The-the medium enters in as a condition of the art form itself. Photography’s interesting, ’cause, you know, it’s-it’s a new art form, and a, uh, a set of aesthetic criteria have not emerged yet.Īesthetic criteria? You mean, whether it’s, uh, good photo or not? Well, I-I-I would-I would like to take a serious photography course soon. They have … they have, uh … a … a quality.Īs do Alvy’s: You are a great-looking girl. They’re … they’re… they’re wonderful, you know. Yeah, yeah, I sorta dabble around, you know.Īnnie’s thoughts pop up on the screen as she talks: I dabble? me-what a jerk! So, did you do shoot the photographs in there or what? While the party continues inside, Alvy and Annie have their drinks on the balcony. Without the context, none of this scene could be subtextually relevant because the underlying intent wouldn’t be there. The context is their obvious attraction to each other which has been slowly manifesting itself. Perhaps the most humorous example of intent is Woody Allen’s sly, fourth wall technique in Annie Hall where Alvy Singer (Woody) and Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) have their first meaningful encounter at a party and what they say is in stark contrast to what they think. Context the situation under which the words are being said.Īdd also: Intent: what is the purpose of the dialogue vis-a-vie the story and character? That’s the implicit part, the subtext.ĭone right, the purpose of dialogue is three-fold: Can there be a deeper meaning to dialogue when possible? Absolutely. SUBTEXTUAL DIALOGUE Most dialogue in a movie gives information – stated explicitly. And that’s all it really needs.īut having said that, subtext is an important aspect of any writing. Fast cars, big dudes getting in each other’s faces, and hella drift sequences are its stock-in-trade. Is the Fast and Furious franchise over-burdened with layers of meaning? Not quite. But did anyone notice that interesting fact or were we all more compelled by the story of an alcoholic, self-destructive attorney struggling to forgive himself for losing his hero battle a decade before? He wanted a muted landscape to reflect the inner character that Paul Newman brilliantly rendered. In the film The Verdict, director Sidney Lumet used a concept called ‘chiaroscuro’ to light and frame the scenes. But without a solid, interesting story to underpin it and great high concept (the Navy’s elite fighter school), that film wouldn’t have been the hit it was. If you interpret homoeroticism in Top Gun then well and good. No story should rely on subtext to work for many reasons, primary among them being that some people don’t see deeper layers either on a first reading – or at all. It adds weight and other levels to your work, creates umami, a fifth flavor – literally ‘deliciousness’ to use a foodie term.Īny screenplay should sell itself on the basis of a great concept and good tale, well-told. Using it expands your toolbox allowing you to say many different things without taking up more room on the page. In screenwriting, subtext is implicit (intimated) versus explicit (stated) – a different layer of intention and depth. The underlying personality of a dramatic character as implied or indicated by a script or text.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |