[Quick Summary: The lives of both a maid and the family she serves crumble simultaneously in 1970s Mexico.]
TWO THINGS THIS SCRIPT DOES WELL: (especially when writing about memories)
1) Point of view. I liked that the writer chose a fresh point of view (housemaid) to be the protagonist rather than something more typical (himself as the child).
2) Simplicity & Foreshadowing. I also liked that these memories were simple on the first read. Later, we'll see the foreshadowing layered in between.
In the scene below:
- Cleo is the protagonist and a long time, trusted maid. She is from a poor, uneducated, minority background.
- Pepe is 5 years old.
- This simple scene seems to be about play. Later, we will look back and see that it is about her feelings toward a death to come.
ex. "EXT. - ROOF - TEPEJI 21 - AFTERNOON
....A spray of invisible bullets shoots through him and Pepe falls dead, his arms spread open, like Paco said. And he stays there, lying down motionless on the ground.
Cleo dries her hands and walks over to him. She stops and watches him -
CLEO: What happened to you?
Without opening his eyes, Pepe answers from the ground.
PEPE: I'm dead.
CLEO: Well, let's go down then.
PEPE: I can't. I'm dead.
CLEO: Then come back to life, we have to go down!
PEPE: If you die, you can't live again.
CLEO: Now what am I going to do without my Pepe!?
Cleo sits on the ground next to Pepe, who remains motionless.
CLEO (CONT'D): I can't live without my Pepe!
Cleo lies down next to Pepe, arms also extended, and closes her eyes -
CLEO (CONT'D): I'm also dead.
And so she remains still, Pepe next to her. A DC 8 flies overhead.
Pepe opens an eye to see Cleo. She's not moving and seems not to be breathing at all. Pepe reaches his hand and takes Cleo's.
PEPE: Cleo...?
But Cleo's not moving. Pepe sits up -
PEPE (CONT'D): Cleo...?
CLEO: I'm dead.
PEPE: No! C'mon, get up!
CLEO: Didn't you say that was impossible?
PEPE: Cleo, stop it!
But Cleo doesn't answer.
PEPE (CONT'D): Cleo!
She remains still.
PEPE (CONT'D): Cleeoo!
Pepe's starting to get scared -
PEPE (CONT'D): Cleeeeeeeeoooooooo!
Cleo opens her eyes and smiles at him.
CLEO: I'm playing your game. Let's see...shall we play a little longer?
Pepe lies down next to her, arms outstretched.
CLEO (CONT'D): Close your eyes.
They both close their eyes.
CLEO (CONT'D): I like being dead.
Pepe holds her hand.
The two of them lie dead on the roof - "
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This simple scene was very well crafted. I did not see the layer of foreshadowing until much later.
Roma (2018)(dated 9/23/16)
Written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron
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