Nir Shelter:

In regards to Dingam having a character arc, I’ll have to think about that.? However, I don’t see him as the main character.? For one thing, he doesn’t have much screen time, far less than than? BIlly, Colin and Frank.? (He might even have less screen time than the only female character, the shrink, who serves as the love interest.)?

I see Dingam’s getting “street justice” on Colin as being true to his defining characteristic from FADE IN: to FADE OUT:; that is,? abrasive, combative? At the start of the film he’s as abrasive with Colin as as he is with the Billy.? He later insults Frank Costello to his face.

Dingam resigns after the death of Queenan rather than work for his successor. He has to be restrained from attacking Colin — and at that point he doesn’t know just how guilty Colin is. When (off screen) he eventually figures out that Colin not only killed Billy, but is also complicit in the death of his boss Queenan.? So even if Billy hadn’t been killed by Colin, Dingam would still have all the motivation he needed to avenge the death of his boss.

(But the whole 3rd Act is littered with plot holes and “WTF?” story beats so your ideas about Dingam’s role is as good as mine.)

As I said earlier, I have become somewhat? fluid in defining and applying character roles and paradigms. As it happens I just read a character breakdown for “The Shawshank Redemption” by one of the more popular screenwriter gurus in the U.S.? And I just don’t see it that way, how he pigeonholes the characters.? I should take that as the inciting incident to post a logline for “The Shawshank Redemption”.

regards