Is anyone capable of anything?

“Anyone is capable of anything given the right set of circumstances.”

~ Zach Fortier

This is a quote that I have always been very fond of. Human nature is something that has always fascinated me but equally something I have always struggled to comprehend and understand. I think that this inability to understand the complexities of human nature makes good ammunition for all kinds of fiction; the heroes, the villains, the conflicted anti-heros and the neutral abstainers. It leaves a void that can be filled by the imagination, to create in depth, complex characters that can connect to the reader/consumer.

So is anyone really capable of anything under the right set of circumstances? This is a question I have asked myself for several years now. It has always been at the forefront of my mind while consuming all kinds of media and while I learn all kinds of different characters from this media; no matter if it be a book, short story, short film, feature film or even a fictional podcast. I have always been fascinated by the idea that anyone you can think of, see or interact with is capable of just about anything if the right pressures are placed upon them. More specifically, murder.

Whenever I think of that quote, I initially link it to murder. I have no idea why but just the thought of it is interesting. Is anyone capable of murder under the right circumstances? Is your ticket conductor on the train capable of killing? Or how about the local shop keeper? Or your barber?

One example I like to think of is Carol — a fictional character in The Walking Dead universe. For those who are not fans, I will explain a little bit about what I am meaning. Carol started off in the first season of the show as an abused wife, a slave to her abuser; her husband. Keeping a tight reign on what she could wear, say and who she could see — her abuser was a very controlling person. Taking a person so controlled and thus, so submissive and hurling her into an apocalypse of the walking dead seemed almost like a death sentence. Yet, several years into the apocalypse she is still alive and kicking — having killed multiple times to save not only her own life but the lives of others. On initial impressions of the character back in the first season, you would not associate or see her as a survivor, simply because of who she was as a character. Yet under the right set of circumstances, she became a killer. This is of course a fictional example but there are no doubt real examples in the real world of people being forced to do unthinkable things due to circumstance.

Another favorite of mine to mention as a real life example is the story of Aron Ralston. Who was he? You have most likely heard of what he has done and there has even been a movie made about it, just not realized his name — just recognized and realized what he was forced to do under his set of circumstances. Aron Ralston was the famous hiker that was forced to cut off his own arm with a blunt knife, simply to survive (after it had been trapped).

It is real life and fictional examples like these that inspired my own creation. A short film “Broken Vows”. I wanted to explore this idea for myself as a young, budding filmmaker. The concept that anyone is capable of anything capturing my imagination and manifesting as my short film.

So what do you think about this concept? I am intrigued to see the opinions of others on this.

(P.S — the short film is below, if interested)