I consider screenwriting in itself to be an obscure art form. When I tell people that I'm a screenwriting major, or that I write movie scripts, most (if not involved in the film business) will look at me like I'm crazy. Isn't the dialogue concocted from the actors? You wouldn't believe how many times I've been faced with that question. And don't even get me started on the director being the "auteur" of the film. Where would they be without a script? No story to work from, no characters to make come to life, no visual construction of the scene? They'd be nowhere. No, it's the screenwriter who makes the movie in its purest form, the screenwriter who makes the characters come to life, the SCREENWRITER as auteur. But that doesn't mean we are exclusive. Some do both writing and directing.
I've seen a lot of movies. There are a lot of good ones out there, in case you haven't noticed. But the one that still continues to blow my mind is Disney/Pixar's Wall-E. A story is told about the life of a small trash-collecting robot who goes on an adventure to save the fate of mankind while chasing the love of his life. It's complex, moving, brings you to laughter and tears and yet there is almost no dialogue between the two main characters: Wall-E and Eve. They communicate through emotive beeping, sometimes saying each other's name in a tonally different way each time, and the audience gets it. Their behavior in each scene is what defines them, and to me, that's screenwriting at it's best.
One of the many rules of screenwriting is "show, don't tell". Dialogue is not like any natural conversation that wanders about from topic to topic; no, it moves the story forward. It should be sparse. Character should develop from not what they say, but what they do. It is said that you should be able to turn the volume off of a movie and still be able to understand what's going on. That's all action-based. So being the innovative company that Pixar is, talking about their introduction of 3-D animation to the feature film world, they decided that they could do away with dialogue and still produce a heartwarming film. The credit, I feel, goes to Andrew Stanton, who is credited with the original story and screenplay of Wall-E.
This name may or may not ring a bell for you. But if I were to mention the other movies he's done: Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., A Bug's Life, and Toy Story, you'd probably recognize them all. As the second animator hired at Pixar, he's been around since 1990. I love all of these films, don't get me wrong, but there's something about Wall-E that transcends them all. The secret, I believe, lies in the script. When you read it, it's pure poetry. Every detail is so exact that you feel like you're right alongside Wall-E, the structure is sparse but effective, like pure poetry in action. To quote Mr. Stanton in an interview about his recent slew of six Academy Award nominations:
"But it was actually harder to write 'cause screenplays are all about structure, and dialogue is usually there to support the structure. So here we had just structure. I worked really hard on that screenplay so it was really a huge boost to have that acknowledged."
And it shows. I don't often cry at movies, but the climax of this movie is so effective that even after watching it three times, it still gets me.
(note: it's around 2:12 in the video)
The filmmakers at Pixar are doing something right. I hope that Wall-E gets all of its nominated awards, but especially the one for Best Original Screenplay. Andrew Stanton deserves it.
My parents, who are non-English speakers, enjoy going to movie theatres with me every time they visit. Although they didn’t understand a word, my dad always got excited after seeing a good one, and my tenderhearted mom always cried. It is fascinating how two different cultures can communicate without “interference” of medium. It convinces me that we have the ability to comprehend others, to get to other’s heart with something beyond language. It could be an action the characters take, an environment they are in, or simply a look on their faces. It is the universal emotions the filmmakers are inspired by that touch the audiences, no matter who they are.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always loved animation, because it brings me purity to the adult’s world. I enjoy watching all the animated films because they allow me, at least for that half an hour, to think about even the most profound matters easily, just like kids do. You are right. I too believe that script is the essence of film. Great scripts motivate people and give them strength to believe in wonders of life.
I find it interesting to think about the script as “poetry.” One wouldn’t often see a script as much more than a blueprint; a list of actions, dialogue, and sparse setting or character descriptions. But actually reading the script, it’s amazing how much eloquent, dense, concise language that Stanton uses. I mean, the first 10 pages have absolutely no dialogue; it’s kind of scary to look at. After that, it’s not until around page 30 that we get more than the character just beeping each others’ names every now and then. Even still, all of it is almost as pleasurable to read as it is to watch. Perhaps the writer has more power than one would think to influence the style and tone of a movie. I would think it depends on the film, but I’d say Stanton is definitely the “auteur” of Wall-E.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you dismantle the idea of characters as a concoction of dialouge. Maybe why Stanton is so successful is because he eliminated that and everything else that is excessive. Just the simple design of the character wall-e is a good example of "less is more".Other than the times Wall-E opens up himself to get out all sorts of gadgets, he is essential 3 things visually:
ReplyDelete1. 2 eyes
2. 2 hands
3. a box
When we look at an actor, sometimes a pretty strandhair, or an acutely angled nose could be a distraction from the emotions they convey on their face. But Wall-E is abstracted to its bare minimal so I would focus straight on the emotions conveyed in each gesture: Eyes (big ones, too)- tilting, opening, closing
and hand clasping or waving in excitement.
We often use the saying "less is more", but how often have we wondered: why?
"you feel like you're right alongside Wall-E"
Well said. I believe visuals and moment to moment transitions in animation is more engaging without dialogue because its absence allows the viewer to fill in with his own imagination.
For example, when we see a clock's needle moving in abrupt increments, we hear a ticking in our mind.
These sounds are already completely tied with an emotion in a persons mind. We as the viewer get to fill in what is said by drawing from our own personal experiences. It is a form of scripting that not only elicits the emotions fo the viewer, but demands their emotional participation to understand the movie.
another thought comes to mind: words are signifiers of meaning which, in relationship together can translate into our senses to create emotion. However, the system of words to generate meaning is so complicated, the experience could become hectic and compartmentalized.
Sounds, gestures and facial expressions, lighting however, have direct acess to our senses.
Thus an animation may benefit from leaving out dialogue so that sights, sounds and expressions can become fluid in the viewer's mind, flow as a delicate and seamless experience.
I could not agree with you more that screenwriting is an obscure art form. In fact, it is so seldom considered art in itself, more a means of making money. The general perception of cinematic art comes from the finished product, but with regard to your reference to the Wall-E script being pure poetry, there really is an art to screenwriting in the same way that there is an art to literature.
ReplyDeleteI actually went to a pre-Oscar panel discussion featuring Andrew Stanton, and though he did much of the writing on Pixar's greats, it is apparently a company policy to get as many ideas from as many different sources as possible in order to make the film as great as it can be. As for "auteurship," I believe an auteur is one who writes and directs (and possibly stars in) a film, making it a true expression of his/her views. Nonetheless, it is indeed sad that screenwriters get the short end of the deal. We'll just have to take Hollywood by force. Wendigos prevail!
I have struggled with many of the same questions when it comes to establishing my role as a screenwriter. One of the hardest obstacles we face has to deal with the identity of the auteur. Even as you watch award shows, you realize where people give the most credit. Everyone is most excited about the actors and most admiring of the directors. But it is the script that starts it all. I think your comments on dialogue are really interesting. I never really thought of it that way. I, also, loved Wall-E and was amazed that the first 40 minutes basically had no dialogue. I am personally a huge fan of dialogue in my work but I am always in awe of those who can tell a story without dialogue, especially when their main characters are two love-struck robots.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. Wall-E is definitely one of the most heartwarming movies I have seen in very long time. When I first started at USC in 290 (the 1st short film making class you take as a major) they told us we were not allowed to use dialogue in our films. I couldn't believe it. I had no idea how to tell a story without using words, and I especially had no idea that they could be this powerful. If only I could have seen Wall-E back then. It's amazing how much emotion he is able to portray through just sounds and body language alone. You are so lucky you got to read the script. I will have to put that on my reading list.
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree with your comment about auteurs. It is very unfair to give sole credit to a director when there are so many people involved in the process. Wall-E proves you don't even need directors sometimes. Go Screenwriters!