Friday, July 25, 2003
Lesson 17: Tone
In French filmmaker Catherine Breillat’s film ROMANCE, a young female teacher who lives with a male model suddenly confronts a sex drought. The model tells the teacher that he’s just not interested in sex anymore. Sorry. Nothing personal. He just always loses interest after three months. Love him or leave him.
The female teacher tells us—and tells us—and tells us—that she loves the model above all others, wants a baby only with him. But she cannot do without sex, and the majority of the film graphically treats her search for sex with a variety of male partners, from a sexy encounter with a stranger to an elaborate and yet dull encounter with her S&M-oriented boss.
There is much that is daring about this film, and much to admire. But the film’s tone—flat, sad, sterile---never allows us to connect with any of the characters. There are lots of ways in which this film pushes us away, from the lighting, to the monotone delivery of most of the actors. (You know you’re in trouble when the most lively performance is given by a real live porn star—albeit a handsome porn star legendary for his onscreen enthusiasm.) There’s a miserable feeling to this movie, and while many movies about sex have an undeniable melancholy about them, ROMANCE just goes straight to dreary and stays there, despite the attractive and bold actress, despite the shocking content. It alienates its audience, so even though the script is sprinkled with provocative ideas about men and women, in the end, we just don’t care. It’s a disconnect. The tone separates us from the content, and therefore the movie separates itself from the audience.
What’s the tone of YOUR script? If your script had a theme song, what would it be? Is it where you want it? Did you decide to write a comedy, but now notice, after 50 pages, that it is joke-free? This is where you get to get bold. Give your script to a reader who will tell you the truth. And: this is important. Don’t tell your reader what genre your script is. Let him or her tell you. That’s one surefire way to make sure that you’re on track. And if you're not, ask yourself if this is really the kind of movie that you want to write...or go back to the drawing board.
In French filmmaker Catherine Breillat’s film ROMANCE, a young female teacher who lives with a male model suddenly confronts a sex drought. The model tells the teacher that he’s just not interested in sex anymore. Sorry. Nothing personal. He just always loses interest after three months. Love him or leave him.
The female teacher tells us—and tells us—and tells us—that she loves the model above all others, wants a baby only with him. But she cannot do without sex, and the majority of the film graphically treats her search for sex with a variety of male partners, from a sexy encounter with a stranger to an elaborate and yet dull encounter with her S&M-oriented boss.
There is much that is daring about this film, and much to admire. But the film’s tone—flat, sad, sterile---never allows us to connect with any of the characters. There are lots of ways in which this film pushes us away, from the lighting, to the monotone delivery of most of the actors. (You know you’re in trouble when the most lively performance is given by a real live porn star—albeit a handsome porn star legendary for his onscreen enthusiasm.) There’s a miserable feeling to this movie, and while many movies about sex have an undeniable melancholy about them, ROMANCE just goes straight to dreary and stays there, despite the attractive and bold actress, despite the shocking content. It alienates its audience, so even though the script is sprinkled with provocative ideas about men and women, in the end, we just don’t care. It’s a disconnect. The tone separates us from the content, and therefore the movie separates itself from the audience.
What’s the tone of YOUR script? If your script had a theme song, what would it be? Is it where you want it? Did you decide to write a comedy, but now notice, after 50 pages, that it is joke-free? This is where you get to get bold. Give your script to a reader who will tell you the truth. And: this is important. Don’t tell your reader what genre your script is. Let him or her tell you. That’s one surefire way to make sure that you’re on track. And if you're not, ask yourself if this is really the kind of movie that you want to write...or go back to the drawing board.
