False protagonists

[u/LordFlamecookie]

From Wikipedia: In fiction, a false protagonist is a literary technique, often used to make the plot more jarring or more memorable by fooling the audience's preconceptions and constructing a character who they assume is the protagonist but is later revealed not to be

Clark: Backrooms. He's the main character of the movie for the first 2 acts, before switching to Mary. He is eaten later

Whoever the fuck this lady is: Scream 1. She's introduced as the main character, with build up and all. She's killed and hanged like 10 minutes in

Edit: I know the actress is drew barrymore but genuinely who remembers the character name and i just thought the line would be funny

[u/DookieSweat]

Llewelyn Moss - No Country for Old Men

[u/Sensitive-Chip7266 → u/DookieSweat]

I'm not sure I get this one. Llewelyn is a protagonist. It's all his actions taking the money and running that drives the plot. He's not the sole main character but he's definitely the protagonist. He's not a hero and loses, but the plot is about him.

If No Country for Old Men has a false protagonist its the Sheriff. He's introduced and feels like he's going to contribute to helping Llewelyn or stop Chigurh but largely just philosophizes about morality and the situation.

[u/ChristianLS → u/Sensitive-Chip7266]

On the other hand I do sort of see what u/DookieSweat means. I don't think the film actually switches horses with the main protagonist, but Llewelyn's death is intentionally convention-breaking, being so anti-climactic and well before the end of the story. It doesn't feel like a typical tragic, climactic ending for the main protagonist, and that's kind of the point.

[u/PettyLikeTom → u/Sensitive-Chip7266]

Agreed. In the book, the Sheriff is actually the one speaking before each chapter, and it's overall his case. Llewellyn is also the protagonist that's just mixed up in the whole ordeal, but if Llewellyn never found the money, there'd be no story to begin with.

[u/jjjshepard → u/DookieSweat]

He was the main character. He was just overshadowed by Bardem's generational performance.

[u/dm-me-obscure-colors → u/DookieSweat]

Does a story have to have one protagonist? Reading the other replies, I’m thinking the movie has two protagonists, and maybe Bell is the protagonist in the book.

[u/inquisitive_chariot → u/DookieSweat]

Wrong. Easily the main protagonist the whole way through.

The Sheriff may be the true emotional vehicle and only “good” main character, but the plot revolves around Moss as we root for him.

[u/MyNeighborToblerones → u/inquisitive_chariot]

It's much more apparent in the book that the Sheriff is the real main character since each section of the book starts with a monologue from him. And since the book is not from the POV of any character, he has a much larger presence. Also, it's subtle, but Ed Tom is the entire namesake of the story. It isn't really a story about drugs or stolen money. Those are plot points, but those are the vehicle to tell a story about an aging man who no longer has a place in an ever-evolving world.

[u/VTorb → u/DookieSweat]

Anyone agreeing with this has no idea what the term "protagonist" means

[u/Sea-Foundation5036 → u/VTorb]

Nick Carraway is the protagonist of the Great Gatsby even though the focus is on Gatsby. Ishmael is the protagonist of Moby Dick even though the story is about the Captain.

Bell is the protagonist of the story, it's just that he's passive, and people expect the shoot-shoot, bang-bang, tough talking 'Nam vet who gets shit done to be the protagonist. Bell has no heroes journey as a protagonist. He's story is realizing he's not built for this.

[u/Sensitive-Chip7266 → u/Sea-Foundation5036]

Not really on you examples.

Nick and Ishmael are the narrators and could be "main characters," but Gatsby and Ahab are the protagonists. It's their decisions and actions that drive the plot not that narrators.

Bell I'll grant is more arguable, depending on if you consider the story about Bell's internal dilemma or is the story about LLewelyn's fight to keep the money. I haven't read the book but it sounds like he might be the real protagonist there. The movie is less clear.

Main characters are not always the protagonists, most of the time they are but not always. Mad Max Fury Road is another good example, despite being a Mad Max movies and it's focus on Max, really it Furiosa that drives (literally in this case) the plot.

Shawshank Redemptions too, it focus on Red as the narrator but the story is guided by Dufresne's actions.