[Quick Summary: After the Pope dies, the Dean of the Conclave must manage the voting process for the new Pop and discovers hidden motives of the candidates.]
PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.
We writers are told a lot of "don'ts": "Don't put in camera moves (directors don't like that)." "Show, don't talk about feelings (actors don't like that)."
These days, I take them "under advisement", i.e., ignore them, because I've seen writers do those very things - BUT THEY KNEW WHAT 'RULES' TO BREAK.
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Q: In the above paragraphs, why do I only remember the underlined part?
A: Underlining emphasizes things.
Q: Have you seen any effective uses of underlining?
A: I will cite two lines from this script, in same scene, only because they show how underlining does different things:
- The first emphasizes what is in Lawrence's mind and emotions.
- The second is later in the scene, and emphasizes a shift in tone.
INT. PAPAL SUITE - SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
...Lawrence is holding the x-ray to the light, staring in silence, struck that he is looking at the very heart of the man he revered.
....The contest has begun.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Like any good tool, the emotional impact that comes with underlining is best used sparingly.
Conclave (2024)(final draft, w/revisions)
by Peter Straughan
Based on the novel by Robert Harris
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