Literary conflicts in film

I'm wondering if you fine people can help me a bit here. I'm taking a grad class and I need some examples of the four literary conflicts and wondered if you could think of examples. I have to create a WebQuest and I want to list examples of the conflicts that students may have seen.

BTW, this is in the "movie question" forum, but any literary examples would be nice, too.

I need:

Man v. Man
Man v. Society
Man v. Nature
Man v. Self

I've got some in mind, but there's probably some examples out there I haven't thought of.

It would also be great if you could think of examples that aren't "R" rated and might be films younger people may have seen.

Thanks!

Do your own homework, Kid.


Here's an all Alec Baldwin edition answer...



MAN VS. MAN: Glengarry Glen Ross
MAN VS. SOCIETY: State & Main
MAN VS. NATURE: The Edge
MAN VS. SELF: The Aviator

__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

How 'bout an all Billy Bob Thornton answer, too?

MAN VS. MAN: Pushing Tin and A Simple Plan
MAN VS. SOCIETY: Sling Blade
MAN VS. NATURE: Armageddon
MAN VS. SELF: The Man Who Wasn't There

Okay, so, it turns out doing this is fun. So I'm going to steal this idea and make a thread out of it.

Literary and movies:

Man Vs. Man: The Most Dangerous Game

Man Vs. Society: A Clockwork Orange

Man Vs. Nature: The Old Man and the Sea

Man Vs. Self: Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde

Man Vs Man:Deliverance
Man vs Society: Deliverance (not sure about this one though)
Man vs Nature: Deliverance
Man vs Self: Deliverance

Man Vs Man:Apocalypse Now
Son of Man vs Society: Passion of Christ
Man vs Nature: Noah's Ark
Man vs Self: Nutty Professor

Man Vs Man: The Untouchables
Man vs Society: Dark City
Man vs Nature: Twister
Man vs Self: Beautiful Mind

You're welcome.

Thanks for the responses. I found "Man vs. Society" was stumping me a bit. Genesis Pig - loved the "son of Man"

Almost any crime films eventually boils down to Man versus Man.

Man verses Society: Enemy of the State, Falling Down, Rambo (1).

Man verses Nature: Most disaster films.

Man verses Self: Hulk, Spiderman 3.

__________________
All secrets are safe with this man, because none are as deadly to him as his own. His secret is that he is Richard Kimble. (The Fugitive - Conspiracy of Silence)

A Jake Gyllenhaal one:

Man v. Man - Zodiac,
Man v. Society - Brokeback Mountain, Rendition.
Man v. Nature - The Day After Tomorrow
Man v. Self - Donnie Darko

Man Vs Man: Angels with Dirty Faces
Man vs Society: Brazil
Man vs Nature: Alive
Man vs Self: A Scanner Darkly

Greystoke (Tarzan) fits all five categories

If you need more Man Vs Society: 1984
Planet of the Apes
Logan's Run
The Crowd
The Last Laugh
Pygmalion (My Fair Lady)
Look Back in Anger
The Scarlet Letter
The Crucible
Death of a Salesman
The Beverly Hillbillies

Man v. Man: The Departed
Man v. Society: SLC Punk
Man v. Nature: Jaws
Man v. Self: Fight Club

Books are fun too too!

Man v. Man: Dracula
Man v. Society: The Handmaid's Tale, American Psycho
Man v. Nature: Lord of the Flies
Man v. Self: The Bell Jar, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Portrait of Dorian Gray

To the OP, I think you're missing a couple of the more important narrative types that show up over and over again (probably it's not part of the assignment, but it's fun to come up with movies for them):

The Bildungsroman (coming of age story): The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Man in a Dystopian Future: Zombieland
The Myth: Lord of the Rings (also, most war movies)

Isn't Dracula more like Man Vs. Monster?

True, unless you read the Dracula character as more of the worst and darkest aspects of human nature. Seems to me Man vs. Man leads itself much better to film.

You could also file it under "Man vs. Syphillis Metaphor," but I'm not sure that's a "classic" literary conflict, exactly.

Man v. Man - Kramer vs. Kramer
Man v. Society - 1984
Man v. Nature - Any Disaster film ever.
Man v. Self - Secret Window

__________________
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." - Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park.

Woman vs. Society: Iron Jawed Angels

__________________
Herr Zeller: Perhaps those who would warn you that the Anschluss is coming - and it is coming, Captain - perhaps they would get further with you by setting their words to music.
Captain von Trapp: If the Nazis take over Austria, I have no doubt, Herr Zeller, that you will be the entire trumpet section.