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The diner.
"- You know what this is?
The world's smallest violin playin' just for the waitresses."
The drinking game.
"- Say Auf Wiedersehen to your Nazi balls."
The gold watch.
"- Little man, I give the watch to you."
One of the reasons Quentin Tarantino's films are so unique
is his ability to craft dialogue scenes
that become set-pieces of their own.
"- For me a cup of espresso and for the mademoiselle...
..a glass of milk."
In this scenes conflict escalates.
"- Hey! Now lay your palms flat on that tabletop!
If you lift those palms off that turtle shell tabletop,
Mr. Pooch is gonna let loose with both barrels of that sawed-off."
Character dynamics are explored.
"- You know what they call a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
- They don't call it a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese?
- They got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter-Pounder is.
- What do they call it? - They call it a Royale with Cheese.
- Royale with Cheese."
And they are anything but boring.
"- I'm just fucking with you."
Let's see how Tarantino ensures that even his longest scenes
always stay engaging.
"- The fuck are you talking about?"
"- Come on, let's get in the character."
There is a method to his madness.
In Hollywood films,
the average length of a scene is between two and three minutes.
Tarantino ignores this expectation.
Writing scenes that are often 10 pages or longer.
If you want to write scenes this long
your challenge is to keep the audience engaged the entire time.
And we're going to reveal three of Tarantino's magic tricks.
Create high-stakes.
Structure.
Stories within stories.
We're going to take a look at the final confrontation
between Bill and the Bride in "Kill Bill Vol 2."
We're going to use StudioBinder's screenwriting software
to show Tarantino's craft on the page as written.
Before we begin, click the bell icon below to subscribe
and stay in the loop.
First. The stakes need to be high.
And we should know what's at risk going into each scene.
"- Freeze, Mummy.
- Bang, bang."
We've watched the Bride go through hell and back to find Bill.
Over the course of two films,
we've been waiting for this moment.
What's at stake is life and death.
Will the Bride finally take her revenge?
Or will she be cut down before the finish line?
"- Don't touch it or I'll stick another one right in your cheek."
When you're writing an extended scene like this,
make sure the stakes are huge and understood by the audience
right from the get-go.
"- I have a few unanswered questions."
Next. The scene needs structure.
Every scene should have a beginning, middle, and end.
The longer your scene
the more important these divisions and shifts become.
Let's apply a three-act structure to this scene from "Kill Bill."
Act one begins as the Bride makes her way to the couch.
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"- I suppose the idea is we cross Hanzo swords. Am I right?
Well,
it just so happens this hacienda has its own private beach.
And that private beach just so happens to look particularly beautiful
bathed in moonlight.
And it just so happens to be a full moon out tonight.
So sword fighter, if you want a sword fight, that's where I suggest.
But if you wanna be old school about it...
...and you know, I'm all about old school...
...then we could wait until dawn and slice each other up at sunrise
like a couple of real-life honest...
Now, if you don't settle down I'm going to have to put one in your kneecap.
And I hear tell that's a very painful place to get shot in.
(laughing)
I'm just fuckin' with you."
The power shifts in Bill's favor
and this puts an end to Act 1.
Act 2 begins with a Bride fully at Bill's mercy.
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"- Aah. - Gotcha.
- God damn!
What the fuck did you just shoot me with?
- My greatest invention Or at least my favorite.
Don't touch it, or I'll stick another one right in your cheek."
With that one's a little burst of violence
the edge has been taken off.
And we downshift into a completely new topic.
"- As you know...
I'm quite keen on comic books."
We can relax a bit
and we can focus on Bill's Superman speech.
"- Superman didn't become Superman.
Superman was born Superman.
When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman.
His alter ego is Clark Kent.
His outfit with the big red "S" -
that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kent's found him.
Those are his clothes.
What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume.
That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us.
Clark Kent is how Superman views us.
And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent?
He's weak...
...he's unsure of himself...
...he's a coward.
Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race.
Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo, and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton.
- Ah, so.
The point emerges."
And the point of his monologue
becomes a transition into the final act.
This time we ramp up the emotional intensity of the scene.
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"- You can take the needle out.
- Are you calling me a superhero?
- I'm calling you a killer.
- A natural-born killer.
You always have been, and you always will be."
Bill's questions force the Bride to admit some difficult truths.
"- First question:
Did you really think your life in El Paso was gonna work?
- No!
But, I would've had B.B.!
- Don't get me wrong.
I think you would have been a wonderful mother.
But you are a killer."
The climax in this scene is emotionally driven.
We are reminded just how difficult the Bride's journey has been.
"- All those people you killed to get to me...
felt damn good didn't they?
- Yes.
- Every single one of them?
- Yes."
The structure of this scene is clearly demarcated.
And each act has a distinct purpose and a different tone.
Act one is a physical.
"- Ahh. - Gotcha."
Acts 2 is intellectual.
"- Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race."
Act 3 is emotional.
" - But I would've had B.B.!"
The movements give the scene peaks and valleys
and the constant evolution
allows the scene to remain interesting
for it's extended duration.
Which brings us to our final tip.
Let your character tell a story.
Tarantino loves storytelling.
And so do his characters.
And there are a few different purposes for including them in his scenes.
An anecdote can add humor.
"- Five long years he wore this watch I possess."
It can delay the inevitable
and create suspense.
"- Your boy told me his whole life story."
"- Superman.
Not a great comic book.
Not particularly well-drawn.
- How long does this shit take to go into effect?
- Just long enough for me to finish my point."
Or it can reveal character.
"- But you're not a worker bee.
You're a renegade killer bee."
The Superman speech is pure Tarantino.
And there is a point to it.
It sums up the Bride's internal struggle.
"- You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton.
But you were born Beatrix Kiddo."
When you're writing
let your characters tell stories,
but make sure they are relevant to the characters
and add depth to their development.
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All right, screenwriters.
If you find yourself writing extended dialogue scenes,
make what's at stake clear from the beginning
and ramp up the tension from there.
Structure distinct sections and movements in the scene
to keep it dynamic.
And allow your characters to tell stories that reveal character.
" - It's the details that sell your story."
Check out our other videos and articles that focus on storytelling,
directing and production techniques.
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To write scenes like Tarantino,
you need to put the audience through the wringer.
"- Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go home and have a heart attack."
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