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The first Screenplay I read - Pulp Fiction - Real Life to Scripts!!!
The first Screenplay I read - Pulp Fiction - Real Life to Scripts!!!
I had just started getting into writing short play scripts and used to submit them for online publications. More often than not, they would be rejected for some strange reason. Writing was something I liked and I never did out of money (it always starts like this especially if you are in a comfy job).
I used to come over to office on Saturdays too, since for an introvert and not so social person like me, weekends were a bore (I’m staying alone in an alien city). Then I started researching more about Films and plays etc. Everywhere I searched I used to land up on one name (writer/director) that usually everyone seemed to be in awe of.
Quentin Tarantino
Who the hell was this guy that every film maker/writer was in awe of. I checked up the web and came up with this one stop site for the guy http://www.godamongdirectors.com/tarantino/index.shtml
I was intrigued. A good boy that I had been, I had never seen violent/vulgar films back home. Since I couldn’t see this guy’s films at my cousin’s place either, I did what could’ve been possible - started reading his screenplays.
The first screenplay I read was Pulp Fiction. The more I read, the more I got into it. Tarantino almost seemed like whatever I had wanted to be in my life- The uncaring, chain smoking, abusive, attitude throwing guy with brilliance.
The scenes, the everyday dialogues, the most common of all aspects of life being in the movie. Burgers, Cary Grant of Pigs, Foot massages, PJ’s, uncomfortable silences, four letter words, all this and many others made me realize how writing can be completely from your life and be applied universally.
There are so many mundane incidents that we every day notice but yet do not bother to stop and think about. These incidents might be as stupid as waiting in a Queue but if you look at them from a totally different perspective, they look interesting. And these count as what you (or rather I) call as ‘fillers’. Small aspects of life sprinkled here and there in a script to make it look more real, more appealing and more personal yet universal.
Examples:
- This other day me and my friend were going in a rick (cab) and were in traffic. Our rick driver actually overtook another rick in a rather dangerous and over ambitious manner. Here was the verbal exchange
The other rick driver (angrily)- “Kahaan jaa raha hai ???” (Where the hell are you going ???)
Our Rick driver (instantaneously) - “Dubai”
This almost instantaneous and cocky response from our rick driver was met with such a hilarious laughter from me and my friend. The best part was the absolute off handedness which our rick driver showed. Something no writer could have perhaps come across, unless he has directly witnessed or observed them!!!
- I was once waiting at a doctor’s clinic when a reasonably rich (and fat) man had come along with his young 12 year old kid. The man was visibly more embarrassed than the kid. Apparently they had come to the doctor since the kid was still ‘wetting his bed’ despite being 12 yr old. And the kid was showing off this fact/medical problem as if it were some sort of achievement!!!
I couldn’t help control my laughter .
It’s funny why no film I know, talks about this habit of kids !!!
- I was in an Irani restaurant when I ordered Bread butter Sandwich, and there were two waiters. The owner was pissed off by one of them and actually right when that waiter was taking my order got slapped by the owner for some stupid reason.
I was stunned and didn’t know how to react. But I remember seeing the young waiter’s face; he was carrying a cup of tea and his expression was as if he wanted to pour it on the owner’s groin!!!!
And yes, since then I actually carry a pen and my diary, so that if any crazy incident like the above happens, I start taking notes!!! Trust me it may sound stupid that snippets of your day’s conversation would creep into the diary; but I’m telling you, it is worth it. They say - A writer is dead if he doesn’t observe!!!
Here’s another one - A writer shouldn’t rely on his memory…. but more on pen and paper (and more recently laptops)
Anyways…. now I think I know how not all brilliant writing needn’t be intuitive; it can be ‘inspired’/plagiarized from real life too!!! (This one is coined by me)
Until then -
More and more reading of screenplays. I got so hooked onto reading screenplays that I prefer doing that, to watching films!!! Reading turns out cheaper as well!!!!
Thanks Mr. Quentin Tarantino!!!! Thank you for making your kind of films!!! Thank you for making screenwriting so common place and real.
11 Responses to “The first Screenplay I read - Pulp Fiction - Real Life to Scripts!!!”
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I did not really think Tarantino to be a genius until Kill Bill. For that same reason, many of his earlier fans think him an idiot. He certainly seemed to put his own touches on the screenplays that he glommed off of other writers and films that he liked, which is fine really, but its telling. That’s why he broke with Pulp Fiction writer Roger Avary, because Roger couldn’t say anything around QT without him using it in his future films and claiming it as his own. (Not in the manner of stealing and claiming, rather turning it into his own style).
Recent example would be Roger Avary’s line: “I need you like I need an asshole right here(Character points to his elbow)”. I think this line was from The Rules of Attraction.
Regardless, after seeing Jackie Brown and Kill Bill, I know that Tarantino is a full blown auteur, and not someone who copies off of the Shaw brothers, Ringo Lam and Terence Malick.
Now I’m just nitpicking, but that whole “real conversation for yer ass” thing is all Elmore Leonard.
In a way, you have to give tarantino credit, because after Pulp Fiction, its so easy to notice shitty screenplays. Just look for conversations about songs and very liberal sprays of profanity.
I don’t think its funny that a 12 year old kid still wets his bed. In some situations, it might be downright sadistic to make fun of some kid who does. For me, the comedy is in the fact that its the dad who is more embarassed than the kid, and the kid takes it all in stride.
Regardless of all the talk about plagiarism, Tarantino is right about one thing: Good directors don’t pay homage, they steal.
Brian DePalma’s career is proof enough.
- quick note… yes a writer has to keep his eyes and ears open, but the one aspect which I find missing in many these days is - to take that incident and write it in such a way that hits the intended reader at the right spot… more on that later… thanks for this one Kartik… online publishing? email me a few sites.
@ anang - Wow …. havent seen all of his ’sources’ so can’t comment on them …
‘Kid wetting his bed ‘- take a chill pill yaar ..
@ Oz not so famous though … will send u the links soon ….
- just when i was about to leave I see anang’s comments.
The last two sentences really hit home for me. The thing about “stealing” - is that it can reach two different ends : Inspiration or Copy. Tarantino ends up being the “inspired one” whereas Sanjay Gupta is slapped with a “copycat” label. And therein lies the difference. The view, the art of viewing a subject and it’s excution.
So if Oldboy turns to Zinda it is nothing but just pure old Oldboy. But when a bunch of 70s Martial arts movies are mixed and ground in the Tarantino’s kitchen they become a KillBill.
Honestly speaking, I haven’t found anything that QT has done in recent years that matches the heights he reached (screenwriting-wise) in Pulp Fiction.
i think that man is brilliant, wonderful write!
Finally … .welcome to the club John :-)
I own a dvd of Kaante, which I find to be a pretty good adaptation of Reservoir Dogs. And as far as I know, Tarantino himself laughed when Gupta told him about Kaante.
So City on Fire>Reservoir Dogs>Kaante.
Each film has great dialogue, not exact copies of dialogue. Each film’s respective directors and screenwriters catered to their audiences and their own tastes, and didn’t resort to downright copying.
As for Oldboy, straight copy. The music, the costumes, the shitty cinematography (in Zinda), everything was straight copied. Harry Baweja couldn’t have done a better copy job. Of course, final punches were pulled back because the indian audience would never accept incest as an acceptable subject matter for a film, no matter that its never/rarely brought up in Indian cinema anyway.
yeah Oz … His screenwriting hasnt reached those levels again.
Actually the only other film equivalent to pulp fiction is sin city.. .but even that is directed by robert rodrigaz (is it ???)
I think this discussion has given me inspiration for an article. Will post it soon. Mostly related to QT and his obsession with 70s films. Will tie in to Bollywood as well.
great write kartik.. if you’re looking to take your thoughts and put them into a screenplay format, never hurts to consult scriptologist.com - great resource (though i’m guessing since you’ve been writing quite a bit you’re already familiar with this one)
Dave…
Interesting topic… I’m working in this industry myself and I don’t agree about this in 100%, but I added your page to my bookmarks and hope to see more interesting articles in the future…