Week 4 Day 5 – Monologue Scene – JAWS

[Susan Willard]

Week 4 Day 5 – Monologue Scene – JAWS

Scene: “The Indianapolis Speech”

JAWS — The Shark story about USS Indianapolis

SETUP: A man-eating shark has attacked and killed tourist. These three have gone out in a boat to lure the shark away and kill it. This is the night before they have the final fight with the shark.

Watch first time for:

Basic scene components —

Scene arc:

From a restful night before a fish hunt turns into a time of tense contemplation of what can happen when battling a shark in a life and death situation, as supported by Sailor Quint’s story.

Situation:

The three men are on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, resting around a table, on the night before they start actively looking for a shark so they can kill it, so it will not kill anymore people. Quint tells his personal experience about surviving shark attacks.

Conflict:

Man against Shark

Moving the Story Forward:

The monologue moves the story forward with the tense, suspenseful, horrifying truths and events of a true man against shark attack. It leaves the audience and the three men in anticipation of the events to follow.

Entertainment Value:

The scene intertwines true horrors of man fighting sharks in the water, with the potential events that could happen on the movies shark hunt. Everyone is now in deep and tense anticipation.

Setups:

Quint’s story gives the horrific possibilities of fighting sharks in/on the sea, such as being eaten by the shark, persistence of the sharks, lifeless eyes of the shark until they bite you, and unknown actions by the shark until they act. The shark is an intelligent foe. Quint’s fight for survival mirrored the battle of waterloo.

Payoffs:

The movie’s action doesn’t fail to give us all that as promised in Quint’s story: suspense, horror, death, persistence, intrigue, a formable foe, an unexpected ending and more.

Watch second time for:

What makes this scene great?

Quint’s monologue makes this scene by:

· Preparing the men for what they will experience in the shark fight.

· Giving the men an excellent description of the shark, very descriptive.

· Letting the men know the horrors of a shark fight, such as death, fight involved, methods of a shark attack, extreme loss of life.

· Putting fear, suspense, anticipation, horror, things that could happen in the shark hut into the minds of the men and the audience.

How is the monologue demanded by the situation?

The monologue sets the men and audience an expectation for the possible actions and events that may happen in the fight against the shark.

How does it deliver deep insight that is an expression of character?

By Quint telling the shark survival story, explains why Quint acts as he does. On the surface Seaman Quint seems eccentric and plain unusual. However, after hearing his “USS Indianapolis speech,” explains why he hunts the shark with a passion and a purpose, why he demands specific tasks be conducted a certain way, and why “HE” wants to be the one to kill the shark. It’s personal and painful for Quint, and all that matters to him in life.

How does the monologue have a beginning, middle, and an end?

§ Monologue’s beginning:

The stage is set by the story of USS Indianapolis delivering the bomb to Titian, sunk by two Japanese submarine torpedoes, sending eleven hundred men into the ocean, to survive on their own.

§ Monologue’s middle:

The story paints a picture of surviving in the ocean with sharks attacking. Quint’s description is complete with shark details, habits, and actions of the sharks, what happened to the men in the ocean = only 316 came out alive from the water, the sharks took the rest.

§ Monologue’s end:

Quint: “Eleven hundred men went into the water. Three hundred and sixteen came out of the water. The sharks took the rest. June 29, 1945. Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”

What are your insights into monologues in general?

The monologue in a script is a great transitionary tool that can deliver:

§ Tension

§ Suspense

§ Anticipation

§ Vivid Descriptions

§ Set the Stage for Future Events

§ Reveal Secrets

§ Communicate Experiences

§ Explain Motives

§ Paint Character Attributes, positive and negative

§ And more.

What I learned in rewriting my scene.

I learned that a monologue can be extremely useful in the correct place at the correct time. The monologue needs clean, tight, efficient (as few words as possible), and purposeful writing.

[Zev Ledman]

Monologue Scene – JAWS

1. Please watch this scene and
   provide your insights into what makes this scene great from a writing
   perspective. The writing increases the emotional connection with the
   characters and the deepening angst about the shark stalking them. Quint’s
   monotone and the silence around him, focuses our attention on every word.
   As he continues telling the story of the relentless attack by the sharks,
   filling the audience with terror from the horrific, non-stop attack by the
   sharks. Even Quint’s final statement of, “I was most scared waiting to be
   picked up.” This elevates our fear even more with the realization that,
   the fewer men in the water, the greater the likelihood to be attacked and
   eaten by the sharks.
2. Read the other writers comments
   and make notes of how you will use a strong monologue in your script.
   Monologues are most effective when telling of past emotionally filled experiences
   that relate directly with the situation at hand.
3. Rethink or create a Monologue
   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 6 PM daily post here.

JAWS — The Shark story about USS Indianapolis

SETUP: A man-eating shark has attacked and killed tourist. These three have gone out in a boat to lure the shark away and kill it. This is the night before they have the final fight with the shark.

Watch 1st
time for:

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