DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The Favourite

Listen to understand how games force characters to interact and reveal themselves (through competency, decisions, and rule-breaking)

In part two of this two parter, Stu and Chas go further into the game (of the scene) and look at how games force characters other than the protagonist to interact. We deep dive into the wonderful social satires of TRIANGLE OF SADNESS and THE FAVOURITE.

We discuss how games reveal character through competency and decisions, how resources and skills impact the tactics that characters employ, and the difference between referees, rule lawyers, rule makers and rule breakers.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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→ Read the transcript for this episode.

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"games are about a series of choices and relatedness is the way that they build interaction so you can see how that is actually really useful for characters because what you actually want to do is put your characters in a situation where they're competent enough to be challenged but you don't want them to be destroyed." — Stu Willis @ 00:09:50

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CHAPTERS

00:00:00 – Cold Open

00:00:19 – Sponsor: ScriptUp

00:01:45 – Why Games Force Every Character to Play: Competence, Tactics, and Interrelatedness

00:05:09 – › Listener examples: rule-switching in THE PRINCESS BRIDE

00:07:18 – › Games as a character engagement tool: competence, autonomy, and relatedness

00:10:50 – TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Parts 1 and 2)

00:14:21 – › The captain and Dimitri: ideology as a drinking game

00:20:12 – › How the game escalates entitlement into catastrophe

00:24:11 – › Carl and Yaya: win conditions emerging across shifting arenas

00:31:13 – › How the game reveals mutual manipulation and honest compatibility

00:35:37 – Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro

00:38:25 – TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Part 3)

00:40:34 – › Abigail distributes the octopus: resources rewrite the power hierarchy

00:44:54 – › Rule makers versus referees: who interprets the rules holds the power

00:49:13 – › Asymmetric games and why players with different resources can't see each other's path to victory

00:52:51 – THE FAVOURITE

00:57:10 – › The arena as playground, battleground, and prison across three acts

01:00:49 – › Abigail and Masham: literal chase reveals social and physical power inverted

01:06:05 – › Three shooting scenes: competence, escalation, and the blood-spatter declaration

01:13:26 – › The mud bath: Sarah's resources are shared history and the ability to make Anne laugh

01:19:29 – › Poisoning as a rule break only one player conceived as possible

01:25:28 – › Why Sarah loses: hubris and failing to recognise a different game was being played

01:30:34 – Wrap Up & Key Learnings

01:34:11 – › Games as a structural tool across a whole feature or series

01:37:51 – › Applying the game lens to macro story structure

01:40:30 – Thanks to our Patreons!

FILMS

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (2022) — (w) Ruben Ostlund

THE FAVOURITE (2018) — (w) Tony Mcnamara, Deborah Davis (d) Yorgos Lanthimos

SCRIPTS

Study the script: TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (2022) — Ruben Ostlund

Study the script: THE FAVOURITE (2018) — Tony Mcnamara, Deborah Davis

LINKS

IMDB: Molli and Max in the Future

Read: Letterboxd - Molli and Max in the Future

EPISODES IN THE GAME OF THE SCENE SERIES

DZ-102: Game of the Scene - Bluey, John Wick 4

DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The Favourite

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-40: Tactics and Scenes

DZ-99: Scene Questions

DZ-102: Game of the Scene - Bluey, John Wick 4

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