[Ar Marewski]

Jack is seemingly disoriented, he is wearing a business-suit, and has bruises on his face. The intimidating howling of an airline jet is mixed with screams of people in distress. He frantically moves around and it is unclear if he is looking for something or someone in the Armageddon of a plane-crash or if he is just “looking for himself” in the chaos. Mid-scene the call of a man trapped under a big piece of the airline pulls him into action. There we get some important information about his character. Not only does he rush to help a fellow passenger but he also commands others to join his efforts. Helping actually makes him gain back his identity, his strength. When he also helps a pregnant woman, it becomes clear that he is a leader, someone, who in times of extreme challenges will rise to his full power. His selflessness and courage makes him someone, one wants to have on his team. When(after Jack warning other) the still operational engine explodes, close to which he had just saved a mans life, we know, that he will become an important character in the story. This is underlined with the music dramatically stopping after the heavy guy yells: What’s your name? and he answers: Jack. Now at the end of his heroic actions he receives a Name and this is the end of the scene: A name to remember.

[Ar Marewski]

Another gut-wrenching-scene! It is great on so many levels. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be: Irony. The moment the lead-character has come to self actualization is the moment he dies.

1. It pays off every loose thread of the story. 2. It provides unexpected twists. (The neighbor being the killer). 3. The calm narration is a beautifully contrasting juxtaposition to the dramatic content we see. It has, what we all crave: Lightness, humor, acceptance. It reconciles us with the antagonisms in life. Here is someone who has given up fighting, but not because he is a coward, but because he gained wisdom.

Structurally it is the editing with the repeated gun shot, that makes it great. What it shows is that the lives in this movie are so strongly connected, that they all have to be there as an “acoustic witness” when it happens. The shot is a wake-up call to everyone in the story and to everyone in the audience to be grateful for “every single moment” in their own “stupid little life” It is the christian motif interpreted in a very good but not in a moralizing way. The lead- character in the end is hanging on the cross for everyone else in the story and for all the people in the audience.

The new status quo is both shown and spoken: “I could be pretty pissed off (…), but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world…” When the scene opens we see his face and very unlike other murder-scenes we see a calm and happy expression on his face. This is the face he leaves this world with, the expression that sums up his life.

The last line is a total goosebump moment: “But don’t worry, you will some day” This is one of the best lines I have ever heard at the end of a film. Because it is both very clear and ambiguous. The question I leave the film with is: What does he mean? When will I understand and experience his truth the way he did? When I die? Or is there a chance I can get to this place before I die?

[Ar Marewski]

I remember how impressed I was when I first saw this. And almost 30 years later this scene still gives me goose-bumps. It is great for many reasons.

1. Two strong characters with clear standpoints that both seem to be legitimate.

2 Very high stakes. Both men have a lot to loose.

But it is mostly 3. , the structure of the scene: From the start the scene keeps you by the edge of your seat by building up tension and suspense. It is sort of a ascent-of-character-story and here underdog Kaffee faces the ultimate test. Right in the beginning, he almost gives in. He seems at his wits end and his ally even gives him a wink to give up. But he can’t. He has to face what he’s been running away from his whole life. It’s a surrogate war he has to fight to overcome his own father-complex and Jessup even calls him “son”. His presence and condescending behavior are very intimidating. But it’s his hubris that becomes Jesupps weak-spot in the end, but that comes as a surprise twist in the end. This is something audiences have enjoyed watching since the Ancient Greek theatre. It somehow is a great relief to audiences, when hubris get’s exposed and punished. It is this effect, that made the series “Columbo” such a big world-wide success. In the end, the antagonist always falls prey to their own arrogance and self-entitlement.

There is also the quality of the writing, When Jesupp talks about his duty, I almost think: Yes he has a point. But when he finally into his arrogant hate-speech I can feel that something has way out of proportion in this man. Yet, I can even feel sorry for him, because he is also a victim of a flawed system and I have no doubt that he strongly believes he is doing the best for his country and everyone “sleeping under the blanket of freedom he provides”.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by  Ar Marewski.

[Ar Marewski]

GET OUT

I haven’t watched the whole movie so I can only guess, what has happened before TP1.

ACT 1 TP It starts as a casual conversation where Missy seems to be mildly concerned about his smoking. In the beginning it feels just like a casual small talk before going to bed. Likewise she introduces the subject of hypnosis very casually. She addresses his curiosity and his playfulness to get his approval for the hypnosis. “You wanna know how it works?” While the conversation is building up, there are early signs that this is something more then a late-night-small-talk. But early on me who’s watching can’t read those signs, neither can he. And this is one thing about the scene that is great. Because only when it’s too late, we’ll understand what was going on from the moment he sat down. First she says: “are you comfortable enough?” soon as his sits down. This feels like an odd question (enough? for what?) then she picks up the cup, and starts stirring, (why doesn’t she offer him some tea as well?) while teasing and challenging him a bit, she throws in some hypnotic suggestions “ahh, now you’re feeling very sleepy.” She even tells him exactly how the trick is done but he doesn’t get that something is happening to him already. He still thinks they’re just talking about it while he is already in it. When he says that he doesn’t want to talk about his mother and she keeps stirring, is when I notice, that this is probably not about his well-being, that she might have an obscure agenda. And then, when she says: “sink!” we know that this is bad.

So what’s great about this is, that it is so much like life-situations everyone has encountered. When something bad has happened one asks: why couldn’t I see the signs? Really it was clear from the beginning. Why did I agree to get involved? Did I look the other way? Why? Why was this woman sitting in the dark with a cup of tea to begin with? Who’s drinking tea in the dark? She was obviously lying in wait for him. But when you’re in the situation, those questions don’t come to you.

Some scenes work with audience knowledge. This is when you have “oh no” thoughts from the beginning. This scene on the other hand works differently. While watching I always approve of his behavior. This makes the identification with the character much stronger. I think: Yes, I would have probably acted exactly the same way. So, I would have ended up in the sunken place as well. And that makes it really creepy.

MIDPOINT

It functions quite similar. All the older and distinguished looking folks don’t come off as evil. And like in the Act1TP they just say some odd things. Of course, once the other African-American starts talking, we know that there is something wrong with him. His monotone speech makes me feel like he’s drugged (or hypnotized) and strangely adjusted, also this older women that he is with, feels like an odd match. When the flash suddenly sparks this outburst, we know that something is wrong with the man. Later they call it a seizure but at this point, we know and Chris must know, that something is wrong with the man, that he is probably in something like the “sunken place”. and his “get out” has to be taken seriously. And again, because nobody else but Chris, has the same doubts and questions that he has- not even his girlfriend- he still can’t see the whole truth. But his quiet and reluctant “yeah!” in the end shows that he is starting to understand.

Act2 TP

This TP differs from the others because now the threat is more open. All fake niceness is gone. He knows that he has to get away. What seems to be turning at this TP is that the one that he still believes to be his only ally – his girlfriend – is in cahoots with everyone else. We know that he is really in deep shit, when she finally says: “you WERE one of my favorites”. It is the perfect “all is lost moment” to start act three. We’re primed with the question: How the hell is he going to make it out of this nightmare?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by  Ar Marewski.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by  Ar Marewski.

[Ar Marewski]

What I am intrigued by is, that the character voting for “not guilty” is very calm and “contained”. He is not at all agitated by the time pressure some of the others are creating, his reasoning is very simple and at the same time puzzling: He’s the only one saying “no” but also the only one saying “I don’t know”. One would expect for him to start arguing. But he doesn’t. He just want’s to “talk”. His strong sense of justice is perceptible. Everybody else has his mind made up. But he is just honest about his not-knowing. As the scene progresses we find that most of the “knowing” of the other men comes from prejudice or laziness (Both of which in essence are the same). We want to know, who this man is, where his determination and courage come from and why he is willing to endure the averseness of eleven other men. When he talks about the deprived life of the defendant, we get the feeling he knows what he’s talking about – maybe out of his own life-experience? In the end of the scene, when the first man reluctantly starts talking and says:”It’s hard to put in words…”, I get the feeling the “no-sayer” is probably right and I’m drawn into the story, because now I want to know HOW all laziness and prejudice will be exposed.

I am not sure how to use the insight from the scene for my own opening just yet, it’s a totally different setting and genre, but maybe I find a way to plant something as powerful in my beginning. I’m really impressed by the simplicity of it. This man’s simple “I don’t know” has it all. And his courage to make it a point. And it’s even more relevant this day and age. We all think we ought to know, to the extend that we even make or believe fake news, just not to admit that we really don’t know.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by  Ar Marewski.

[Ar Marewski]

I, Armin Marewski, agree to the terms of this release form.

[Ar Marewski]

Technically this isn’t a scene, but a sequence consisting of small individual scenes shot in ten different locations. That being said, I suspect a lot of the suspense comes from the editing. It would be interesting to read the shooting script and see how much of the final structure (like the cross-cutting) was already designed by the writer.

What’s most intriguing to me is that on top of the suspense inherent in the heist, none of the men seem to know each other, hence unlike other heist-movies, no friendship or trust exists among them and after the first in-team-killing. I ask myself: Oh my god, who’s going to survive this? The men themselves, even the ones who are killed don’t seem to have any moral concerns whatsoever, they’re even making plans to screw the one who hired them – the joker. The men seem to be specialized in their respective fields and soon as they delivered their work, they are killed. As the sequence progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that a really devilish, yet genius mind must have thought out this plan.

But who is that guy “joker”? Everybody is wearing a mask, so no one knows. Every time, someone is killed, we believe: This must be him! The Moment, the we see a single guy (everybody else is in a team) at the street corner, the fact that he’s alone and the way he is dolly-shot from a low angle, focussed on the mask in his hand) makes him stand out: Is it him? We believe it could be the guy everybody is talking about, but we are not sure. Only at the end it is revealed.

And the joker wouldn’t be the joker, if he didn’t put his own spin on things: Two surprising twists in the end: He let’s the guy with the pump-gun live (maybe to heighten his own glory by letting a witness survive) But also, because now we can suspect, that this strangely reckless banker will become his opponent.

The second twist is the jokers play with words: “…only makes you STRANGER”. This is where I lean back grab the Popcorn and think: I hope there is more of that sick humor to come. Because in the end, that’s what this character is really all about.

The joker is introduced as a character that seems to fear nothing an no one. We all wish we would fear less, so we love watching people take big risks. No stupid risks though, but well thought out ones.

There is definitely a lot to learn here. What I have to look out for in my own opening is

1. to cut and sharpen dialogue.

2. Introduce the lead character as a more pro-active, decisive person.

3. Plant some stakes in the beginning, introduce some strong and worthy opponents: (the bank is a mob-bank and it’s manager is a dare-devil. One can be sure they will strike back.)

[Ar Marewski]

I’m Armin, I live in Berlin Germany and I’ve been an actor for stage and film for 30+ years. I also did a feature-length documentary for German TV and some short-films. I’ve been writing for a while now on stories for series and films. I’ve completed two feature length scripts. One was optioned and funded. But so far none of them have been produced, although I do get positive reactions from production-companies and directors. Here in Germany, generally nobody wants to read scripts. They only want to see one-pages, exposés and treatments. But they do want to see scene-writing abilities, in form of exerpts of the script to come, (a scene or first ten pages). That’s why I’m here to hone my scene-writing skills.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by  Ar Marewski.