There’s an element of puppetry to all movies, given that they usually stem from the mind of a writer whose words and actions are then brought to life by a cast of actors, who are further controlled by an overseeing director. Some directors will take a hands-off approach to their performing talent, but there are many throughout history, most famously Alfred Hitchcock, who closely guided their every move. So it seems natural that filmmakers would be accustomed to the act of dictating someone’s movements and the words coming out of their mouths.
This can take a variety of forms. In some cases you’ll have stories featuring a person feeding words into someone else’s head, the way a screenwriter works. Other instances will feature a guy literally controlling the movement and actions and even thoughts of another person, which mimics the role of a director. Though often, actors will bring qualities to the life of a character that a director and screenwriter did not anticipate or dictate, making for a richer collaborative process—this aspect of the analogy has been represented on screen too.
Here are 5 movie puppetmasters that came to mind for me. If you have others that fit the description, add your picks in the comment section below.
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