How to write screenplays using Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp approach. PRACTICAL GUIDE. Maxim Bukhteev
the character to violate the interdiction, as the Serpent does to Eve. His role is to disrupt the balance, to cause a misfortune, to harm. As soon as Frodo puts the ring on, enemies find it out immediately and begin to hunt the character. Besides, right in this moment the item itself shows its hostile properties, trying to subdue the owner.
reconnaissance
– The Antagonist is trying to conduct reconnaissance (definition – the reconnaissance).
This is a very interesting and up-to-date function, since it temporary passes the plot initiative on to “bad guys”, which is specifically appreciated in screenplays, as it allows to reveal negative characters.
Here “the pest” has the widest field for actions. He can impersonate someone else, to use other characters for his own purposes, to make up some clever trick.
Propp highlights following types of a fairytale “reconnaissance”:
1.“The pest” finds out the location of children and values.
2.The addressing form, when the victim itself asks the pest.
For example, “Where is your death?”
3. Reconnaissance through the third party.
In the “Vasilisa The Priest’s Daughter” fairy tale, the king found out that the heroine is a girl disguised as a man. Further, the king makes up a clever plan how to expose her. In the “Ghoul” tale an evil creature in the form of a handsome young man comes to the celebration and romances the heroine. And for example, in the movie Die Hard 2, 1990, terrorists install their equipment in advance, which was noticed by the hero. In the mystical thriller Constantine, 2005, demons also prepare carefully before they take an action. In the Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991, T-1000 impersonates the policeman to find the character.
The reconnaissance function is one of the main ones in the fantastic action movie Total Recall, 1990. To spy on the hero, the whole false life is constructed there with several characters, including his wife.
delivery
– The Antagonist gets information about his victim (definition – the delivery)
At the first stage, the bad guys plan has to work. If they fail right away, what’s the point in the further story?
The delivery, surely, also corresponds to the reconnaissance form. The character gets a straight answer to the asked question. For example, the magic mirror answers directly to the Evil Queen, that Snow White is alive, and Red Riding Hood tells the wolf about her Grandma herself. Accordingly, it’s a pair function. There is also a pair for other cases.
However, the “reconnaissance” function can also exist independently, if it is just a careless act, which the enemy took advantage of. For example, it is the case with the wolf, who eavesdrops on how the mother-goat instructs her seven goatlings. And in the Russian fairy tale “What am I!”, the greedy priest spies on how his guest counts his money.
The character of the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001, by putting the ring on, involuntarily gives the enemy information about his location. Exactly the same trick is used in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl, 2003, where pirates found out about a medallion as soon as it hit the water. And in the war drama Black Hawk Down, 2001, enemies learn about the beginning of operation through their scouts, located near the heroes’ base. In the thriller Life of the Others (Das Leben der Anderen, 2006), the secret agent gets necessary information about a hero thorough a wiretapping.
trickery
– The Antagonist is trying to fool his victim to harm it (definition – the trickery).
It can be a deception or manipulation as in “Cinderella” story, when the heroine is buried with meaningless work just not to let her go to the ball.
An enemy can also use some magic tool or to set some traps. He often takes on someone else’s appearance during these times. One of the most famous examples is Snow White poisoning by the Evil Queen, who pretended to be a harmless old lady. And in the Russian fairy tale “Bandits”, bandits pretend to be reach wooers to take a revenge on the heroine for foiling their previous plan. In “Ghoul” tale an evil creature in the form of a handsome young man convinces the heroine to take a walk with him after the feast.
It is important to remember, that before implementation of the trickery, an enemy had already got all necessary information, and he begins to act. In the drama Black Hawk Down, 2001, enemies know about the operation and ambush special forces. In the fantastic horror movie, The Thing, 1982, an alien monster at first studies creatures he met, and then he turns into a dog to trick and kill polar explorers.
complicity
– The victim succumbs to deception and with this involuntarily aids the enemy (definition – the complicity).
In fairy tales the character always succumbs to persuasions and trusts antagonist. The evil magic and traps also work flawlessly every time. Meaning, Snow White eats the poisoned apple, Cinderella gets to work. In the Russian tale “Trial of Cows”, a silly man trusts a priest and gives his only cow to the liar, believing that the whole herd will return to him.
In movie examples from above, special forces get ambushed and polar explorers bring the dog to their station.
Propp notices, that there always is a situation, when the hero kind of facilitates his enemy’s work: for example, he falls asleep in an inappropriate time or leaves his things unattended. In the Russian fairy tale “The Widow and the Demon”, an inconsolable widow summons a demon, who pretends to be her revived husband. And in the movie Lola rennt, 1998, the hero himself leaves the bag of money in the subway. In the black comedy Pulp Fiction, 1994, the main character’s girlfriend leaves hero’s watch in the apartment, making him to go back and get ambushed.
The special form of deception is a contract with a catch. Like, fairytale Aladdin agrees to come down in the dungeon, not suspecting that the evil sorcerer wants to abandon him there. And in the movie The Big Lebowski, 1998, the character is asked to hand over the ransom for the hostage, although there was no any kidnapping. Also, in the fantastic action movie Predator, 1987, the hero’s squad goes for a mission without knowing its real purpose. There is also the classic example of this kind of function in the thriller Devil’s Advocate, 1997. In this movie the main character gets a job without suspecting that his employer is the Devil himself.
The character is often forced to agree to that kind of deal, having found himself in the stalemate. Propp attributes this function to the separate category, similar to the “preliminary misfortune” function.
In spite of its anciency, this function works just fine in today’s movies. For example, in the comedy Police Academy, 1984, the main character is offered to go to the police academy as the alternative to going to jail. He agrees willingly, thinking that he will be kicked out soon for his tricks. He doesn’t know it is impossible.
villainy
– The Antagonist causes one of the family members harm or damage (definition – the villainy).
It is the major function, that is, the turning point and the key event in the screenplay first act. It precisely creates the plot movement of both fairy tale and a movie.
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