. The pair kiss and begin to dance together, running throughout the forest. Like a game of cat and mouse, the protagonist is always in front of the antagonist. Suddenly he disappears and she is left alone for a brief moment in time. He appears behind her and holds her arm with a sinister feel, showing power over her in a threatening situation. This is the inciting incident/catalyst that draws the audience in.
Act 2 - Confrontation
The action begins to rise in the middle act. The protagonist tries to escape the antagonist but finds herself in a worse situation as she has injured her leg falling. As she frantically tries to find a way out of the forest (that gradually gets thicker and darker) the antagonist stalks her, like a predator hunting his prey. He takes slow steps, knowing he holds the upper hand.
Act 3 - Resolution
The protagonist reaches a dead end, the antagonist has caught her. As she struggles and falls backwards, he suddenly reaches for her and the screen goes to black.
In this short film, the dancing resembles speech. There isn't any physical talking, but the characters talk through movement. When they first meet we can see the anticipation as they circle each other, trying to suss each other out. The antagonist uses his good looks and charm to seduce her, leading to a kiss. After they kiss (which the antagonist instigates) the tone is lighter as the protagonist starts a game of chase laughing. However, the antagonist doesn't seem to be as happy. After entertaining her game the antagonist decides to take a sinister approach. He grabs her violently and pursues her until she is stuck in a dead end. He finally gets what he was after the whole time.
My short film will loosely follow the same three act structure, with the characters talking online.
Characters
The story is a modern day fable exploring the terrifying notion that people may not always be as they seem, it follows the well known fairy-tale characters Little Red Riding Hood and her meeting with the Big Bad Wolf.
The protagonist - Red Riding Hood
She is a naïve young girl dressed in red enjoying dancing in a forest. Although she doesn't speak, her innocence is portrayed through her graceful movements and facial expressions. She is quick to dismiss the situation in which she meets the antagonist and falls for his enticing smile straight away.
The antagonist - The Big Bad Wolf
He is a predator hunting his prey; in his eyes the young girl. He is dressed in black and grey, straight away this makes the audience realise he is a dark character compared to the colourful Red Riding. He walks slowly but surely and always keeps his eyes on the protagonist. He charms her into thinking he's something he's not.
He is a predator hunting his prey; in his eyes the young girl. He is dressed in black and grey, straight away this makes the audience realise he is a dark character compared to the colourful Red Riding. He walks slowly but surely and always keeps his eyes on the protagonist. He charms her into thinking he's something he's not.
