Michael Clayton : Constructing the Perfect Antagonist

In his 2007 Oscar-nominated screenplay, Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy provides a blueprint for a perfect protagonist/antagonist relationship.

Though overshadowed by The Dark Knight, Gilroy's screenplay is just as good, if not better. The internet is full of content about The Joker as the perfect antagonist, but these are all derivative of the benchmark created by Lessons from the Screenplay.

I believe there is room for another example.

This post will show how Gilroy created the perfect protagonist/antagonist relationship and how you can do the same in your own screenplays.

Karen Crowder and Michael Clayton: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Excluding gender, Michael Clayton and Karen Crowder are essentially the same person.

Both are lawyers working in the legal profession. The only difference is that Michael refers to himself as a "legal janitor" or a fix-it man, while Karen leads the legal team. Both of them are working to close the U-North legal case. Michael has been given the responsibility of containing Arthur Edens, a colleague who is attempting to sabotage the closure.

Most screenwriters, myself included, approach a story first with an idea, then develop the protagonist, plot, and antagonist. However, there are significant advantages to creating a clone of your protagonist before the plot.

In this story, Karen Crowder is the protagonist, and for the first half of the story, Michael plays the role of the secondary protagonist who supports her in closing the case.

This raises an interesting question: how can Michael Clayton be the perfect antagonist while also helping the protagonist?

The Protagonist, Antagonist, and Main Character Relationship

Tony Gilroy uses a Main Character, Protagonist and Antagonist to define the structure of his screenplay.

Karen Crowder, trying to close the U-North case, is the Protagonist, while Arthur Edens, trying to sabotage the legal process, is the Antagonist. The story is experienced primarily from Michael Clayton's point of view, making him the Main Character and Secondary Protagonist.

This setup allows Michael Clayton to function as a perfect clone of Karen Crowder, with one subtle difference.

A Moral and Ethical Dilemma

In the first half of the screenplay, Michael Clayton and Karen Crowder share the same moral and ethical beliefs.

Both are willing to operate in a legal grey area to get the job done. Michael has forged a shady career from it, while Karen is comfortable bending the rules in her favor. The problems start when Karen has Arthur Edens killed.

Karen’s actions force Michael to question and reevaluate his beliefs. He changes and realises that there’s a limit to his immoral and unethical behavior.

This change in Michael Clayton’s core beliefs allows him to take the place of Arthur Edens as opposition to Karen Crowder.

Michael Clayton becomes the Antagonist

At the midpoint of this story, Michael becomes Karen Crowder’s opponent.

Michael's friend and colleague, Arthur Edens, is murdered by Karen Crowder, and Michael realises something is wrong. He takes on the role of antagonist to uncover the crime, and from this point on, Michael is in direct opposition to Karen.

In the third act, he will stop the U-North case from closing and have Karen arrested.

This major midpoint change in the external plot triggers the start of change in the character's internal belief system.

Gilroy’s Template

Gilroy’s creation of Michael Clayton forms a checklist we can follow to define out own Protagonist/Antagonist relationships :

Clone your Protagonist

Gilroy creates his antagonists by cloning his protagonist and then tweaking their characterization before changing their core beliefs.

In the film Michael Clayton, Arthur Edens is the antagonist, also working as a lawyer on the U-North case. However, Arthur's core belief that U-North behaves morally and ethically has been compromised. He can no longer stand to watch the innocent victims of this massive corporation suffer.

Michael Clayton is the perfect clone of Karen Crowder, with only his characterization changed. His role in the story, his goal, and his core beliefs are perfectly aligned with the protagonist.

Compete for the Same Goal

Karen Crowder, Michael Clayton, and Arthur Edens are all competing for the same goal, whether working together or in conflict.

They seek to define the boundaries of moral and ethical behavior. While Michael and Arthur believe there is a line that cannot be crossed, Karen believes she must do whatever it takes to win and achieve results.

These differing beliefs in achieving the same goal define the core of dramatic conflict.

Define Change for the Audience and Character

Gilroy uses the midpoint to clearly define change in Michael Clayton.

The death of his close friend, and colleague, Arthur Edens has a profound impact on Michael Clayton. But alone, it’s not enough to change his core beliefs and behaviour. Michael Clayton is a legal fix-it man for his firm, and Karen Crowder, by having Arthur Edens murdered, has fixed him.

Karen Crowder’s actions shatter Michael’s core belief that he is behaving morally and ethically.

In Michael Clayton, Gilroy employs the midpoint to clearly define change in the main character.

The death of his close friend and colleague, Arthur Edens, has a profound impact on Michael Clayton, but alone, it is not enough to change his core beliefs and behavior. As a legal fix-it man for his firm, Michael's worldview is shattered when Karen Crowder has Arthur Edens murdered in order to fix him.

Karen Crowder's actions force Michael to confront the reality that he may not have been behaving morally and ethically, shattering his previous beliefs about himself.

Do It!

This exercise can help you evaluate and improve your protagonist/antagonist relationships:

Commonalities

List what your Protagonist and Antagonist have in common.

Example :

• Karen Crowder, Michael Clayton and Arthur Edens are lawyers in the legal profession.
• Karen and Michael work together to close the U-North deal.
• Karen and Michael will bend and break the law to succeed.

Define Your Belief Systems

Define your Protagonist and Antagonist core belief systems.

Example :

• Karen Crowder believes that it's acceptable to operate in a legal grey area without boundaries in order to win the U-North case.
• Michael Clayton also believes in using the legal grey area to silence Arthur Edens, but there is a limit to what he will do.
• Arthur Edens has a clear moral and ethical standard that U-North has crossed, and must be held accountable for.

Actions that Drive Change

Define your characters actions that change core belief systems.

Example :

• Arthur Edens defends a young girl who is also a victim of U-North. He does so due to his broken relationship with his daughter.
• Arthur’s actions force Karen to break the law by hiring an illegal surveillance team.
• After Arthur escapes from Michael's custody, Karen has him killed.
• Karen's actions force Michael to reevaluate his own moral and ethical behavior. Karen has crossed a line and must be held accountable.

See you soon!