Screenplay Critique #2
When you imagine different films in different genres, there are a whole list of different assumptions that audiences expect from each genre. Based on the fast scene changes of the script, it’s evident that The Departed is a crime drama action film. Since it’s an action film, there are also not many long winded character monologues and all of the characters have short dialogue to keep up with the faster pace of the film and keep the audience engaged.
The action starts from the beginning of the selection of the script--in this excerpt, the catalytic event is when Billy speaks to Costello and begins to build his relationship with him. Costello tells Mister French to search Billy by breaking his cast. This scene establishes a few character traits--that Costello holds the power in this relationship and has the ability to give people commands and have them followed. Shortly after this initial meeting where he agrees to work for Costello, Billy meets Costello again and rips out his wire while he’s in …show more content…
The montage sequence in the middle of the excerpt shows that the work is causing him a lot of stress as it directly conflicts with his personal and career values. A critical moment for Billy is when he leads a gun transaction in the middle of the woods. The gun dealer provokes Billy to the point where Billy responds by putting a gun to his head; in the background, Mr. French and Piero look on approvingly. This is a critical moment in the screenplay because we see Billy unconsciously become the person he never wanted to become, a violent and heartless mobster. This scene essentially shows Billy’s progression during act 2 and shows the growing intensity of one of the conflicts in the story--at some point Billy is going to have to continue down this path of violence or he’s going to have to find a way to get out of the
When you imagine different films in different genres, there are a whole list of different assumptions that audiences expect from each genre. Based on the fast scene changes of the script, it’s evident that The Departed is a crime drama action film. Since it’s an action film, there are also not many long winded character monologues and all of the characters have short dialogue to keep up with the faster pace of the film and keep the audience engaged.
The action starts from the beginning of the selection of the script--in this excerpt, the catalytic event is when Billy speaks to Costello and begins to build his relationship with him. Costello tells Mister French to search Billy by breaking his cast. This scene establishes a few character traits--that Costello holds the power in this relationship and has the ability to give people commands and have them followed. Shortly after this initial meeting where he agrees to work for Costello, Billy meets Costello again and rips out his wire while he’s in …show more content…
The montage sequence in the middle of the excerpt shows that the work is causing him a lot of stress as it directly conflicts with his personal and career values. A critical moment for Billy is when he leads a gun transaction in the middle of the woods. The gun dealer provokes Billy to the point where Billy responds by putting a gun to his head; in the background, Mr. French and Piero look on approvingly. This is a critical moment in the screenplay because we see Billy unconsciously become the person he never wanted to become, a violent and heartless mobster. This scene essentially shows Billy’s progression during act 2 and shows the growing intensity of one of the conflicts in the story--at some point Billy is going to have to continue down this path of violence or he’s going to have to find a way to get out of the