1 INT. THE UNDERGROUND CLUB. DAY.
James walks in having a conversation with somebody.
JAMES
I don't know where your shit is man, like ask Johnny, I have nothing to do with that.
Walks toward the bar and begins cleaning up bottles and beer caps. Kane Throws open the door and runs in, oblivious to James' cries.
Kane grabs James and without pausing drags him outside.
EXT. THE UNDERGROUND CLUB. DAY.
Kane Pins James against the wall.
KANE
Where is he?!
JAMES
What? Who? (stutters)
KANE
Davey! Where the fuck is he! (interupting cries from James)
JAMES
I don't know no Davey! (flinching)
Kane punches James in the stomach.
KANE
You're going to tell me where he is.
JAMES
I...I don't know who you're talking about.
James collapses to the ground. Kane takes a pack of smokes from James' breast pocket. Throws the pack away.
KANE
You got a light?
James gives Kane a lighter.
KANE
You know what I want. (punches James, knocking him out)
Kane rises up and realizes he was being watched by a bum. Puts his hands in his pockets and walks away.
2 EXT. STREET. DAY.
Kane Walks down the center of a street. He tosses the piece of paper down beside him.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Blake Snyder Beat Sheet
1. Opening Image (1)
A P.O.V. shot of Kane looking down at his report card. It's full of failing marks. Scene switches to a wide shot of Kane and his father. His father has a beer in hand, wearing dingy clothing. He pokes fun at Kane, then Kane storms out of the house.
2. Theme Stated (5)
Kane is walking with Davey. It becomes clear that they are eachother's only friends. Kane towers over Davey. Davey proves himself to be intelligent and well-rounded by his speach. Davey Points out to Kane that his anger is going to lead him into serious problems down the road.
3. Set-Up (1-10)
Kanes enemy is himself, his massive build and his anger problems, the only person bigger and more angry then him is his father. Kane enters his house after the scene with Davey. His father is clearly drunk, and making a sandwich in the kitchen. His father puts down everything and begins to act intimidating. He refers to Kanes report card, tells him he's going no where. He goes up to Kane and pushes him against the closed front door and gives him a little slap on the face and lets out a histerical laugh. Kane's reaction is to give a cold stare at his father (he does not break). We get backround information on his mother through dialogue of the father. He tells Kane, "Your mother would be dissappointed but you already fucked that up didn't you" (we later find out that she became ill after giving birth and died some short time later). Its established that the movie takes place in current time, typical slummy looking scenery at Kanes house.
4. Catalyst (12)
Kane is discussing the events of the past night to Davey. Davey reassures him saying he can get out of their if he wanted, he is old enough to get a full-time job and live on his own. In the middle of Davey's suggestions of what Kane can be in the future, Kan interrupts him telling him to shut-up, and he'll figure things out. After a brief silence, Kane announces he is never going to return back to that house, there's nothing there for him. Kane realizes the change he needs to make and it becomes evident to the audience. At this point, Davey is Kane's support and sort of acts as his positive conciousness. Davey offers him to stay at his house but, Kane refuses at first, and claims that if he cannot find appropriate accomodations he'll take him up on his offer. Davey goes missing
5. Break into Two (25)
The absence of Davey signifies the absence of Kane's proper conscience. He begins to grow uncontrollable, really letting his anger out. He Does not have any clues yet he can only assume, and he begins to assume a bunch of drug dealers he was associated with, people at school who may have a problem with him, random people at school etc. (he confronts them at places he knows them to hang out at - this is summer time and schools out). In Kanes rage, when he is intimidating somebody around his age whom he knows to be associated with the drug trade business, he gets a tip that one of the bigger drug dealers beat some kid up the other day, although he cannot give an exact time, who did it or who the victim was. Kane beats him fairly good, this signifies the point where he has lost all control over himself.
6. Fun and Games (30-55)
The guy Kane was beating gives him a tip about some guy named James who owns a run-down club on the edge of town. James is a 'snitch' who has dirt on everybody and might know something about what happened. Its the middle of the afternoon Kane bursts into James' club and drags him out. He questions James but gets no hard evidence, he beats him to much and James is knocked out, at this point Kane realizes he was being watched by a bum and reflects on his actions, (this part sort of merges with the midpoint), He realizes for a moment he is out of control and that he has beaten a few popular drug dealers, so he has dug himself quite a deep hole that he can't get out of. Kane realizes this and instead of making amends begins to continue his rampage.
7. Midpoint (55)
When he reflects on his actions having beaten James.
8. Bad Guys Close in (55-75)
Cut to a scene with Kane breaking another door. Theres a bigger guy on the couch and a few other more scrawny guys in this lower-end house. Ash trays everywhere, drug parafenallia, there mostly all where wife-beaters and look greasy. Kane goes to the guy on the couch (who we assume is the leader) forces him up and throws him at the TV. The guys friends get in the fight and Kane ends up getting severly beaten. Scene switches to Kane waking up in a hospital bed. A cop neerby talking to his father, who is acting nice and glancing at the now awake Kane (he notices his fathers glance and we feel the tension between the pethatic looking Kane and what we know the father will do). We learn a pedestrian was walking past the house that Kane smashed into and called the cops, the cops broke up the fight, and kane is getting charged with multiple offences. The cop leaves and his father comes up to him and tells him something really horrible like, "You think your hurting now", then leaves. A few hours pass, Kane is still looking aggressive (not emotionally distraught yet), struggles out of bed, rips the coords off etc, gets his clothes and leaves.
9. All Is Lost (75)
When walking he shows little aggression and the audience begins to feel a change in Kane, like he is becoming more down on himself, and losing his fight. Wherever he is walking (he just wants to get out of his current life) he walks neer Davey's house where he sees cop cars. We see a glimmer of hope on his face. Gets to the house, finds Davey's mother and father (who are a happy couple, moderately nice house, mother is thin and fragile, she looks COMPLETELY broken, father is dumbstruck), Kane asked what happens and the cop tells him that they found Davey's mangled body in the ditch. He was found between downtown and their house, so it is possible that it was a hit and run while he was walking home or, because of the severity of the condition of the body, he was beaten and left there, the audience is not left with a definit answer (partly because the movie is supposed to be about Kane's struggles with his life, and how somebody with anger issues would come to terms with everything that has happened.
10. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85)
Kane struggles out of the house, looking dumbstruck. The environment outside, and around the town is dry (has been for the whole movie). he makes his way away from the house, crosses the street into a wide open field that primarily dry dirt with some grass. Its dusk. He collapses weeping, puts his forhead to the ground, both his hands through his hair, and really breaks. It begins to rain lightly, he weeps for a little bit longer. The scene switches to Kane sitting at the edge of a bed in a cheap motel. Rummages throw his money and he's got a couple bucks left. There is no real visible emotion on his face, he looks empty. He looks at his hands and has a flashback of some happy time with Davey (a more recent memory, not visibly to much younger). This point signifies Davey returning to Kane and once again acting as his positive conciousness.
11. Break into Three (85)
Kane is inspired by the thought of davey and begins the long processes of moving on (he is not in denial, the next few scenes will show Kane is beginning to change, he has regained control over his anger). He starts to get stuff done the properway. The first thing he does is go home, his father isnt there. He gets a backpack, gets all his stuff and gets the hell out for the real last time. Scene switches and he's talking to a guidence councelor at school and telling them exactly what he wants, and he wants to enroll in some summer courses and get his marks up to do an apprenticeship. The third thing he does is go to the cop station. He turns himself in and we get a positive feeling from the action, switch to him in court, he gets a lighter, livable sentence of X amount of time community service, has to write a note of apology to a bunch of people and etc.
12. Finale (85-110)
Kane has chosen not to pursue Davey's death. after break into three ends, the scene switches to a shot sometime after, although he still has visible marks of the beatings on his face, and maybe uses his hand (was broken) in an awkward mannor. He's in a workshop, at a table-saw making something and Davey's mother walks in. Through the dialogue we learn Kane is living in a half-way home, Davey's mom is getting along alright, and Davey's funeral is going to be the following week, Kane is invited to come. We won't know if he chooses to go or not. The conversation between Kane and Davey's mom leaves the audience satisfied that all is well. Kane is on the right track, and he's out of all his old habits. He appears to have won the battle over himself and his old life.
A P.O.V. shot of Kane looking down at his report card. It's full of failing marks. Scene switches to a wide shot of Kane and his father. His father has a beer in hand, wearing dingy clothing. He pokes fun at Kane, then Kane storms out of the house.
2. Theme Stated (5)
Kane is walking with Davey. It becomes clear that they are eachother's only friends. Kane towers over Davey. Davey proves himself to be intelligent and well-rounded by his speach. Davey Points out to Kane that his anger is going to lead him into serious problems down the road.
3. Set-Up (1-10)
Kanes enemy is himself, his massive build and his anger problems, the only person bigger and more angry then him is his father. Kane enters his house after the scene with Davey. His father is clearly drunk, and making a sandwich in the kitchen. His father puts down everything and begins to act intimidating. He refers to Kanes report card, tells him he's going no where. He goes up to Kane and pushes him against the closed front door and gives him a little slap on the face and lets out a histerical laugh. Kane's reaction is to give a cold stare at his father (he does not break). We get backround information on his mother through dialogue of the father. He tells Kane, "Your mother would be dissappointed but you already fucked that up didn't you" (we later find out that she became ill after giving birth and died some short time later). Its established that the movie takes place in current time, typical slummy looking scenery at Kanes house.
4. Catalyst (12)
Kane is discussing the events of the past night to Davey. Davey reassures him saying he can get out of their if he wanted, he is old enough to get a full-time job and live on his own. In the middle of Davey's suggestions of what Kane can be in the future, Kan interrupts him telling him to shut-up, and he'll figure things out. After a brief silence, Kane announces he is never going to return back to that house, there's nothing there for him. Kane realizes the change he needs to make and it becomes evident to the audience. At this point, Davey is Kane's support and sort of acts as his positive conciousness. Davey offers him to stay at his house but, Kane refuses at first, and claims that if he cannot find appropriate accomodations he'll take him up on his offer. Davey goes missing
5. Break into Two (25)
The absence of Davey signifies the absence of Kane's proper conscience. He begins to grow uncontrollable, really letting his anger out. He Does not have any clues yet he can only assume, and he begins to assume a bunch of drug dealers he was associated with, people at school who may have a problem with him, random people at school etc. (he confronts them at places he knows them to hang out at - this is summer time and schools out). In Kanes rage, when he is intimidating somebody around his age whom he knows to be associated with the drug trade business, he gets a tip that one of the bigger drug dealers beat some kid up the other day, although he cannot give an exact time, who did it or who the victim was. Kane beats him fairly good, this signifies the point where he has lost all control over himself.
6. Fun and Games (30-55)
The guy Kane was beating gives him a tip about some guy named James who owns a run-down club on the edge of town. James is a 'snitch' who has dirt on everybody and might know something about what happened. Its the middle of the afternoon Kane bursts into James' club and drags him out. He questions James but gets no hard evidence, he beats him to much and James is knocked out, at this point Kane realizes he was being watched by a bum and reflects on his actions, (this part sort of merges with the midpoint), He realizes for a moment he is out of control and that he has beaten a few popular drug dealers, so he has dug himself quite a deep hole that he can't get out of. Kane realizes this and instead of making amends begins to continue his rampage.
7. Midpoint (55)
When he reflects on his actions having beaten James.
8. Bad Guys Close in (55-75)
Cut to a scene with Kane breaking another door. Theres a bigger guy on the couch and a few other more scrawny guys in this lower-end house. Ash trays everywhere, drug parafenallia, there mostly all where wife-beaters and look greasy. Kane goes to the guy on the couch (who we assume is the leader) forces him up and throws him at the TV. The guys friends get in the fight and Kane ends up getting severly beaten. Scene switches to Kane waking up in a hospital bed. A cop neerby talking to his father, who is acting nice and glancing at the now awake Kane (he notices his fathers glance and we feel the tension between the pethatic looking Kane and what we know the father will do). We learn a pedestrian was walking past the house that Kane smashed into and called the cops, the cops broke up the fight, and kane is getting charged with multiple offences. The cop leaves and his father comes up to him and tells him something really horrible like, "You think your hurting now", then leaves. A few hours pass, Kane is still looking aggressive (not emotionally distraught yet), struggles out of bed, rips the coords off etc, gets his clothes and leaves.
9. All Is Lost (75)
When walking he shows little aggression and the audience begins to feel a change in Kane, like he is becoming more down on himself, and losing his fight. Wherever he is walking (he just wants to get out of his current life) he walks neer Davey's house where he sees cop cars. We see a glimmer of hope on his face. Gets to the house, finds Davey's mother and father (who are a happy couple, moderately nice house, mother is thin and fragile, she looks COMPLETELY broken, father is dumbstruck), Kane asked what happens and the cop tells him that they found Davey's mangled body in the ditch. He was found between downtown and their house, so it is possible that it was a hit and run while he was walking home or, because of the severity of the condition of the body, he was beaten and left there, the audience is not left with a definit answer (partly because the movie is supposed to be about Kane's struggles with his life, and how somebody with anger issues would come to terms with everything that has happened.
10. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85)
Kane struggles out of the house, looking dumbstruck. The environment outside, and around the town is dry (has been for the whole movie). he makes his way away from the house, crosses the street into a wide open field that primarily dry dirt with some grass. Its dusk. He collapses weeping, puts his forhead to the ground, both his hands through his hair, and really breaks. It begins to rain lightly, he weeps for a little bit longer. The scene switches to Kane sitting at the edge of a bed in a cheap motel. Rummages throw his money and he's got a couple bucks left. There is no real visible emotion on his face, he looks empty. He looks at his hands and has a flashback of some happy time with Davey (a more recent memory, not visibly to much younger). This point signifies Davey returning to Kane and once again acting as his positive conciousness.
11. Break into Three (85)
Kane is inspired by the thought of davey and begins the long processes of moving on (he is not in denial, the next few scenes will show Kane is beginning to change, he has regained control over his anger). He starts to get stuff done the properway. The first thing he does is go home, his father isnt there. He gets a backpack, gets all his stuff and gets the hell out for the real last time. Scene switches and he's talking to a guidence councelor at school and telling them exactly what he wants, and he wants to enroll in some summer courses and get his marks up to do an apprenticeship. The third thing he does is go to the cop station. He turns himself in and we get a positive feeling from the action, switch to him in court, he gets a lighter, livable sentence of X amount of time community service, has to write a note of apology to a bunch of people and etc.
12. Finale (85-110)
Kane has chosen not to pursue Davey's death. after break into three ends, the scene switches to a shot sometime after, although he still has visible marks of the beatings on his face, and maybe uses his hand (was broken) in an awkward mannor. He's in a workshop, at a table-saw making something and Davey's mother walks in. Through the dialogue we learn Kane is living in a half-way home, Davey's mom is getting along alright, and Davey's funeral is going to be the following week, Kane is invited to come. We won't know if he chooses to go or not. The conversation between Kane and Davey's mom leaves the audience satisfied that all is well. Kane is on the right track, and he's out of all his old habits. He appears to have won the battle over himself and his old life.
Monday, June 21, 2010
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
LA Confidential Review
From the beginning, LA Confidential had me wondering what is going to happen in the next scene. The introduction given by Sid Hudgins (Danny DeVito) gives us the back round story that a big time mobster, Mickey Cohen (Paul Gulifoyle), has been knocked off. He implies that somebody new is going to take over the drug trade business, which is what all the action in the movie is going to revolve around. The sensational tone of Sid as the scene flows casually through a bunch of murder scenes really caught my attention and immediately sucked me into the plot of the movie. The second point where I was left with the feeling, “this is going to be a great movie”, was with the introduction of Bud White (Russell Crow). Bud is a muscular cop, who we quickly find, likes to solve most his problems with violence. He quickly takes care of a raging husband and treats his wife with extreme kindness and compassion. We quickly find out that there is some mystery to this character and there must be some sort of motivation behind his actions. This is also a testimony to the detail put into the screenplay (written by Curtis Hanson); that we can understand so much and ask so many questions in this short scene, as well as powerful acting by Russell Crow. I can really get into the emotion of the character.
The overall acting of Russell Crow, Kevin Spacey (as Jack Vincennes), and Guy Pearce (Ed Exley) was quite convincing. However, having said this, there is one point near the beginning of the set up (from the Blake Snyder template) where the Mexicans have been brought in, and a fight breaks loose in the holding area. During this scene Jack Vincennes is watching in a non-chalant manner until he gets punched in the face. His reaction as he looks down at the blood on his expensive suit and looks back up with a surprised expression seems almost comedic to me, and it took away from the intensity of the scene. Furthermore, there is a feeling throughout the movie that the police force acts like a ‘pack’. There are clearly characteristics in all the main characters that set them apart from the pack; such as Bud’s compassion to protect woman, Exley’s strive for perfection, and Vincennes endeavour to be in the limelight. The short scene where Vincennes sets himself apart, by acting cool about beating up the Mexicans, may have been Curtis Hanson’s way of showing he is a different sort of cop as well.
Hanson’s idea to have Vincennes shot quickly, and spontaneously by Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), provided a powerful twist in the plot. When Vincennes dropped the news he was investigating an ex cop named Buzz, I could read the social cues given off by Cromwell that something had changed, and the mood of the scene also took a quick change at that moment. It was a quick segment of good acting by both Cromwell and Spacey.
The scenes flow in such a way that the complex plot can be easily understood. When Bud is searching the basement of Mrs. Lefferts house and finds the body of Buzz Meeks (Darrel Sandeen), there is a quick flashback of the connection to Buzz at the beginning of the movie. Another example is the short scene when Ed Exley is being interrogated near the end of the film and gives a quick speech that ties everything together. This is an excellent strategy by director Curtis Hanson to ensure that the viewers get everything out of the story line.
The scene when Bud confronts Lynn Bracken when he finds out that Exley had sex with her had good camera work. There is a long shot as his car pulls in, we hear the Digetic sound of the door slamming shut, the tension in Lynn`s face is visible and we know the scene is building to a climax. When Bud begins pacing, the camera is situated in a wide shot so we see Lynn standing there motion less. This allows the viewer to take in all the emotion from both characters at once. The climax of the scene, when bud hits her, the camera cuts to a close of shot of lynn`s horrified face. Another quick cut as Bud stumbles toward her then staggers back. The scene ends with good symmetry as we get another long shot as bud runs back to his car. Another cut and we see Lynn collapse – a powerful scene carried out with excellent camera work.
For being shot in 1997, the film does an excellent job at bringing the feeling of the 50’s. This is partly due to the type of filming, Technicolor noir, which enhances black and white shades. The viewer, if exposed to at least one 50s style movie, can subconsciously make the connection to an older film look.
The plot contains many relationships to real life characters and historical events. The LA police force has been known to have racial animosity and corrupted officers. We can see the racial feelings towards the three negroes, who are suspected of committing the Night Owl murders. They have little evidence to go buy and the suspects are treated extremely harshly. In fact, the only evidence they have on the three negroes is a rumour that Vincennes hears from one of his contacts one of the negroes was driving his car in the neighbourhood at the time of the accident. Furthermore, at the beginning of the movie when the cop brings in the Mexicans and announces they are responsible for some unrelated case, the entire department goes into a bloody frenzy. This scene gave me a similar feeling to how Piggy is treated in Lord of the Flies – the Mexicans looked helpless, the officers relentless. Racism is a powerful theme throughout the film.
During the 50s, woman were struggling for equal rights. There is not one woman throughout the entire movie who plays a positive character. The woman are either secretaries – who constantly are ordered around (and follow the orders without question), and quickly brushed off, or prostitutes – exception to the case of Mrs. Lefferts who is an odd and unappealing character. A prime example is when Exley is beginning to piece everything together, after Vincennes death, and he barks orders out to her.
Overall, there was not a slow part in the movie, or a break in story that caused me to lose interest. The acting, dialogue, editing, and camera work are flawless.
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