Monday, September 15, 2014

[Quick Summary: Two magicians spare nothing in trying to best the other.] 

I am impressed. 

This is the strongest themed script I've seen in awhile. 

In my opinion, the theme of obsession is super-effective here because:

1) It is present on multiple levels. 

- Magicians obsessed with diverting audiences (professional)
- Magicians obsessed with revealing a rival's tricks (personal)
- Men obsessed with being the best (psychological)
- Men obsessed with reputation over family, loyalty, love (relationships)

2) It can be seen whenever a flaw is taken to the extreme. 

Here, both the hero and villain are competitive (flaw). 

When they take competition to the extreme, we see the obsession. 

ex. " INT.  HOTEL ROOM, COLORADO --NIGHT

Angier writing in his leather-bound journal. 

ANGIER (V.O.):...happiness that should have been mine.  But I was wrong. [ Personal]

Angier glances at Borden's notebook sitting on the desk. 

ANGIER (V.O.): Reading his account I realized that he never had the life I envied. [ Psychological]

Angier flips open the notebook.  Staring at the coded writing. 

ANGIER: The family life he craves one minute he rails against the next, demanding freedom.  His mind is a divided one... [Relationships]

INT.  PRISON CELL --DAY

Borden sits on his cot.  Reading Angier's journal. 

ANGIER (V.O.): His soul restless.  His wife and child tormented by his fickle and contradictory nature... [Relationships]

Borden is crying .  He puts the journal down and jumps to his feet BANGING on the cell door. 

BORDEN: Guard!  Guard! 

The viewing slot slides open. 

GUARD: What do you want, Professor? 

BORDEN: Paper and pencil.  Please." [ Psychological]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Pick a flaw.  Take it to the extreme.  The result is likely my theme. 

The Prestige (2006)
by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Based on the novel by Christopher Priest

I was dissatisfied with the standard form scripts were written in - they just all seemed to be a kind of subliterary blueprint for shooting a picture and generally had no personal voice....

Alex's script knocked me out (not easy to do); it was both playable and literary....[w]ritten in a whole different way than the standard format (laconic, elliptical, suggestive rather than explicit, bold in the implied editorial style)...

This a-ha!  moment led to Hill to his now famous haiku style. 

I recommend reading this script for what the writer leaves in, as well as what he leaves out. 

See how the writer "suggests" guilt, regret and a conscience with actions, but without using any of those words:

ex. " WALKER (shouting): Shut up - Lynne. 

CHRIS (turning to him as she walks towards the bathroom): ...Chris?...Remember?...Chris!