Slouching towards redemption: on the nature and process of screen redemption

This thesis examines the origins of redemption and sheds rare insight into its modern application within the medium of screenwriting. The essence of redemption has undergone a profound evolution through the ages, its meaning and relevance forged within the divinity of the Old and New Testament, before being usurped by an anthropological focus during the Age of Enlightenment. Redemption in cinema blends a unique combination of these historic elements, harnessing the sacred and the singular within the narrative arc of a redemptive protagonist. This fertile discovery, born out of a burgeoning passion for redemptive narratives, consequently inspired the following research question: In the development of an original screenplay, how is a redemptive arc for the story’s central protagonist materialized? Through a methodological framework of practice-based enquiry, the rigours of creative practice were closely examined. Investigation of a study of textual references, exploring seminal character-driven redemptive narratives, conceived of an emerging model of redemption. These textual references, consisting of a selection of internationally renowned films, explore aging male redemptive protagonists of Judeo-Christian heritage to better reflect the central character of POP, the author’s creative work. The emerging model of redemption, constructed to capture the narrative arc of this unique protagonist over the course of a feature screenplay, was undertaken with the direct intent of serving this original creative work, and would prove of enormous benefit in its development and execution. This thesis fills a glaring gap in our knowledge, building upon internalised antecedent systems by delivering a working model of redemption that serves to benefit fellow practitioners and the academic community as a whole.