Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies

by Salva Rubio

  Dig, Deep Down: Cornered and unhooded, John “digs, deep down” to proclaim his humanity: “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am... a man!”

  The Execution of the New Plan: John returns to the hospital to be cared for by Treves and his friends. However, he is very sick and he will die soon. Luckily, he earns a last moment of appreciation when he is cheered and applauded in a theater like a human being. He fulfills his last “plan” and decides to “sleep like a normal person,” although he knows this will kill him.

  Final Image: While John dies, new surreal images mix with his dreams. Just like in the beginning, his mother appears, but whereas our Opening Image montage was creepy and bizarre, this one is calm, sweet, gentle and peaceful — similar to John himself. To the verses of “Nothing Will Die” by Tennyson, John finds his rest at last.

  THE CROW (1994)

  If you were a teenager in the ’ 90 s (like me) and 90 % of your wardrobe was black (like mine), chances are that you hold Alex’s Proyas’s piece dearly in your memories. It was a small film that became a sleeper hit and a cult movie, thanks to its immortal love story, dark ambience and, unfortunately, because of its star Brandon Lee’s sad and untimely death.

  It was hailed by Roger Ebert as “the best version of a comic book universe” he had seen, although this was said in pre-Marvel/ DC franchise times, where independent comic books with great stories and characters (and not necessarily tights-clad heroes with names ending in - man) had a chance at the cinemas. Hopefully, it will happen again!

  Though cape-less, Eric Draven AKA The Crow is an example of our “Comic Book Superhero,” as he has both a “power” (he is invulnerable) and “a mission”: to take revenge on his girlfriend’s killers. For that, Eric will have to oppose a self-made “Nemesis” nicknamed Top Dollar, the crime boss of the city.

  And of course, Eric has a “curse” — he will not be able to reunite with his lover in the afterworld until he has destroyed his enemies. He is “stuck” and does not belong to this world or to the next one. He is special and knows it, and so he has to pay a price for being our savior — which is what all Superhero stories are about in the end.

  SH Type: Comic Book Superhero

  SH Cousins: Persepolis, Akira, Ghost World, Kick-Ass, Tank Girl

  THE CROW

  Based on the comic book by James O’Barr

  Screenplay by David J. Schow and John Shirley

  Directed by Alex Proyas

  Opening Image: Detroit, Devil’s Night — the dark skies are illuminated only by the fires that mobsters have spread throughout the city. At the end, this “system” will have changed. The man who started the fires will have died and will have paid for his wrongdoings. Also, a loving couple that has been separated by death will be united again.

  Theme Stated: “Sometimes, if love proves real, two people who are meant to be together, nothing can keep them apart,” says Sarah, our hero’s Mascot in this film. Not even tragedy will be able to keep these two lovers apart, but there will have to be revenge.

  B Story: Our love story, as it could not be any other way, revolves around Eric and Shelly, separated by a terrible tragedy and seeking to be together in the afterlife. She is his inspiration and his reason for coming back from the dead.

  Set-Up: A beat cop, Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), investigates a sad crime — a soon-to-be-married couple has been savagely attacked because they tried to expose the mobsters that harassed them. Rock musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) has been killed, and his girlfriend Shelly (Sofia Shinas) dies soon after being raped and stabbed. After a year has passed, a strange black crow pecks on Eric’s gravestone, as if to wake him up. The ground opens, and a confused Eric rises from the grave.

  Catalyst: Guided by the dark bird, Eric returns to his old, now dilapidated apartment, where he experiences a painful flashback that makes him remember what happened on that terrible night, seeing the faces of his attackers.

  Debate: What must he do now? How is it possible that he is alive again? There can only be one answer, and that is to get revenge. Meanwhile, the criminals are preparing themselves for a new night of arson, intoxication and aggression. At home, Eric paints his face like a mask and gets black clothes — this is our hero changes his name beat, where Eric accepts his destiny and turns into The Crow.

  Break into Two: The Crow surveys the city, focusing on the gang territory where he is about to carry out his retribution.

  Fun and Games: The Crow starts by killing, one by one, the mobsters who tortured Shelly to death, starting with knife-wielding Tin Tin. At the same time, we meet our Nemesis, gang lord, genius of evil, elegant arsonist Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) and his goth lover/sister Myca (Bai Ling). Unlike our hero, he has created himself and will crave the Crow’s powers. But as we know, he will fail because of his lack of personal “faith.” Meanwhile, The Crow gets back Shelly’s engagement ring and kills another one of the mobsters, Funboy. He then helps Sarah’s drug-addicted mother, prompting her to return to her daughter.

  Midpoint: After his false victory of killing the second murderer, The Crow publicly comes out when he lets himself be seen by Top Dollar’s minion Grange and when visiting Sergeant Albrecht at home. Stakes are raised when The Crow touches Albrecht’s face and learns firsthand what happened to Shelly during her 30 -hour agony, which cleverly sets up the ending. During this time, The Crow has earned the “attention attraction” of the villains, who now know who he is.

  Bad Guys Close In: Clocks start ticking as there are only two of the killers still alive. The Crow finds T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly) and after a tense chase, makes him literally explode! But he must hurry — a new day rising tells us he only has a few hours left to carry out his revenge (more ticking clocks). The Crow finds the remaining baddie in Top Dollar’s gang meeting and uses this occasion to dispose of a few more villains, making the Bad Guys really Close In on him with bullets and jeet kune do kicks. Soon, the police are chasing The Crow, but thankfully Albrecht finds him first and helps him escape. Now, all the Bad Guys and police in town (representing “us”) are looking for our hero...

  All Is Lost: Myca has figured out a way to destroy Eric! By killing the crow that is his link with this world — despite our hero’s invulnerable powers, he could actually die!

  Dark Night of the Soul: Eric walks towards the cemetery and meets a few playful boys and girls disguised for Halloween. He laughs, as his own whiff of death is a desired one.

  Break into Three: Eric reaches Shelly’s tomb, and A and B Stories cross. There, he can say goodbye to Sarah… but unbeknownst to him, as she exits the cemetery, she is kidnapped by Top Dollar and his minions! When Eric is about to touch the gravestone and rest forever with Shelly, he hears Sarah screaming.

  Finale:

  Gathering the Team: Behold our “castle,” the gothic cathedral where the ending will take place. Here the mobsters are “gathered” with Sarah to wait for The Crow.

  Executing the Plan: Our dark hero leaves the cemetery and enters the church to rescue Sarah.

  High Tower Surprise: Surprisingly for him, they know about his “Achilles heel.” They shoot the bird, injuring it, and they are about to kill Eric when Albrecht intervenes. Eric knows that he can die for real, but presses on anyway. Myca grabs the crow, but the bird pecks her eyes out, taking its own revenge.

  Dig, Deep Down: Up on the cathedral’s roof, The Crow and Top Dollar fight with swords among blasts of thunder and bolts of lightning. Top Dollar is about to kill Eric, when Eric “digs, deep down” in his memories and gives his Nemesis “ 30 hours of pain” all at once, causing him great agony and thus defeating him.

  The Execution of the New Plan: Top Dollar falls to a gruesome death and Eric rescues both Sarah and Albrecht. As always, he leaves without saying goodbye.

  Final Image: Eric returns to Shelly’s tomb to die. Her spirit touches Eric and they, as our theme states, are reunited forever. The city has gotten rid of evil thanks to The Crow. And, thanks to his s
acrifice, people like “us” will be able to live in peace.

  GLOSSARY

  ALL STORIES ARE ABOUT TRANSFORMATION!

  This is not a Hollywood term... it is our motto! It should be printed out and put on top of our computers as a reminder of why we do this job. No story is worth telling unless change occurs in the hero — or in us, the audience. The bigger the growth, the more epic the tale.

  ARC

  This denotes the changes a character experiences as tracked from the beginning, through the middle, to the end of a screenplay.

  BRANDO

  The rebel found in stories of the Institutionalized kind. Named for Marlon Brando, who portrayed motorcycle tough Johnny in 1953 ’s The Wild One, this is the radical who defies the system and doubts everything about the family, business or group that has stood the test of time.

  CASE WITHIN A CASE

  In a Whydunit, usually the initial or long-buried caper that for some reason is unresolved. By pursuing another case, the detective revisits the original — and cracks both.

  COMPANY MAN

  In an Institutionalized story, the one who has so bought into the establishment that he has sacrificed his humanity for it, e.g., General Mireau in Paths of Glory and Williamson in Glengarry Glen Ross.

  COMPLICATION

  The person, place or event that stops the lovers from being together in a romantic comedy or love story, e.g., the iceberg in Titanic, the short time together in Before Sunrise, and the secrecy in The Reader. Ironically, it is also the thing that keeps the lovers together — and is usually what your rom-com is “about.”

  CONFIDANT

  In an Out-of-the-Bottle story, a person the hero can trust with the secret of his magic power — and sometimes the one who uses that information to harm the hero (so much for trust).

  DOUBLE BUMP

  This is Blake’s magic getter-out-of-trouble when a plot with either a lot of “pipe” or a hero who must be pushed requires a couple of nudges to move into Act Two. Normally, only one “invitation” is required at Catalyst, something done to the hero. But if you need a second at Break into Two, bump away!

  DOUBLE MUMBO JUMBO

  In movies using “magic,” the tendency of the writers to pile it on, or use several forms of it, and unwittingly make the story feel fuzzy or confusing. The rule is: We, the audience, are allowed to suspend disbelief once in a movie. You cannot be led to believe aliens and vampires exist in one world.

  EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL

  These are the twin skeins of action found in the Bad Guys Close In section of a script in which both external and internal pressure is applied to make our hero change — exactly what he is resisting! Having a sense of oncoming “death” in the All Is Lost moment, heroes resist both the external and internal, but cannot do so for long.

  EYE OF THE STORM

  In a Dude-with-a-Problem film, the break from the fast-paced, confusing and dangerous situation our innocent hero suddenly finds himself in. It can be a friend or a love interest who also offer the hero a needed lesson.

  HALF MAN

  In a Monster-in-the-House movie, the partial survivor who has had an interaction with the monster in his past and comes away damaged in some way because of it. This is the “false mentor” who can tell the hero — and us — the horror of what dealing with the monster will entail — and who is almost always sure to die!

  INSIDER

  In a Fool Triumphant movie, the jealous one who realizes the “idiot” is wiser than everyone and seeks to stop him before others see this too, e.g., Doctor Lessing in Life Is Beautiful and Nola in Match Point.

  LIMP AND AN EYEPATCH

  When characters lack character, that thing which gives them a unique identifying quirk or habit.

  MASCOT

  In a Superhero tale, the loyal and very human underling who looks up to the title character but can never be him, e.g., Kylie the opossum in Fantastic Mr. Fox and Sarah in The Crow. Often used by the Nemesis to threaten the Superhero.

  MIDPOINT PARTY / PUBLIC COMING OUT / FALSE VICTORY / FALSE DEFEAT

  When the hero has a false victory at the Midpoint, he thinks “he gets everything he wants.” Sometimes, this manifests itself in the form of a celebration, while at other times, it’s a public coming out as the hero declares a new identity or a new way of living. Sometimes, the hero has a false defeat where he “loses everything he thinks he wants.” This, too, has a public aspect, as the hero’s failure is often on display for others to see.

  MOMENT OF CLARITY, THE

  Every hero has a period of collapse around All Is Lost. Boom. He’s done. And in Dark Night of the Soul, since we’ve got his attention and he has nowhere else to go anyway, this is the moment when he says: “I get it!” The hero recognizes his flaws, and though it looks like he will never get a chance to capitalize on this... we know better.

  POPE IN THE POOL, THE

  A distracting way to bury exposition, so called for a scene in a script where the pope swims in the Vatican pool while boring plot details are told to us. So if you have a lot of backstory to tell, try to divert the audience’s attention while doing so.

  PRIMAL

  What is basic about a story, a character’s goal or a movie premise is its relation to our inner drives as human beings. Stories of survival, sex, hunger and revenge connote immediate interest on our part. We will stop and look when these themes are presented to us. We can’t help it. We have to. It’s primal. To you, the screenwriter, this means you must ground every action and story in its primal-ness. When characters are not acting like human beings, when they are not being driven primally, odds are you are testing the patience of the audience. To ask “Is it primal?” is to ask “Is this relevant to a caveman?” The answer must be: Yes!

  PROMISE OF THE PREMISE

  The premise of a movie — its “What is it?” — can only be proven to be satisfying when we see it in action. What is fun, catchy or hooks our interest about a movie’s poster must be paid off once we get inside the theater. If it is not paid off, we the audience will consider it to be a bad experience. We will feel cheated. The promise of the premise are those scenes or scene sequences that exploit the premise to its maximum and are usually found in the Fun and Games section of a screenplay. This is the point where we understand fully what this movie is about. This is why we bought our tickets.

  ROAD APPLE

  In a Golden Fleece movie, this is the thing that stops the team from gaining the prize. It’s the set-back, surprise backstab or bit of new information that makes the participants think they will never win the day, e.g., Alvin Straight’s many obstacles in The Straight Stor y.

  RULES

  The magic in an Out-of-the-Bottle story needs these parameters, guidelines or boundaries to keep what happens credible. State The Rules up front — and stick to them!

  SEX AT 60

  Old-time Hollywood writers often put the first sex scene at page 60 of their normally 120 -page scripts. Remarkably, this Midpoint rendezvous still occurs many times today, even in indie-world screenplays — though contemporary scripts tend to be shorter, so the Midpoint comes before 60.

  SIX THINGS THAT NEED FIXING

  This is the list of a hero’s minor character flaws, enemies and rivals that bully him, and a wish list that — if we like the hero enough, and think he deserves help — get “fixed” later in the film. We as an audience like to see the Six Things That Need Fixing get paid off later in the script — the more the merrier. It’s thoroughly enjoyable to see those pay-offs. But you have to put the flaw in there in Act One to make the pay-off work.

  STAKES ARE RAISED

  This is a term that is frequently heard in development meetings. Also known as the “ticking clock” or the “Midpoint bump,” it means the raising of the level of tension. Suddenly from out of nowhere at the Midpoint, some new thing — an even bigger and more unexpected thing than we’ve seen before, and one that seems insurmountable — becomes a problem for our hero. You must b
e sure the stakes are raised at the Midpoint to give the hero new challenges and lead him to his ultimate win.

  STASIS=DEATH

  What’s worse than going nowhere in life? Not much, and when we meet the hero during the Set-Up, this is where we find him. He’s stuck in his current predicament, just “existing,” but not truly living. If he doesn’t do something, it’s going to mean “death” for him, in some form or another. Luckily, there’s a Catalyst just around the corner to jumpstart his journey.

  SYNTHESIS

  a.k.a. Act One, Act Two and Act Three

  Thesis, antithesis and synthesis describe the thematic progression of the hero’s journey. In Act One, the hero’s world is set up. In Act Two that world is turned on its head; it is the upside-down version of what he left behind. By mastering this surreal new world, the hero gains the knowledge to combine what was and its opposite to form a synthesis of everything he has learned. That synthesis occurs in Act Three. It is not enough for the hero to survive the journey; he must transform his world in order to truly be great.

  TANGIBLE AND THE SPIRITUAL, THE

  There are two stories in every story: the thing that’s happening on the surface, known as “plot,” and the thing happening below the surface, known as “theme.” The surface world is all material, tangible with concrete goals, obstacles, and consequences. The goals are all specific too, such as winning a trophy, a girl or a legal case. The below-the-surface world is the spiritual part; it is the lesson the hero learns from the plot — and the real story. Remember: A Story = plot = wants = tangible. And B Story = theme = needs = spiritual.

  TIME CLOCK

  The “time clock” or “ticking clock” often occurs at the Midpoint as a way to let us know how much longer we’ve got — and to put pressure on the heroes to solve, get out of or triumph before it’s too late. Examples are the pressure on Riggan to hire Shiner in Birdman and Minister Kempf demanding surveillance results from Wiesler in The Lives of Others.