McKee and Weston have very different approaches in their scene analysis. This scene from Sex, Lies, and Videotape is loaded with subtext which we can either summarize and come to a simple conclusion using McKee's method, or use Weston's method and completely over-think what is possibly going on between John, Ann, and Graham and ask complicated questions with no definite answer and too many possibilities.
Taking McKee's approach, I believe John is driving the scene, creating conflict between him and Ann, as well as him and Graham. The conflict involves John's lack of appreciation for his wife and his feelings of betrayal toward Graham stemming from their college days together. It appears John is still upset that Graham dropped out, abandoning their friendship in the process. I think the scene starts on a mildly negative charge as John picks apart Graham's choice of attire as well as Ann's cooking. When Graham tries to lighten the mood of the conversation by talking to Ann about her family, John has not yet satisfied his desire to get revenge on Graham, so he brings up an ex-girlfriend to throw him off again. Luckily Ann feels for Graham and the bad situation he's in and quickly changes the subject again.
The conflict builds and Graham starts hitting John with witty comebacks to keep him in check. The scene's turning point is near the end after Graham cracks the lawyers joke and John suggests Ann help Graham look for apartments. John feels like he won the conflict because now he has the opportunity to spite his wife by sleeping with her sister in their bed.
I think Weston raises some interesting questions, but I also think it's a problem that by using her method, you really cannot come up with any definite conclusions about the true subtextual meaning behind a scene.
-Kevin Burrell
Discussion Questions:
1. Is it important to fully understand the subtext of a scene, whether you figure it out in the scene itself or through later scenes or backstory? Why or why not?
2. Is it problematic or helpful to analyze a scene in so much detail, as Weston does, that it creates questions with several possibilities rather than definitive answers? Why?
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2 comments:
Understanding the subtext is, in my opinion, one of the most important things anyone involved in scripts can do. A great script is full of subtext, and by understanding its delicate and complex nature, you will yourself be able to hopefully use it to great effect in your own future scripts.
Its important to remember that screenwriting is a results oriented craft, more so than any other kind of writing. The screenplay is just a guideline for the film that is to follow. If a scene allows for several possible interpetations, it really just means that the writer has given the director multiple ways to achieve a result.
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