Anatomy of a scene – Sit & Talk 2 – Training Day
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Dabba (New York, USA)
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Anatomy of a scene – Sit & Talk 2 – Training Day
Every screenwriting guru worth his salt will, at some point during the lecture, pontificate about learning from the best and how Aristotle’s Poetics is the bible for all drama. Why? Because it’s Greek and they are white, and before the Greeks no one anywhere in the world had a tradition of telling sophisticated stories.
Poetics is one of the few books I have read (it’s like 30 pages or something), and Aristotle talks about every tale needing a beginning, middle and end, which has fossilized over the ages into Syd Field’s dogma of the 3-act structure. Among other things, Aristotle defines “beginning” as that before which nothing exists. Fuck Aristotle.
Don’t start at the beginning. Start in the middle. For every story, and every scene. The problem with starting in the middle is that if you have a complex plot or a lot of stuff going on, you have to resort to exposition and bring out Jake the Explainer. But, they say “Show don’t tell.” So you think of using flashbacks and voiceovers. But even that is frowned upon. What’s a mother to do?
Good writers manage to find a way. Sometimes exposition is inevitable (not all exposition is dialogue; exposition can be visual too and is just as bad). What you have to do is hide it. Put it in a situation of conflict/dramatic tension or smuggle it in with humor. The problem with a lot of Indian movies (especially the DVD rip offs) is that they always go way back to the beginning. Consider Akele Hum Akele Tum, a copy of Kramer vs. Kramer. The story is about a single father raising his son and coming to grips with fatherhood. But we have all that nonsense about how Aamir and Manisha met and fell in love, and got married and had a baby etc etc. Why Carlos, hWhy?
But I digress. I like movies that are well plotted (plot includes character too), but plonk you right in the middle of it and dole out bits of information as you go along. Training Day does a great job of this. The events of the movie were set in motion a week before the movie starts. There’s no flashback. At some point you realize what’s actually going on.
But the whole movie hinges on one scene. The first scene where Denzel and Ethan meet at a diner. They sit and talk. This is the 2nd scene in the movie and happens 4 minutes into the movie. This movie was a debut film by an unknown (I could be mistaken). Somehow he got his script to someone like me at a Studio or Agency. I’m going to imagine how I would have reacted if the script landed in my inbox among my many assignments.
It’s 120 pages. Major bummer already. Do not underestimate those extra 25 pages. I have another script that is 95 pages long and I get paid the same amount for both. Which one am I going to read first?
Training Day – Catchy title. Something clicks. I have a sense of what the movie may be about. It’s all going to most likely take place in one day, and if it doesn’t I will be disappointed. So far so good.
First line, CU on alarm clock, 4:59 am. Groan. Cliché # 67 in amateur screenwriting and indie filmmaking. Guy wakes up to the buzz of an alarm clock, followed by a pan to the messy room. Never write this fucking scene! The first scene that you are going to hook me in with is a cliché? Think, my dear friend. The scene runs 4 pages. It is not badly written but there’s nothing there to really hold my interest. Fortunately, he doesn’t describe their living room and furniture. I know what this scene is for. To show he was a wife and infant. There’s also a throwaway line about football tryouts, and another line about his ambition. There’s a phone call from Denzel and he seems to be a hard-ass. 4 pages. Too much. Wifey and baby could have been mentioned in a line of dialogue later. Or at least start the scene two minutes later with him dressing in his uniform, and Denzel’s phone call. I just shaved off 2 minutes of the film.
I am coming into page 5, and what does he hit me with next? A mudderfuckin Sit & Talk in a diner. Cliché # 151. Ya’ll know how I feel about Sit & Talks. Here is an early draft of that scene. I can’t find the version that’s in the movie.
——————————————————————————————
INT. COFFEE SHOP – DAY
Jake struts through the door, confidently looks around.
JAKE’S POV
DETECTIVE SERGEANT ALONZO, in a flannel shirt, reading
the paper in a booth.
The gun leather tough LAPD vet is
a hands-on, blue collar cop who can kick your ass with a
look.
BACK TO SCENE
Jake walks over. Slides in across.
Alonzo’s eyes will
never leave his newspaper.
JAKE
Good morning, sir.
A young waitress pours Jake coffee, offers a menu.
Jake
waves it away.
JAKE
I’m okay, ma’am.
Thank you.
ALONZO
Have some chow before we hit the
office. Go ahead.
It’s my
dollar.
JAKE
No, thank you, sir. I ate.
ALONZO
Fine.
Don’t.
Alonzo turns the page. A long beat. Then:
JAKE
It’s nice here.
ALONZO
May I read my paper?
JAKE
I’m sorry, sir… I’ll get some
food.
ALONZO
No. You won’t. You fucked that
up. Please. I’m reading. Shut
up.
Jake does — Jeeez, sorry. Pours a ton of sugar in his
coffee.
TIME CUT TO:
INT. COFFEE SHOP – DAY
The waitress pours refills.
Alonzo reads. Jake fidgets.
JAKE
Where’s the office, sir? Back at
Division?
No response.
JAKE
Gonna be nice not roasting all
summer in a hot black and white.
Alonzo sighs, carefully folds his paper.
Glares at Jake.
ALONZO
Tell me a story, Hoyt.
JAKE
My story?
ALONZO
Not your story.
A story. You
can’t keep your mouth shut long
enough to let me finish my paper.
So tell me a story.
JAKE
I don’t think I know any stories.
Alonzo waves the paper in Jake’s face.
ALONZO
This is a newspaper. And I know
it’s ninety percent bullshit but
it’s entertaining.
That’s why I
read it. Because it entertains
me. If you won’t let me read my
paper, then entertain me with your
bullshit. Tell me a story.
JAKE
A real one or should I make one up?
ALONZO
(sighs)
Where’d you do your probation?
JAKE
Van Nuys.
ALONZO
Right. The Valley. No cute
little anecdotes about your time
on the mean streets of Van Nuys?
Writing underage smoking cites at
the shopping mall?
Jake thinks. Bingo! He’s got it.
JAKE
There was this D.U.I. stop.
ALONZO
A D.U.I. stop. Wow.
Go on.
JAKE
We were on the mid-watch.
ALONZO
We? You and…?
JAKE
Debbie.
ALONZO
Debbie?
The fuck’s Debbie?
JAKE
My training officer. Debbie
Maxwell –
ALONZO
— You’re T.O. was female?
JAKE
Yessir.
ALONZO
She white? Black?
JAKE
White.
ALONZO
She dyked out or she any good?
JAKE
She’s pretty good.
ALONZO
So you and Debbie are pullin’ a
mid-watch?
JAKE
Right. It’s a real quiet night.
A yawner.
We’re rolling on
Vanowen. I’m driving.
And this
Acura, just a beautiful car, comes
out a side street. In excess.
All over the median.
So I light
it up and hit the wailer. Guy
drives on like I’m invisible for
ten blocks before he pulls over.
Plates ran clean. I approach.
Debbie covers. Driver’s this huge
white guy. Can barely keep his
eyes open. I field test and
arrest and I’m belting him in our
unit. Debbie’s tossing his car.
She calls me to the vehicle and
shows me a snubbed .38 and two
shotguns, all loaded and locked.
ALONZO
No shit?
JAKE
No shit. She calls our supervisor
and I keep searching.
I find five
hundred grams of meth in the dash.
Turns out our D.U.I. was on bail
for distribution.
He was on his
way to smoke his ex-partner before
trial.
(proudly)
We prevented a murder.
Alonzo is astonished.
ALONZO
… amazing…
Jake beams — some story, huh?
ALONZO
You’re driving around the Valley
with a fine bitch in your car for
a year and the most entertaining
story you got is a
D.U.I. stop?
Never hit her up for some Code X
in the back seat?
JAKE
I have a wife.
ALONZO
You also have a dick.
Alonzo shakes his head in disgust.
Jake is crushed.
ALONZO
Let’s go.
————————————————————————————————–
The scene ends better in the movie, with better dialogue. The reason this scene is important is that it establishes two things. Ethan wants to impress Denzel. And this scene makes you relate to Ethan Hawke. Every one of us has been in that situation where we want to impress someone, at an interview or a mentor etc. And a lot of us have been in that place when someone that you look up to does not approve of you. It crushes you, but you are with Ethan from this point on.
More importantly, the plot mechanics is put into motion. You don’t know it when you watch it or read it, but there is a certain subtext to it which you realize later. Denzel has been planning today and he intends to use Hawke for his master plan. He wants to see how best to manipulate Ethan. He probably knows all there is to know about him from his records. That whole bit about the female training officer, is really about seeing if he has cheated on his wife, and how eager Ethan is to please him. Most guys will take any opportunity to brag about someone they have had sex with, especially if they think it will impress another guy. But Ethan does not seem corruptible that way. Washington is going to have to use a combination of cajoling, mentoring and downright coercion to get what he wants.
I also like how he writes Denzel’s sarcasm without really letting us on, without wrylies, and without indicating anything. The fact that he doesn’t use any stage direction is a plus for me. None of that “he lights a smoke,” or “he touches his gun” nonsense.
I am not hooked yet, but I am interested enough, and it gets better. This is a heck of a risk, and if the dialogue in the diner scene didn’t crackle, snap and pop, David Ayer would be bagging groceries somewhere right now.
Let’s talk.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
- first thoughts. The more I read the Denzel-Ethan conversation, it plays in my head quite differently. Then when I visualize how the two lead actors played the scene, I’m amazed the amount of meat they added in this sparkling convesation.
How dabba How?
[do you manage to write like this without having read
much while growing up, in your own words... ]
@ oz –
absolutely. That thing that Denzel does with his hands and the gun when he says DUI, totally Denzel. And I think that’s how it should be. Write the scene bare bones. Do all the work in setting up the conflict and give the actors good lines, and let them do the rest and create the character.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wSMD0TgnDPQ&feature=related
- You need to get us the scene where Ethan is hanging out with the Latino Gangsters at their home, after being asked to wait by Denzel (to be killed). THAT scene and the convesation and how it plays out is pure GOLD… it is hard for me to think that the writer didn’t experience something like this for real. – The asking for gun, the crazy latino doing things with his eyeballs, the palpable tension, Ethan knows something is wrong, he’s nervous, yet out of false bravado passes the gun… and then the sudden jump and dragging him into the bathtub… you gotta give us the text of that scene Dabba.!!!
@ oz – Huzoor, aur farmaaiye…
EXT. STREET – SUNSET
Jake gets out, takes some boxes. And they cross to the
house. With Jake following. Past staring Cholos. A
drunk PeeWee maddogs Jake. Jake maddogs back.
PEEWEE
You know where you’re at, fool?
A VETERANO shoves the PeeWee aside.
VETERANO
The fuck outta the way, punk.
It’s business.
He shakes with Alonzo.
VETERANO
‘Sup, dog. Thought you were
missing in action.
ALONZO
‘Sup, man. You know I’m never
lost.
Jake and Alonzo cross to the house. AD LIBS of “Those’re
cops,” spread through the Cholos.
At the house’s door, Alonzo knocks. A beat. A little
girl cracks it.
ALONZO
Hi. Got some stuff for your
family.
She closes it. A beat. The door opens to reveal SMILEY,
a huge, drunk Veterano sleeved with prison tattoos. He
looks at the two cops. Massive, impassive. Smiley never
smiles.
SMILEY
Kitchen’s this way.
Alonzo enters. Jake hesitates. Then follows.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – SUNSET
The little girl does homework. Two fine Cholas watch the
Spanish newscast. An old man dozes in a chair.
Family photos on the wall — A proud line of warfighters,
lots of military uniforms.
Alonzo and Jake follow Smiley into:
INT. HOUSE – KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS ACTION – SUNSET
SNIPER and MORENO, big and intimidating like Smiley, have
been playing poker around a beer-bottle covered table.
Smiley, Alonzo and Jake enter.
SMILEY
Put it on the counter.
Alonzo and Jake place the boxes on the counter. Sniper,
Moreno, ignore Alonzo. And vice versa.
ALONZO
Can I use the head?
SMILEY
Go for it.
ALONZO
(to Jake)
I’ll be two seconds. We’re
already late.
Alonzo exits to a hallway. Smiley opens a box. Pulls
out a nice CD player.
MORENO
That’s nice. Lemme get that.
SMILEY
You get the Osterizer. This is
mine.
Smiley opens a microwave box. Jake reacts.
JAKE’S POV
The box is crammed with cash from Roger’s locker.
BACK TO SCENE
SMILEY
Dreamer! Got your bony ass in
here!
DREAMER, 19, an attractive young lady, enters. Smiley
stacks the heavy packages in her arms. He tops it off
with the pillowcase of Jake’s money.
SMILEY
Count that shit in the bedroom.
DREAMER
Thanks, eh. I was doing stuff.
Learn to count, math whiz.
SMILEY
Wait up.
Smiley pulls a small electric money counter from a
drawer. Dreamer’s hands are full. So he balances it on
her head.
SMILEY
Don’t drop it.
She gives him a dirty look and exits. Smiley takes his
seat and picks up his cards. He eyes Moreno.
SNIPER
You looked at ‘em.
MORENO
No I didn’t.
Smiley tosses them to Sniper.
SMILEY
Deal again.
SNIPER
Play cards, cop?
JAKE
Not really.
MORENO
Beer?
Moreno offers one. Sniper deals in Jake.
JAKE
No thanks.
SNIPER
C’mon and play a hand.
MORENO
Don’t be rude, dude. One hand.
SMILEY
Don’t sweat it. We ain’t playin’
for money.
JAKE
We gotta go.
SMILEY
Alonzo’s probably taking a dump –
Go ahead and have a seat.
Sniper finishes dealing. Jake looks at the cards
intended for him.
JAKE
Okay. One hand.
Jake sits. Now he can see a shotgun against the wall by
Moreno. The three Cholos check their hands, signal for
more cards. Jake checks his cards.
MORENO
How long you been a cop? You look
like you’re in high school.
JAKE
Nineteen months.
MORENO
Like it?
JAKE
I should’a been a fireman.
MORENO
My cousin’s a fireman. And his
kid’s a Police Explorer. Gonna be
our man on the inside.
SNIPER
I’d love to be a jura. Drive
around all day getting fucked up.
Talkin’ to the ladies. Any heads
that talk shit, fuck ‘em up.
SMILEY
Listen to your bullshit. You
couldn’t hack takin’ orders –
They order you around all the
time. You gotta do everything
they say, huh?
JAKE
Yeah, it’s pretty strict.
Especially when you’re just
starting out.
SMILEY
Sounds like the service. You
serve?
JAKE
No. Never been in the military.
But half the guys I work with
were.
SMILEY
I was in the Army. Ranger Alert
Battalion. Carried a machine gun.
SNIPER
Kick back, Rambo — Waddaya got,
dog?
JAKE
Huh?
SNIPER
Your hand, homes.
Oh — Jake lays down his cards.
JAKE
Three of a kind.
SMILEY
Man… didn’t get squat.
He tosses away his hand, Moreno, too. Sniper shows his
cards with a grin.
SNIPER
Two pair.
Sniper collects the cards. Shuffles.
SMILEY
What are you doing? The cop won.
SNIPER
I got two pair.
SMILEY
Three of a kind beats two pair,
dumbass.
MORENO
See why we don’t play for money?
Smiley slides the deck to Jake.
SMILEY
Your deal.
Jake looks down the hall. Getting up:
JAKE
We have to go. I’m gonna get
Alonzo.
SMILEY
Kick back and party.
Smiley pulls aside the curtain.
JAKE’S POV
An empty street. The G-Ride is gone.
SMILEY (O.S.)
Ain’t nobody out there for you.
ON JAKE
He feels like a toddler lost in a department store. He
sits back down. Moreno laughs.
MORENO
Alonzo played you like a booger.
SMILEY
Deal.
Jake shuffles. Smiley lights a joint. Offers it to him.
SMILEY
It’s P.C.P. Wanna hit?
JAKE
No thanks. I already smoked out
today.
SNIPER
Shit. I’ll step on that P-dog.
Sniper takes it, inhales. Jake dealing cards. The joint
rounds the table.
MORENO
Lemme see your cohete.
SNIPER
Your gun, dude. Let him see your
gun. Under your shirt.
Jake is outnumbered, outsized, outgunned. All he can do
is take the pistol from his holster and show Moreno.
MORENO
That’s down. What is it? A three
eighty?
JAKE
Three eighty stainless. Double
action. Nine round mag.
MORENO
Lemme see it. Ain’t gonna blast
no one.
Jake hands it over. Moreno examines it with skilled
hands.
MORENO
Fuck a vat up with this.
He hands it back. To Jake’s relief.
SNIPER
Gimme two cards.
Jake does. Dreamer enters.
DREAMER
There’s extra.
SMILEY
I know. That’s ours. Set it
aside. Sure about the count?
DREAMER
You count it if you don’t believe
me.
SMILEY
Okay. Thanks — Gimme three.
Dreamer grabs a beer and exits. Jake deals three.
SMILEY
Alonzo pulled off a miracle, huh?
Times are tight. That’s a lotta
cash.
SNIPER
Who’d he jack?
JAKE
(dealing cards)
I dunno.
SMILEY
He jacked Roger. Blasted the
dude.
Moreno guffaws. Sniper chuckles.
MORENO
Damnnnn. Alonzo’s scandalous.
SNIPER
That’s some cold shit. Vato’ll
jack anyone.
MORENO
Alonzo’s a low-down dirty ruthless
vato.
SMILEY
That’s why I never shake his hand.
He don’t respect shit.
(to Jake)
Know what all the money’s for?
JAKE
No.
SMILEY
Alonzo’s a hothead. Last week in
Vegas some dude was talking shit
so Alonzo beat his ass and killed
him. Turns out the dude was
somebody. He ran a big game and
owed big money. Now Alonzo owes
the money.
JAKE
How do you know?
SMILEY
I’m the man in the middle. I hear
shit. They gave Alonzo till today
to pay up. His name’s already on
a list. There’s a crew up from
Sinaloa to do the mission.
They’re gonna blast him. No one
thought he could get cash like
that.
SNIPER
Dude made a pact with the devil or
some shit ’cause only a miracle
could’a saved his ass.
JAKE
It’s no miracle.
SNIPER
Alonzo takes care of business.
SMILEY
Cops get crafty in a clinch.
MORENO
And get away with it — Been to
jail, cop?
SNIPER
That’s a stupid question. If he’s
been to jail, he wouldn’t be cop.
JAKE
You can be a cop as long as you’ve
never been convicted of a felony.
MORENO
There goes my chance. I got like
eighty strikes.
SNIPER
Fuck cops. Cops turned out my
little brother.
That went over Jake’s head.
SNIPER
You hear me?
JAKE
What? He got arrested?
SNIPER
No. Two fuckin’ juras turned him
out. They took his manhood. They
booty-tagged him in the back of a
black and white.
JAKE
That can’t be true.
SNIPER
Do I look like I’m lyin’,
motherfucker?
JAKE
I didn’t say you were lying. I
just haven’t ever heard anything
like that.
SMILEY
‘Cause you’re a rookie. Put in a
few years’ work and you’ll know
what’s up.
MORENO
Makes me wanna turn out a cop –
Ever had your shit pushed in?
JAKE
What?
MORENO
I had my shit pushed in.
SNIPER
Me too. My shit’s been pushed in.
Smiley?
SMILEY
(grins)
I’m always gettin’ love from the
homies.
Smiley caresses Jake’s thigh under the table. He almost
leaps from his chair. Everyone laughs.
SMILEY
Jumpy motherfucker.
SNIPER
(disgusted)
He’s a fuckin’ buster.
MORENO
You never been booty-busted?
Jake tries to laugh. But it’s getting weird.
SMILEY
Hey, cop. Win this hand and we
won’t bust you out.
MORENO
Unless you want us to.
Laughs. Sniper reveals his cards.
SNIPER
I got two pair again.
MORENO
(tossing his cards)
Didn’t get shit.
SMILEY
(grins)
Gotta straight.
SNIPER
Uh-oh. This jura’s gonna be
wearin’ a dress.
Everyone looks at Jake — well? He lays down his cards.
JAKE
Full house.
SMILEY
Lucky fucker.
SNIPER
You won. Deal again.
Smiley taps the deck. Jake looks at it. At them.
MORENO
Deal, homie.
Jake picks up the deck. Starts dealing.
SNIPER
There’s a new chick in the
neighborhood.
SMILEY
Oh yeah? What’s her name?
MORENO
Vanessa… Vanessa Salguero.
Everyone but Jake laughs.
SMILEY
I seen her around. Think she’s a
good girl or a bad girl?
SNIPER
She’s a good girl. Innocent.
Easy to play.
MORENO
How’s she like the neighborhood?
SNIPER
Dunno.
(to Jake)
How you like the neighborhood?
Jake realizes he’s Vanessa. Laughter. Jake finishes
dealing. Sets down the deck. Smiley arranges his hand.
SMILEY
Gimme three.
MORENO
Fuck this buster. Let’s get this
shit over with.
Looks of agreement are traded. Moreno grins at his
shotgun. Sniper shifts his weight. Smiley
whiteknuckling his beer.
SMILEY
Hurry up, cop. Gimme three.
Jake reaches for the deck.
This happens fast:
Jake flings the deck in Sniper’s face.
Smack! Cards scatter.
Jumps up from the chair, flips the table into Moreno.
Smiley SMASHES a beer BOTTLE on Jake’s head.
Moreno grabbing the shotgun.
Crack! Jake socks Smiley’s jaw. He goes down, amazed to
find himself on his ass.
Crack! Sniper uppercuts Jake.
Smiley grabs Jake’s legs, yanks him to the deck –
kerchack!
JAKE’S POV
The bore of a 12 gauge and Moreno’s leering face.
BACK TO SCENE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UqWJbHVfPwQ&feature=related
BOY O BOY O BOY!!!! Reading this and now I realize it was all the amazing work of the director to create this live wire… (of course the scene on paper is dynamite itself… but the way visual capture took this piece of paper to another different level)
Thanks So much… !!!
@ kavita –
Thanks if that’s a compliment, and a bigger thanks if that’s a diss. Too much niceness is happening towards me from PFC authors. Makes me nervous.
dabba // jaise karni waisi bharni :-)
@ wb –
aap kehte hain, tho theek hai.
Since PFC authors are all over the world, any thoughts on having a clock on the top banner for say, the top 5 or 6 cities where people are and showing the times there so we know who’s not sleeping and who’s slacking off at work?
That’s a good idea, dabba. Almost half past four in the a.m. here. And I’m slacking off work, I should be writing.
hello!!
mostly indian films lose their way in the middle….and why shouldnt they!!
after all we indians are religious people trying to mend our old paths and gain a bit of spirituality.so that has been a trademark of indian movies..
a good movie shouldnt have just one end and one beginning;infact it should be having thousand of small little scenes with a beginning and an end.
its like every arriving scene should be having some sort of a co-relation with the past scene..and we people find it difficult to maintain that co-relation for a longer span of time..
one way by which this thing can be achieved is by slowing the pace down of the proceedings going on in front of the camera..if not in front off our own eyes..
now this can be done by a very fine act of skillfulness..which i may term as patience…
we can prolong the given scene in front of the camera if and only if we have the upcoming scenes in our small little imaginations.
that is when the true effect of the arriving scene is prominent.
on the contrary being slow is not that easy as you must be knowing the exact nuances ofthe moment to present before and after that scene.
that is what i am trying to tell over here that you constantly have to be standing on the “MIDDLE PATH” and then visualise the two different aspects of that paticular scene to be shot i.e the past of the scene and the future of the scene.
its like saying why not stand on the road and see different shades of paddy fiels on either side of us..
that was the thing “mr.satyajit ray” was known for.he never looked at one scene from one side or the other side.he always stood right in the centre of the scene that was to be shot with the two supports being taken care by him in his imagination..
that is what i mean by co-relation..good directors are those who never ever try to find anykind of supports from the past or the future scenes..they remain so engrossed in the present that a certain kind of magical harmony comes out within the scenes that are inter-related or are meant to be inter-related..
about aristotle;i agree with u my friend..whole heartedly!!:)
sp o good movie is that movie having thousands of beginnings and end in it..
its an art …never ever make the viewer realise anythingaboutthe middle path because that is going to be the backbone of the arriving end..isnt it!!
now then when we are talking about training day…then i suppose that in this paticular movietheir never was a middle part..
there were only beginnings in this movie ;finally all off which coagulate to give not that an enterprising ending.
the long conversations that denzel had with ethan while driving the car gave us an illusion that the film is gonna start any moment..
it had just beginnings..that is what is uppose..
if we look at run lola run..ten we had to have a completely different perspective..
we all must have seen how tom tykwer has very arrogantly and specifically put emphasis on the middle path i.e whem lola runs for her life or her boyfriends life(a big question again asked)!tom tykwer has done it so magnificently that the different endings that he has provided us with almost looked all in harmony with each other!!
@ 11 nadir –
“we can prolong the given scene in front of the camera if and only if we have the upcoming scenes in our small little imaginations.
that is when the true effect of the arriving scene is prominent.
on the contrary being slow is not that easy as you must be knowing the exact nuances ofthe moment to present before and after that scene”
Interesting point above. Can you elaborate/analyze with an example of a scene from a movie? Not Run Lola, and not Training Day. Some other movie where you think they did this well. Do you mean suspense or are you getting at something else?
@ PFC –
I’m going off the grid for about 11 days. Now I’ll know how badly I have the Rog. Don’t miss me too much, and I better leave before I miss my flight. Going to the Eastern Bloc for those that are curious.
Stay passionate.
Dabba:
It was meant as a compliment but seeing that you want something stronger :
try reading some Slavic Books before you know what, you never know it might come useful :d
Nazdrovia! Have some Bloody ‘Marys’ on me!!
Don’t forget to keep track of many times………….
‘eastern bloc’ huh??
niiiiice… u stay ‘passionate’ dude :-)
hello dabba!!
well the one movie that comes into my mind forthe time being is “eureka”.
eureka is a journey and when someone has “completely” watched that movie( which i guess would be very difficult for anybody to do it at the very first attempt);he would realise that he has been travelling in space with the beginning and the ends slowly and very slowly unfolding each other.
some scenes of that movies are inexplicable!!
when makoto rides round in circle on the bicycle with naoki.
the whole shot picturising the outside world when viewed from the closed windows of a bus id not only astonishing but very subtle.
“every homo-sapien is a microcosm in itself”.
the movie stresses on the pointthat has been said long before by our ancestors..
“its always better to travel than to arrive”.
there are a lot many scenes in that movie that simply gives jitters to ones sub-conscious mind.
i suppose i have talked a lot about the movie which i should be doing only after getting into a certain frame of trivialities.
you never think while watching that movie..
indeed you only and only think while watching that movie.if anyone has any doubts regarding his limitations of imagination and thought then i would always and often tell someone not to watch that movie which is ofcourse naot made for the weak-hearted and the fearful..
a huge attempt of showing what stanley kubrick had already shown in 2001-a space odyssey..
silence indeed speaks with the surrounding one is in!!that is eureka!!
try to sense the vibes coming out off the surroundings…
PEACE!!
we have reasons to be nice daaba. very intrsting one again.
Dabba,you should seriously consider becoming a script analysis Guru for wannabe Indian scriptwriters. There are many on PFC,Including me.
But don’t ask for any remuneration,yahan hum sab strugglers hai;)
When you’re back from the Eastern Bloc (they still call it that?), do write in a post on ‘pitching’.
oh my god! man waking up to alarm and room in a mess…! Is that such a bad cliche..?! :( The only script I wrote till now starts with that scene…Waah! please tell me it’s not so bad…! :(
@ nadir – I’ll watch Eureka and get back to you. it may take me a while though.
@ arun prakash –
there are 2 things i will never do. Become a movie critic or a screenwriting teacher. It’s like getting paid to watch someone fuck your wife. I am yet to develop a cuckold fetish.
I use Eastern Bloc. It is not called that anymore. And, anyone that charges to analyse ur script is a hack. My pointers are free for all. I am yet to get a produced credit. It is up to you to take what you find useful in my posts.
Till I have a name, I’m yet another monkey with half a brain.
@ D&C – Sad but true. At least u didn’t write a serial killer movie right? One, where the killer the cop is chasing is actually the same cop who is schizophrenic?
no no I didn’t…yayyyy!:d
Interesting analysis,dabba,do keep them coming.Better than reviews and more reviews..