Script Analysis

1. How does the film start at a dramatic moment in the middle of the drama?

This film starts in the middle of the drama because the first scene shows a foreboding conversation between a girlfriend and boyfriend about a drug deal where the boyfriend is using the girl friend to pay off his debt, but she does not know it. Instead, she is trusting and loving of him, while he is manipulative and mistreating her. This phone call throws the viewer right into the conflict, for it starts right before the event with the drug dealer taking the girl and the girl finding out that her boyfriend has betrayed her. All the background needed is in this quick, tense phone call.

2. What terrific scene will open, and what memorable scene will end the film?

The scene with the phone call with the girl friend nervous about giving the bag to the dealer and the boyfriend feigning true concern is the first scene. This is supposed to create some mystery, for they do not say exactly what is going on with the bag, and it shows a role not played well; isn't John supposed to be a caring boyfriend? Then why does he not seem to committed to coming to his girlfriend's aid?

At the end of the film, we plan to have the the boyfriend start coming to the scene of the crime, where his girlfriend will be taken away, but then decide to turn around right around the corner away from the scene just as his girlfriend is being forced into a car, within screaming distance. This is supposed to be very dramatic because it portrays a strong sense of betrayal and entrapment, as well as a very flawed character who is not necessarily completely evil, but not that good either. He is a nuanced character.

3. What’s my character’s attitude and position in the events?

The main character John is more than an uncaring boyfriend. From the phone call, you can tell he throws around her as if she is worth very little, even though she is very attached to him. He is not supposed to normally be as bad as selling his girlfriend to pay off his debt, but the circumstances of his own well being caused him to decide to use his girlfriend as payment, what ever that implied payment is. He is selfish, but he was hesitant to hurt his girlfriend that way, but he knows that he would probably get killed if he did not pay it, or at least beat up really badly. As John was going to save his girlfriend, he was in conflict between her safety and his, and he was thinking they could both get hurt anyways, but then he felt that he couldn't do something that bad. As he suddenly stops and thinks out loud for a minute, he decides to be selfish, to not even try, showing he is cowardly and cold hearted.

4. How do I introduce my character? If my character isn’t central to the action, what do they witness that is?

The character John is introduced by the short phone call and then what he does instead of saving his girlfriend, which is just hanging around, maybe showing his face in conflict over what to do. He never actually directly involved in the main scene, but he did have control over what happened. The girlfriend is introduced in the phone call as a caring character who is easily manipulated and sort of clueless about her boyfriend's real motive. Also, her movements during the call show insecurity to show that she may be doubting her boyfriends a bit, even from the beginning. She is central to the action, because she is affected by John's actions, and changes because of them. She becomes bitter and angry because of this.

5. How can I help the audience discover what is happening, rather than just telling them everything?

We are going to show the character's feelings by the expressions on their faces instead of saying them out loud. An example of this is when John will feel hesitant on his bed by having a blank look, then frowning and getting out of his bed and out the door, showing that he is going to check up on his girl friend, or at least attempt to. Also, we will never say what is in the bag, but it will be implied that the bag has drugs or money, just by the way that the bag is regarded and the situation that it is in. The phone call will be too cryptic to tell what it is. Also, we will imply that the girl will be sexually harassed by her struggling and the car driving off, as well as John's short line at the end that is tentatively "She'll get over it" (still might need to change that, but it will probably be something like that, or not at all).

6. How can I reduce things to a minimum, but still have an impact?

We have to focus on keeping the dialogue to a minimum, because we want to keep it cryptic most of the time, for that is a film noir characteristic and it will let the film show what is happening, then to the point when something needs to be said. Also, there does not need to be a lot of back ground; the phone call is sufficient background; details can be shown later. We just needed to say that the girl is in a situation where she is handing a bag over, and her boyfriend is feigning caring about the situation. Also, we just need to show the boy friend leaving his room, and then after the quick, sparsely worded scene where the dealer tells the girl to give him the bag and to come with him and that her boyfriend betrayed her, John arriving near the scene, then turning back, no or little words. After this, the car drives off. This is quick and with few words and only two location changes, so that there will be a conflict, and that it will be quickly solved, with little background and worded explanations. The audience can fill in the gaps for themselves, making the film more raw, like film noir, but still with the requirements of a full story.