TODAY'S NUGGET: The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - Giving Cast & Crew Interesting Conflict to Shoot

[Quick Summary: When a jewelry heist goes wrong, a net closes in on the crooked cop, the financier, a hooligan, and the brain.] 

I was fascinated by this 20 min. video about Asphalt Jungle's visual style. 

I was particularly interested in the complex diner scene (at 12:35-14:48): 3 men, a cat, shifts from foreground, background, 2 shot, ceiling, etc.

Was it like that on the page? In short, yes and no.

Yes, the conflict was there. No, the staging and composition were not.

However, because the writers* did their jobs and created great conflict on the page, the director and cinematographer had great building blocks to do their jobs.

Here's what that conflict looked like on the page:

MED. SHOT - INT. GUS'S HAMBURGER JOINT - NIGHT

A truck driver stands at the magazine rack, eating a king-sized hamburger and stealing looks at the girl pictures in a movie magazine. The cat jumps on to the counter and Gus starts feeding him meat, bite by bite. Dix enters. He and Gus exchange nods. Dix takes a seat at the counter.

...TRUCK DRIVER: How do you mean, Humpty-Dumpty?

GUS: I mean you don't belong around here. You're just passing through - only not fast enough.

Gus comes around the counter with surprising speed. He seizes the truck driver by the arm; whirls him around; grabs the seat of his pants; jerks it up tight until the big fellow is on his tip-toes; then "Spanish walks" him swiftly to the front door, where he gives the flabbergasted driver a push.

GUS: And if I ever see you running over a cat, I'll kick your teeth out.

The driver stands staring at Gus, trying to recover from the surprise attack. He is unable to make up his mind whether to clout the little hunchback or beat a dignified retreat. 

DRIVER: I'd take you apart if you were a foot taller, and straightened out a little.

Gus steps toward the driver, carrying his hands low. The driver hurriedly gets into his truck. Gus comes back into his join. Dix watches Gus turn the lock in the door, and pull the window blinds. Dix is smiling for a change.

GUS: I suppose you want your heater back? Well, you ain't goin' to get it! What do you think of that?

DIX: Quit kidding Gus!

GUS: I mean it...

Dix stops smiling.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Help your collaborators.  Keep the conflict moving on the page.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
by Ben Maddow and John Huston
Based on the novel by W.R. Burnett

*FYI: One of the writers was also the director, so that was helpful.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Legend (2015) - "Passing Through Doors" Transition

[Quick Summary: 1960s gangsters Reggie and Ronald Kray terrorize London.]

Q & A With Myself 

Q: Did you like the script?
A: Not really. It's well written, but not really.

Q: Why didn't you like the script?
A: I want a script to make me understand the characters' points of view, which it did.  However, the emotional stakes plateaued, despite much chaos and violence. 

Q: Could you give an example?
A: Ronnie likes harming people, no remorse. His biggest fear is that Reggie will leave him.  Reggie's biggest fear is that his wife Frances will leave.  When bad things happen, they rage, but there is little emotional consequences or suspense.*

Q: Was there anything particularly good in the script?
A: I can tell this passing door scene was written to be shot. It's a clever transition because we're taken into a room without us noticing. It's at least two camera moves.

EXT. KENSINGTON GORE - DAY

STEFAN DE FAYE walks cheerily along. Young and bright, he checks an address on a business card, enters a BUILDING.

FRANCES (V.O.): London was an open city and the Krays moved in.

                                                                                                CUT TO:

A POV IN A HALLWAY

On a SECRETARY'S BACK approaching double wooden doors. As she swings them open, Stefan De Faye passes and we are now in... [Camera is in front of de Faye. 3rd person, objective POV.]

THE OFFICE

LESLIE PAYNE smiles from his desk, looking good in a suit.

PAYNE: Mr. de Faye, glad you could come. [Camera has become de Faye's POV]

DE FAYE (steps forward): Mr. Payne. I'm not often intrigued, but your message, it intrigued.

PAYNE: Please. Sit down.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked the unconsciousness of that transition. It's simple, clear, but accomplishes a lot.

Legend (2015)(final shooting draft)
by Brian Helgeland

*I wonder if this is the reason for the excessive use of Frances's voice over? To at least give Reggie a conscience?

TODAY'S NUGGET: 42 (2013) - Involving a Female Character in a Male Sports Film

[Quick Summary: In 1947, Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the MLB, struggles with distraction, racism in his first year with the Brooklyn Dodgers.]

TWO THOUGHTS:

1) FOCUSED. I liked this script because it focused on Jackie playing baseball. 

That sounds simple, but scripts tend to get preachy and glossy when it comes to portraying sports figures who have borne social strife and emerged triumphant.

2) FEMALE & INVOLVED. I liked that Rachel, Jackie's wife, was not a bystander or reactor.  She was a participant, and equally affected emotionally as Jackie.

To show this, the writer seemed to choose parallel emotional situations for Rachel. 

In the scene below, we experience the same kinds of hatred and racism that came at Jackie, but through her POV:

EXT. EBBETS FIELD STANDS (BETWEEN FIRST AND HOME) - DAY

[Rachel sits in the stands with racists who shout taunts at Jackie.]

...Rachel stares ahead, tries to maintain. She shows them her back, sits up as straight as she can. Her movements heroic.

INT. BROOKLYN CITY BUS - DAY

Jack and Rachel ride home. Forlorn, she stares out.

RACHEL: Oh Jack...

JACK: What is it, Rae?

RACHEL: Nothing. It's just, sometimes when I sit up there with those bastards, those loudmouths in the stands, I know you can hear them.

JACK: Don't worry. It's okay.

RACHEL: No, it's not okay. And I can hear them, too.

Jack looks at her, takes her hand in his.

JACK: I know. I'm sorry for that.

Rachel squeezes his hand back.

RACHEL: We're in it together. When they start in on you, you know what I do? I try to sit up as straight.

JACK: Yeah?

RACHEL: Straight as I can. I got it in my head that I can block it from you, some of it, if I can sit up straight. (a sad smile) Isn't that dumb?

Closing the space between them, he takes her hand.

JACK: It worked. I didn't hear a thing.

She tries to smile. As the tears streak her cheeks, he leans in kisses her forehead.

JACK: They're just ignorant.

RACHEL: If they knew you, they'd be ashamed.

She puts her arm around him, draws that strength.

JACK: Hold on.

RACHEL: I am holding on.

JACK: Long as we hold on, it'll be okay.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: One of the ways to show a female character is equally involved is to have her share the weight of the emotional journey.

42 (2013)(3/14/12 shooting script, w/revisions)
by Brian Helgeland

TODAY'S NUGGET: Green Zone (2010) - Going Rogue

[Quick Summary: When efforts to uncover evidence of weapons of mass destruction are thwarted, a US Army officer smells something fishy and goes rogue.]

Any time Ebert's review says, "[T]his is one hell of a thriller," I pay attention.

One of the things the script does well is reduce an intimidating, complicated larger story (WMD) into a manageable personal one.

Also, the character is interesting.  Miller is a guy who does not like to be played.  He's told to find X, but when he arrives someone else is already there taking X.

So what does he do in this lawless land? He goes against his law abiding habits and does something radical, like taking a body out of a morgue - as leverage.

INT. MORGUE - CAMP CROPPER - DAY

...They fan out, begin lifting tarps, unzipping body bags, rolling a few FACE-DOWNS over.

Potts trips over a leg. Fuck! That creeps them out.

Miller crouches down, unzips a bodybag. Some OLD MAN. Another: a guy with a beard. He takes a step to another, unzips...Jackpot. There's the GENERAL, a dark bruised crease across his forehead.

MILLER (CONT'D): Sonuvabitch.

The guys crowd around, look over the top of Miller.

MILLER (CONT'D): I mean sonuvabitch! This guy knew.

PERRY: Not anymore...

Another thought hits Miller. Urgent. He zips the bag.

MILLER: Let's get him out of here.

POTTS: What?

MICHAELS: Chief, you okay?

MILLER: I'll explain later. Let's get him out. Before they come back down.

Miller grabs a corner of the bag. A beat and they move to help. As they start hauling the body bag of there...

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: "Going rogue" is a discrepancy in the usual behavior.  

It assumes: a) you've established a pattern of previous behavior, and b) a discrepancy which is big and significant for the character, but not necessarily big like an explosion.

Green Zone (2010)(undated)*
by Brian Helgeland
Based on  "Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone," by Rajiv Chandrasekaran

*The cover page of this undated draft says "by Paul Greengrass" (director).   Thus, I am not sure how much of this draft is actually the writer's or the director's.