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Week 3 Day 2: Twists — THE MATRIX
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights into what makes this scene great from a writing perspective.
2. Read the other writers comments and make notes of how you will build suspense into your script.
3. Rethink or create a Twist scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite the scene.
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9 Replies
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Week 3 Day 2: Twists — THE MATRIX
The scene set-up .They are in a interview room two interrogators vs. the protagonist.
The scene goal they want information on a criminal mastermind by the code word Morpheus.So they can bring him to justice.
All the conflicts in this scene are internal.He must make a decision.The first is to cooperate in bringing a known terrorist to justice ,and they will wipe his slate clean and be given a fresh start.Thomas refused the deal ,and became combative,and offered his response he will give them the finger,and get a phone call.The boss put on his glasses and considered the deal. He told him he’s disappointed and asked”what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?”The unexpected twist Thomas underwent a facial transformation that removed his mouth.He freaked out and stood up and flew into the corner in shock.Two henchman grabbed him and slammed him back on the table.As all three menacing characters stared down on him.The boss threatened him he will help them,and then put a metal scorpion on his chest that disappeared into his belly button.Then the twist it was all a dream Thomas woke up touched his mouth and dropped down on his bed as a phone call rang.
this scene is great in highlighting internal conflicts.The twist was set up by starting the scene in the middle of action.Snapped back into reality he touched his mouth and received a phone call.The twist changed the direction and meaning of the scene ,because he did’nt turn and kept the movie playing.I think the scene had interesting action and dialogue because of the interesting graphics.I never seen a mouth disappear on the face.
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The key element that makes this scene great is how, in the face of the threat of ruination by the antagonist authority that has the protagonist in captivity, the protagonist refuses to cooperate, even when cooperating could achieve a greater good–the capture of a notorious terrorist–and expunge the protagonist own criminal activity.
The setup for the twist is the point when the protagonist gives the antagonist the finger and demands his right to make a phone call.
After the twist where the protagonist is rendered unable to speak and the electronic scorpion is inserted into his stomach through his belly button, it is revealed that the protagonist was having a nightmare.
The twist goes from what appears to be a routine interrogation into a hellish other-worldly experience for the protagonist that could upend his life, turning it into a nightmarish existence from which he might never recover.
The interesting action and dialogue occur when the antagonist, speaking in a chilling monotone voice, alternates from intimidating (signaled by having his sunglasses on) to supportive (signaled by having his sunglasses off), then back to intimidating (signaled by having his sunglasses on).
It was horrifying to watch the scene that was masterfully written and executed by the director.
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What I learned rewriting my scene is the entertainment value of including a totally unexpected twist that surprises and captivates the audience. I call it the “wow” factor.
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Week 3 Day 2: Twists – THE MATRIX
The Matrix — Interrogation Scene
Basic Scene Components:
· Scene arc:
The action and dialogue ramps up through three unexpected twists:
1. Neo was asked to work with the establishment to turn over Morpheus. Twist: when Neo said no, they turned on him.
2. Neo wanted his one phone call. Twist: What good is a phone call if you are unable to speak. Neo’s mouth closes over.
3. The Establishment is making him help them. Twist: Put a robotic scorpion into his body. Twist: Neo woke up in bed, rain falling outside, all alone, phone ringing.
· Situation:
The Establishment wanting to keep control of the old Status Quo will stop at nothing to keep their control over the enslaved population.
· Conflict:
The Establishment, wanting to keep control of the old Status Quo, is searching to shut down him and his movement, with Neo as a part of the movement – New Status Quo.
· Entertainment Value:
The interrogation of Mr. Anderson scene entertains by changing the reality of the scene with unexpected twists. As we watch we are surprised just long enough to be surprised by the next twist. The end of the scene leaves us with questions and expecting anything.
· Moving the Story Forward: The dialogue set up and their matching payoffs move the story along.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “One of these lives has a future and one does not.” (A threat)
o Payoff: Action: Mr. Anderson does not agree to help them, gives them the finger, and requests his one phone call.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?”
o Payoff: Action: Immediately Mr. Anderson tries to speak and can’t because his mouth closes over.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “You’re going to help us, Mr. Anderson, one way or another.”
o Payoff: Action: They grab Neo (Mr. Anderson) open his shirt, and slam him on the table, lying on his back, while they hold him down. The interrogator places a robotic scorpion on his stomach, and it wiggles into his body through his belly button. Once it disappears, he wakes alone, on his bed with rain falling outside. The phone rings. (End of scene).
What makes this scene great? – Twists and turns, in a way, never seen before.
How was the twist set up? – Each twist has an introduction line of dialogue.
What happened after the twist? The Interrogator tells Neo what will happen before the twist begins.
How did the twist changed the direction and meaning of the scene? Each twist takes Neo and the audience a bit more off guard, deeper into amazement of what is happening and equally further away from reality, and into the unknown.
Interesting action and dialogue.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “One of these lives has a future and one does not.” (A threat)
o Payoff: Action: Mr. Anderson does not agree to help them, gives them the finger, and requests his one phone call.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?”
o Payoff: Action: Immediately Mr. Anderson tries to speak and can’t because his mouth closes over.
· Setup: Dialogue: Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “You’re going to help us, Mr. Anderson, one way or another.”
o Payoff: Action: They grab Neo (Mr. Anderson) open his shirt, and slam him on the table, lying on his back, while they hold him down. The interrogator places a robotic scorpion on his stomach, and it wiggles into his body through his belly button. Once it disappears, he wakes alone, on his bed with rain falling outside. The phone rings. (End of scene).
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I really enjoyed this scene. I found it as a good comparison to the Dark Knight scene that took place in and interrogation room. I found that the Matrix had twists in a more structured deliberate way.
The first twists happens when Mr. Anderson is in the interrogation room and antagonists comes in as the bad cop, then switches to the good cop, to only revert back to the bad cop.
Mr. Anderson provides a twist by listening to the antagonist then replying with a bird, and demanding his right to a phone call. Once we see the middle finger the rule of karma comes into play which allows the antagonist to torture Mr. Anderson. This scene would have been completely different had it opened up with the antagonist putting a scorpion in Mr. Anderson. Instead the scene was able to stretch a little creating twist for our protagonist, by eventually having his mouth closed.
I learned in this scene how to create twists in a unique way by writing the scene in 3. Bad scenario, good scenario, then very bad scenario. It gives the twist a rhythm.
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the setup is such that we don’t know yet who the trio of agents are and just how powerful they are. this is paid off later when, after the twist of Neo’s mouth, they drop a tracker into his body and he wakes up as if it had all been a dream. It wasn’t. The world comes into somewhat sharper focus with the twist but we still don’t know the entire world. The twist is an intro into the world and will keep being setup and paid off as we go forward in the narrative. In my own scripts, one can have a twist irrespective of genre. I don’t know if I can have morphing mouths but I can have an event, something revealed, that turns a scene on its head and everything changes from there.
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I’d forgotten how powerful this scene was: a great flip in the interrogation: Neo refusing to help the droids get info on Morpheus – then his mouth melding shut – the major twist that this is “all a dream” – waking up to reality – the phone RINGING.
What I learned rewriting my scene: I have two waking dream sequences: I need to enhance the direct reference to my theme of revenge more powerfully, and preview the inevitable conflict that my protagonist will face: internally and externally.
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Scene arc: The scene begins with what appears to be a normal police interrogation where a trio of “suits” use readily available information to intimidate the witness into cooperating. They know Neo is a straight shooter by day, hacks at night, but their insinuations are just that. It gets more sinister when Agent Smith mentions that Neo helps his landlady take the trash out – obviously they have eyes on him. Agent Smith mentions that Morpheus is the most dangerous man alive. Neo declines to help and demands his phone call – isn’t scared by this Gestapo bullshit. Agent Smith then says “that will be hard if you can’t speak” and Neo’s mouth seals shut (freaky!). The agents then pin Neo to a table and insert an insect into his naval. Neo can’t scream as it burrows into his abdomen. Then suddenly he wakes up at home, it was just a dream. Or was it? The telephone rings.
Situation: Neo is interrogated by three agents about Morpheus, refuses to comply.
Conflict: Neo vs. the agents; Neo vs. his own moral compass not to sell out a fellow hacker (Morpheus).
Entertainment value: This scene is entertaining on two different levels; first as a police procedural interrogation scene, and then as a sci-fi scene as it gets bizarre.
Moving the story forward: Neo is forced to make a choice between supporting “the matrix” or supporting a fellow hacker that he doesn’t know all that well yet.
Setup/payoffs: This scene sets up 1) the Agents are overbearing authority figures; 2) Neo won’t willingly roll on a fellow hacker; 3) the sci-fi angle that there is more going on here than is normal; and 4) we know Neo has been bugged, but Neo thinks it was all just a nightmare.
What makes this scene great? That bug … ewww! A great big “nopeburger.” Stuff of nightmares.
How the twist was set up. Agent Smith says “That will be hard if you can’t speak” before Neo’s mouth seals shut.
What happened after the twist. Neo panics. What is happening can’t be real.
How the twist changed the direction and meaning of the scene. Is it technology? Is it magic? Did the Agents slip Neo drugs? Or was it all really just a nightmare? We don’t know yet, but we realize there is something not natural about what is going on.
Interesting action and dialogue. Neo plays the part of a normal, righteous worker until they press him to sell out Morpheus, at which point he shows his true nonconformist streak by giving Agent Smith the finger and demanding his phone call.
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Week 3 Day 2: Twists — THE MATRIX
The scene moves in one direction, then suddenly turns in another direction. The change in direction is a twist.
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights into what makes this scene great from a writing perspective. – This initially looks like a typical FBI interrogation, both in mannerisms and dialogue. The primary agent plays the typical good cop while Neo seems like a typical street-smart young man who’s not intimidated by them and knows his rights. However, after Neo gives them the finger, everything takes a strange turn with Neo’s mouth being sealed and almost like his lips are melting. This bizarre world takes another twist when the agents implant a metal device in him through his belly button, only to wake up in his bed, wondering if it’s a real-life nightmare was a dream, or did it really happen? Even the audience is unsure. So, we’re left wondering. And, it is only later that we learn the truth.
2. Read the other writer’s comments and make notes of how you will build suspense into your script.
3. Rethink or create a Twist scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite the scene. Then post the answer to the question, “What I learned rewriting my scene…?” and post it in the forums.
The Matrix — Interrogation scene
Watch 1st for:· Basic scene components — Scene arc, situation, conflict, entertainment value, moving the story forward, and setup/payoffs.
Watch 2nd for:
What makes this scene great? Totally unexpected, making us wonder what is real. Or, is Neo just having a dream?
How the twist was set up. When Neo becomes totally uncooperative after the agent threatens him and tells him one way or another, he is going to help them. Neo is neither scared or intimidated.
What happened after the twist? Everything changes and we’re introduced to another unbelievable reality. Now, Neo is scared out of his skin. But is it real or a dream.
How the twist changed the direction and meaning of the scene. This scene is transformational. It takes us into a world we have never seen before, nor expected.
Interesting action and dialogue. Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “One of these lives has a future and one does not.” Neo better make the right choice.
o Payoff: Action: Mr. Anderson blows him off and gives them the finger.
Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?”
o Payoff: Action: Immediately Mr. Anderson mouth seals and his lips become like goo.
Interrogator to Mr. Anderson: “You’re going to help us, Mr. Anderson, one way or another.”
o Payoff: Action: Neo is held down while having a tracking device inserted through his belly button.
What really makes this scene great is how everything is a surprise and unexpected. No one could have imagined such a concept before.
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