Tuesday we checked out a scene from the Lucas & Moore screenplay The Hangover, tracking how the writers used humor in approaching scene description to amp up the comedy.
Wednesday we considered Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and how its scene description underscored the movie's drama.
Yesterday we studied a completely different way to write scene description, the haiku style used by Stanton & Reardon for Pixar's movie Wall-E.
Today we shine the spotlight on a great piece of screenwriting, the screenplay for The Dark Knight, co-written by Christopher & Jonathan Nolan. If you want to understand the value of subplots, this sequence provides a mighty big one: Cross cutting between storylines to generate increasing tension.
Sequence set-up: Batman (Christian Bale) has 'interrogated' the Joker (Heath Ledger), who informs Batman that both Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) are being held hostage at different locations. "You choose one life over the other," Joker says, "Your friend, the district attorney. Or his blushing bride-to-be."
INT. OBSERVATION ROOM, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHTArguably one of the most important sequences in the movie because (1) it kills Rachel, thereby ending Bruce Wayne's dream of quitting Batman and leading a normal life, (2) it forever scars Dent, both physically and emotionally, setting him off onto his own personal transformation and descent into 'hell,' and (3) it frees The Joker.
Batman RACES past Gordon.
GORDON
Which one are you-
BATMAN
Dent knew the risks.
Gordon looks back- the Joker is bloody, but grinning.
EXT. MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
Several cops see Batman climb onto the bat-pod and TEAR off.
EXT. STREETS, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
Batman SWERVES into oncoming traffic, CHAOS in his wake.
EXT. GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
Gordon and his men SCRAMBLE into their cars...
INT. BASEMENT APARTMENT -- NIGHT
Black.
RACHEL
Can anyone hear me?
Harvey Dent opens his eyes. He's bound to a chair in a
dingy, unfurnished basement apartment.
DENT
Rachel? Rachel is that you?
RACHEL
(sobbing)
Harvey. You're OK. I thought...
Her voice is coming from a speakerphone on the floor.
DENT
It's OK, Rachel. Everything's going
to be just fine.
He looks around. Behind him, metal BARRELS, hooked up to a
car battery, with a TIMER counting down: five minutes.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Joker sits, smiling, content. Stephens guards the door.
THE JOKER
I want my phone call.
STEPHENS
That's nice.
THE JOKER
How many of your friends have I
killed?
STEPHENS
I'm a twenty year man. I can tell
the difference between punks who need
a little lesson in manners, and the
freaks like you who would just enjoy
it.
(quiet)
And you killed six of my friends.
INT. HOLDING AREA, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Fat Thug shuffles to the bars, where a COP stands guard.
FAT THUG
(agony)
Please. My insides hurt.
COP
Step away from the bars.
FAT THUG
The boss said he would make the
voices go away. He said he would go
inside and replace them with bright
lights. Like Christmas.
COP
That's great. Please step-
The Fat Thug COLLAPSES. The Cop grabs his radio.
INT. WAREHOUSE -- NIGHT
Rachel is bound to a chair. Behind her are barrels identical
to the ones behind Dent.
DENT
Can you move your chair?
RACHEL
No. Harvey, we don't have much time-
The timer connected to the bomb reads 2.47... 2.46...
INT. BASEMENT APARTMENT -- NIGHT
Dent DRAGS his chair, inching closer to the barrels.
DENT
Look for something to free yourself.
The chair JAMS against a ridge in the floor. Dent STRAINS to
reach the timer. Inches shy.
RACHEL
They said only one of us was going to
make it. That they'd let our...
(pause)
Our friends choose.
Dent strains... THE CHAIR, AND DENT, TOPPLE OVER- KNOCKING
OVER A BARREL.
RACHEL
Harvey? What's happening?
Dent, one side of his face pressed against the bare floor,
watches the open barrel SPEW DIESEL FUEL around him-
DENT
Nothing. I'm trying to...
Dent contorts his head to keep from swallowing any.
EXT. STREETS, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
The bat-pod SKIDS SIDEWAYS, WHEELS FLIPPING as the gyro keeps
Batman upright on the tumbling bike- it comes to rest- guns
lined up with a fire exit- BLOWS the door off its hinges-
JUMPS off the bike-
EXT. 52ND STREET, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
Gridlock. Gordon SWERVES onto the sidewalk. People SCATTER.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Joker sits like a kid kept after class. He smiles.
THE JOKER
You know why I use a knife,
Detective? Guns are too quick. You
don't get to savor all the little
emotions. See, in their last
moments, people show you who they
really are...
Stephens tries hard to ignore him. It isn't working.
THE JOKER
So, in a way, I knew your friends
better than you ever did.
(smiles)
Would you like to know which of them
were really cowards?
STEPHENS
(rolls up sleeves)
I know you're going to enjoy this.
But I'm going to enjoy it more.
Stephens PUNCHES the Joker in the gut.
INT. BASEMENT APARTMENT -- NIGHT
Dent is half submerged in diesel fuel.
RACHEL
Harvey, in case... I want you to know
something...
Dent CHOKES, his emotions overwhelming him.
DENT
Don't think like that, Rachel.
They're coming for you.
RACHEL
I know, but I don't want them to...
INT. WAREHOUSE -- NIGHT
Rachel looks at the timer. Ten seconds left.
RACHEL
I don't want to live without you.
Because I do have an answer, and my
answer is yes...
INT. HOLDING AREA, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
A MEDIC CUTS away the Fat Thug's shirt- his belly has large
INCISION, which has been closed with crude looking STITCHES-
MEDIC
He's got some kind of... contusion...
A RECTANGULAR SHAPE is visible under the skin above his
navel.
INT. DETECTIVE'S ROOM, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
Stephens shuffles out into the room, a piece of BROKEN GLASS
held to his THROAT by the Joker. Cops draw their weapons.
STEPHENS
This is my own damn fault. Just
shoot him.
DETECTIVE MURPHY
What do you want?
THE JOKER
I want my phone call.
The Detectives look at each other. One of them pulls out his
cell phone. TOSSES it to the Joker, who begins to dial.
INT. HOLDING AREA, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Medic gingerly PRESSES the rectangle. It illuminates, a
soft blue light visible through the skin.
COP
Is that a... phone?
INT. DETECTIVE'S ROOM, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Joker presses SEND. At the end of the room, the door to
the holding area EXPLODES-
INT. HALLWAY, TENEMENT -- NIGHT
Batman SPRINGS down the hall- stops at a door- KICKS it-
EXT. 52ND STREET, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
Cars PULL UP- Gordon gets out, carrying a fire ax-
INT. HALLWAY, TENEMENT -- NIGHT
Batman KICKS- the door gives-Batman SMASHES it open-
INT. BASEMENT APARTMENT -- NIGHT
...Batman BURSTS through the door- Dent looks up in horror-
DENT
NO! Not me... Why did you come for
me?!
Batman STARES at Dent. The Joker lied. The counter hits 5
seconds. Batman DRAGS Dent out- Dent FIGHTS to stay-
DENT
RACHEL!
RACHEL
Harvey? Harvey, it's okay...
DENT
RACHEL!!!
EXT. 52ND STREET, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
Gordon, axe in hand, RUNS towards the entrance-
INT. WAREHOUSE -- NIGHT
Rachel can hear Dent. The counter runs out.
RACHEL
(calm)
Somewhere-
AN EXPLOSION. ALL-CONSUMING.
EXT. 52ND STREET, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
The BLAST HURLS Gordon backward onto the hood of his car- THE
ENTIRE WAREHOUSE IS AN ENORMOUS EXPLOSION-
INT. BASEMENT APARTMENT -- NIGHT
Batman wraps his cape around Dent and hurls them both through
the door. Dent is SCREAMING-
EXT. 52ND STREET, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
Gordon picks himself up. The warehouse is an inferno. He
heads for it anyway. Five of his men have to RESTRAIN HIM.
EXT. ALLEY WAY, GOTHAM -- NIGHT
A SECOND EXPLOSION- Batman COVERS Dent as the FIREBALL HITS
them- IGNITING the diesel soaking Dent's left side- he starts
BURNING. And stops screaming. Batman ROLLS Dent on the wet
pavement... Dent SIZZLES. Silent.
INT. SPECIAL HOLDING AREA, MCU, GOTHAM CENTRAL -- NIGHT
The Joker walks to the bars of another cell. Grins.
THE JOKER
Hello there.
In his cell. Terrified. Lau.
You can literally feel the sequence speeding toward its climax - and much of that energy is a result of the cross cuts between subplots. Let's track them:
* Rachel held hostage
* Dent held hostage
* Batman's desperate race to save Rachel
* Gordon desperate race to save Dent
* The Joker messing with Stephens
* The Fat Thug and his cell-phone bomb
The sequence is cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, building to the point that by P. 93 and 94, the end of the sequence, there's hardly any dialogue, instead a primary slugline and a line of scene description, followed by a cross cut indicated by another primary slugline and a line of scene description, and so on and so on.
The film version is slightly different in terms of some dialogue and swapping out various cross cuts, but the screenplay pages sell it - you read it and you get the sequence.
BTW, there is an excellent example of how movies manipulate time. On P. 92, there's this:
INT. WAREHOUSE -- NIGHTBut it's not until P. 94 - after The Joker emerges holding Stephens hostage, after The Joker dials his phone call, after the Fat Thug explodes, and after Batman arrives to find Dent that those 10 seconds officially elapse and the detonation occurs where Rachel is being held.
Rachel looks at the timer. Ten seconds left.
What do you think of this sequence? And what are your favorite scenes in The Dark Knight?
NOTE: This is the last in a series of Scene Description Spotlight posts. Starting next Thursday at 10AM EST, I will post a weekly SDS. If you have any suggestions for examples of noteworthy scene description, please post them in comments or email me at:
scottdistillery@gmail.com
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