The Megahit Movies

by Richard Stefanik

  SURPRISE “Tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but events inspiring fear or pity. Such an effect is best produced when events come on us by surprise; and the effect is heightened when, at the same time, they follow as cause and effect.”

  —Aristotle, Poetics

  “... the selection of information can make a story more interesting than it actually is. Because we do not give all the facts, but only the essential ones, the story becomes more poignant and effective. Because information may be given at its most decisive moment, the surprise may shock the spectator. Because information may be withheld, the spectator can be made curious.”

  —Eugene Vale, The Technique of Screen and Television Writing

  Surprise is generated when the expected does not occur. This emotionally shocks the audience. One method of creating false expectations in the audience is to have a character intentionally mislead another as to his real plans and subgoals. Since this is all the information that the audience has about the situation, they are surprised when the outcome is other than expected.

  SUSPENSE “Suspense is not an element of the story, but a reaction of the spectator to the story. Suspense is the doubt of the spectator as to the outcome of an intention of an actor in the story.”

  —Eugene Vale, Technique of Screen and Television Writing

  Suspense creates emotional tension within the audience, causing the viewers to become engrossed in the story. Suspense is created when the characters which the audience empathizes with are placed in danger. The audience wants them to escape unharmed. Jeopardy is an essential element that each scene must contain. The characters must always have something at risk. If not, then the audience loses interest.

  Suspense is also created when the audience knows more about what will occur in the scene than the protagonist does. They gain this knowledge whenever the antagonist reveals his plans to destroy the hero or when the audience knows of imminent danger of which the protagonist is unaware (e.g., the killer is hiding in the closet).

  Suspense involves audience uncertainty about the outcome of future events. This is different from mystery, in which the audience knows less about what is taking place in the story than the characters.

  The structures of a chase and ticking clocks are methods of creating suspense, and both rely heavily on the use of obstacles.

  THE CHASE One method of creating suspense is to construct a classic chase scene, where the life of the protagonist and his supporters are placed in jeopardy. In these situations, the protagonist attempts to overcome distance and the obstacles placed in his path that prevent him from reaching his destination. Obstacles are effective time-stalling devices that help to keep the audience in a state of frenzy.

  Fast paced action differentiates the chase scene from a scene where the character is solely in pursuit of his objective. In the chase scene, it is necessary that the protagonist constantly be in peril. Usually, at the end of the major chase scenes, the protagonist confronts the antagonist in the life and death climatic battle.

  Titanic

  Cal chases Jack and Rose and tries to shoot them as Titanic sinks. Star Wars

  Darth Vader and the Imperial Storm Troopers chase the rebels. Darth Vader chases the rebel planes trying to destroy the Death Star.

  Phantom Menace

  Two Jedi Knights and Jar Jar Binks are chased by giant underwater creatures.

  E.T.

  The United States Government Agents chase Elliott and E.T. Jurassic Park

  Ellie, Ian, and the Australian Security Guard are chased by a T-Rex as they drive away in a jeep. The Raptors chase the children, Dr. Grant, and Ellie throughout the complex.

  Forrest Gump

  The chase scene does not occur at the end of the film, but in the beginning when Forrest is being chased by the young boys on bicycles, then later by the young men in the car.

  The Lion King

  Simba chases Scar up the rock cliff overlooking the Pride Lands. Return of the Jedi

  Imperial Troops chase after Han, Princess Leia, and the Ewoks as they try to destroy the power generator that provides the shield for the Death Star.

  Independence Day

  Alien fighters are chasing the American planes that are trying to destroy the mother spaceship before it can fire its prime weapon.

  The Sixth Sense

  There are no chase scenes in this movie. All the dead people, including Dr. Malcolm Crowe, walk slowly as they haunt Cole Sears.

  Empire Strikes Back

  Darth Vader chases Luke Skywalker and confronts him in a laser sword duel.

  Home Alone

  The burglars chase Kevin and capture him in a neighbor’s house.

  The Grinch

  The Whos chase the Grinch, who has destroyed their Whobilation. Jaws

  Quint, Brody, and Hooper chase the shark, then the shark turns around and chases them.

  Batman

  Batman chases the Joker to the top of the Cathedral. Men In Black

  J and K chase the Edgar-Bug and try to prevent it from leaving the Earth with the Galaxy that was around Orion’s neck.

  The Wizard of Oz

  The Wicked Witch chases Dorothy and her friends around the walls of the Castle during the climax scene.

  Shrek

  The Dragon chases Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona through the castle. Shrek and Donkey run to save Fiona from marrying Farquaard.

  Spider-Man

  Spider-Man chases after the thief who stole his Uncle Ben’s car.

  Finding Nemo

  Marlin chases the boat that has taken Nemo.

  Monsters, Inc.

  Randall chases Sulley, Mike, and Boo as they try to get to Boo’s door.

  Bruce Almighty

  The street gang chases Bruce.

  Matrix Trilogy

  The Machines chase the rebel’s spaceship.

  Pirates of the Caribbean

  The Black Pearl chases the Intrepid.

  Harry Potter-The Sorcerer’s Stone

  Fluffy, the three-headed dog, chases Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

  The RingWraiths chase Frodo and Arwen.

  TICKING CLOCKS Ticking Clocks are another technique for building suspense. The protagonist must race against time to either achieve his objective, save his life, or both. The suspense is intensified as more and more obstacles are thrown into his path as he is running out of time. This creates “urgency” and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering if the protagonist will achieve his objective and survive.

  Titanic

  Titanic has struck an iceberg and will sink in only one hour. Will Jack and Rose survive?

  Star Wars

  Time ticks away on the digital computer screen as the moon moves out of its orbit, and the Death Star will have a clear shot at the rebel planet. Luke must lob the torpedo into the shaft and destroy the Death Star before the rebel home planet is destroyed.

  Phantom Menace

  Queen Amidala must launch a counter-attack against the Trade Federation before they completely conquer Naboo. Anakin Skywalker must destroy the control ship and disable the battle droids before they destroy the Gungan army.

  E.T.

  Elliott and E.T must get to the forest, communicate with his home planet, then return to Elliott’s house by 10:00pm.

  Jurassic Park

  Dennis, the computer technician, must get the dinosaur embryos to the ship before it leaves the dock.

  Forrest Gump

  Forrest must carry all of his soldiers to safety before the air strike hits. The Lion King

  Simba must reclaim his right to be King before the Pride Lands is destroyed by the Jackals.

  Return of the Jedi

  Han Solo and his team must disable the power source so that the attack on the Death Star will be successful. They must do this before all the rebel ships are destroyed.

  Independence Day

  The President must take off in his plane before the c
lock runs out and the aliens launch their attack. The American fighters must destroy the alien’s prime weapon before it destroys their headquarters.

  Empire Strikes Back

  Luke must save his friends before they are killed by the Imperial Soldiers. Home Alone

  The family overslept and must get to the airport before their plane leaves for Paris. Kevin’s mother wants to get home in time to spend Christmas with Kevin.

  The Grinch

  The Grinch must return all the gifts before the Christmas Day is over. Jaws

  Quint, Brody, and Hooper must kill the shark before their boat sinks and the shark eats them.

  Batman

  There is no explicit timelock device in this story besides the issue of whether Batman can destroy the Joker’s balloons before the poisonous SMYLEX gas is released and kills all the spectators at the parade.

  Men In Black

  The Arquillian Spaceship gives the MIB only one hour to deliver the Galaxy, or the Earth will be destroyed.

  The Wizard of Oz

  Time runs out of the sand clock as the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion try to break down the door and free Dorothy.

  Shrek

  Shrek must save Fiona before she marries Lord Farquaard.

  Matrix Trilogy

  Neo must destroy the Agent Smiths before the Machines destroy Zion.

  Finding Nemo

  Nemo must escape before Darla arrives to take him as a gift.

  USING PROPS Props are useful for the non-verbal communication of a character’s feelings. These props take on a symbolic significance in the story, and often become the objects for which the protagonist and antagonist fight. The number of significant props should be held to a minimum; otherwise, the audience may become confused as to which are the most important.

  Sometimes props are concrete objects that may be the needed components to obtain the final objective. This is the case in Raiders of the Lost Ark in which the amulet that is “the headpiece of the staff of Ra,” is needed to locate “the well of souls.” These props are often the tools needed to complete a task.

  At other times, props are used to “tag” or to individuate a character in order to make him unique and memorable. The whip and hat used by Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark play this type of role.

  Titanic

  “The Heart of the Ocean” jewel is the most important prop in this movie.

  Star Wars

  The design plans for the Death Star and the Jedi laser swords are props. Phantom Menace

  The Jedi Knight laser swords are individuating props. The electric energy balls used as weapons by the Gungan soldiers are props.

  E.T.

  The geranium plant that symbolizes E.T.’s well-being is an important prop.

  Jurassic Park

  The computer system the children use to turn on the security grid is an important prop.

  Forrest Gump

  The ping pong paddle is a prop, as is the feather which represents the spirit of Forrest.

  The Lion King

  The staff of Rafiki, the mystical baboon, is an individuating prop.

  Return of the Jedi

  The Jedi laser swords are individuating props. Independence Day

  David Levinson’s computer that tracks the alien countdown is an important prop.

  The Sixth Sense

  The toy figurines that Cole Sears uses to ward off the dead people who terrorize him are props.

  Empire Strikes Back

  Darth Vader’s black helmet is an individuating prop. The Jedi laser swords are individuating props.

  Home Alone

  The appliances and other home objects that Kevin uses to fight the burglars when they invade his home are props.

  The Grinch

  The Santa Claus suit worn by the Grinch is an ironic prop. Jaws

  The chum that is thrown into the ocean to attract the shark is a prop, as are the metal containers of compressed oxygen used to destroy the shark.

  Batman

  The Joker’s poison balloons are important props. Men In Black

  The Neuralyzer that destroys memories, alien guns, MIB Ford LTDs, and black sunglasses are all props.

  The Wizard of Oz

  The Witch’s broomstick and the ruby slippers are props.

  Shrek

  The Deed to Shrek’s Swamp.

  Spider-Man

  Spider-Man’s Webbing.

  Finding Nemo

  The Diver’s Mask.

  Monsters, Inc.

  The piece of Boo’s door.

  Bruce Almighty The Prayer Beads.

  Matrix Trilogy

  Agent Smith’s Ear-Piece.

  Pirates of the Caribbean

  The Aztec Gold Coin. The Green Apple.

  Harry Potter-The Sorcerer’s Stone The Golden Snitch. The Sorcerer’s Stone.

  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

  The One Ring. The Elf Charm given to Aragorn by Arwen.

  EXPOSITION “The screenwriter must arrange the story information in such manner as to cause anticipation if he wants to obtain the valuable effects of expectancy and surprise, fear and hope, disappointment and relief.” —Eugene Vale, The Technique of Screen and Television Writing

  Exposition is the presentation of necessary background information about characters, relationships, and events, or the presentation of plans for the future. This information is essential for the audience to follow the story.

  It is important to realize that information is constantly being presented to the audience and is usually conveyed through images and actions. Sometimes, it is more economical to have the characters present the background information with dialogue. When this is the case, the characters should not bore the audience by lecturing them, but instead, the vital information should be presented in a visually interesting manner.

  Exposition is most effectively transmitted when the characters in the scene are in conflict with each other. The audience then sees and experiences the character’s feelings and reactions. Rage, frustration, and anger are the emotions that are often used by characters presenting exposition. It is under these emotions that characters often tell each other the truth. Humor, laughter, and jokes are also ways of conveying background information in an interesting manner. Using suspense and mystery, while conveying the information, also hold the audience’s attention. Sometimes incidents in the past cannot be effectively shown but only discussed.

  Exposition scenes are often used to setup expectations in the audience about future events in the story. This can be used to create excitement and unpredictability when how the events actually unfold are different from the expectations created through the exposition scene. Sometimes, this becomes an effective tool for misdirecting the audience’s attention for the sake of giving them a more exciting and emotionally satisfying experience.

  Titanic

  The crew on the ship searching for the jewel on the sunken Titanic present a computer graphics rendition of the sinking and breaking apart of the Titanic to Rose.

  Star Wars

  The holograph of Princess Leia explains the importance of the Death Star design plans to the rebellion.

  Phantom Menace

  Padme, Captain Panaka, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Boss Nass discuss plans to wage war against the Trade Federation and to capture the Viceroy.

  E.T.

  Exposition about E.T.’s home planet is presented to the children through his psychokinetic powers as he makes the planet-like objects rotate in midair.

  Jurassic Park

  An animation sequence in the Jurassic Park theater-ride explains how the DNA code was obtained to make a baby dinosaur.

  Forrest Gump

  The school principal explains to Mrs. Gump that Forrest is not normal because his IQ is only 75, and he doesn’t meet the standards for being admitted to the school. He uses a chart to present this information.

  The Lion King

  Mufasa shows his kingdom to Simba and explains his role in the circl
e of life.

  Return of the Jedi

  The Rebel Commander presents the battle plans and discusses the need for Han Solo to disable the power source on the Ewok’s planet so that the rebel fighters can destroy the new Death Star.

  Independence Day

  The President and his military advisors discuss the plans to use nuclear weapons in Houston to destroy the alien spaceship.

  The Sixth Sense

  Cole Sears finally tells Dr. Malcolm that he sees dead people. Empire Strikes Back

  Luke conveys his strategy and plans to destroy the AT-AT walkers of the Imperial forces by circling their legs with cable and making them trip and fall to the ground.

  Home Alone

  Kevin’s mother explains to the policeman (thief) that the family is going to Paris for the Christmas holidays as the rest of the family runs through the house.

  The Grinch

  Clarinella and Rose Whobiddie tell Cindy Lou Who the history of the Grinch through a memory flashback.

  Jaws

  The Mayor conducts a town meeting to discuss how best to handle the shark threat during the July 4th weekend.

  Batman

  Boss Grissom explains why he wants Jack Napier to clean out the safe at AXIS CHEMICAL so that they will not be connected to criminal activity.

  Men in Black

  K explains to J that the MIB facility monitors the aliens in the New York area by tracing their movements on a computerized screen.

  The Wizard of Oz

  Exposition concerning the Yellow Brick Road and the Wizard of Oz is communicated by the Munchkins during a dance and musical routine.

  Shrek

  Lord Farquaard discusses choosing a Princess as a Game Show situation.

  Spider-Man

  The Museum Spokesperson talks about the genetically altered spiders.

  Finding Nemo

  Marlin and Dory converse as they search for Nemo. Monsters Inc

  Mr. Waternoose explains the need for the energy obtained from children’s screams after the opening scene.

  Bruce Almighty

  God explains the rules of divine power as he and Bruce walk on water. Matrix Trilogy