In to the West
Screenwriters know that the premise must be established in the first twenty pages of the script. By page five the audience wants to know they have spent their money on entertainment.
In " Dances with Wolves" another film on the American Film Institutes list of greatest movies. The protagonist is flawed. All great westerns have a flawed protagonist , As stated last month " Gun Smoke" lasted for a very long time. The characters were not perfect, they had weaknesses. Yet, Dodge City addressed racial politics and the forces of life that affected each character. " Dances with Wolves" has a flawed protagonist, an eccentric, alcoholic, civil war hero has isolated himself from society. Forced into isolation Kevin Costner's character removes himself from what he disdains, civilization and those with a flawed morality.
Yet, the quest calls him. His curiosity forces a change in character arch. He must confront what he hates as the eastern establishment moves on to the frontier. The audience in turn wonders why a hero would do that. Has he gone Native? O r do the Native Americans represent the good side of life?. The same motivation was applied in " Unforgiven." Why would a person with two children leave them to fend for themselves? Is it greed? In part. But the life the protagonist was living, the pigs dying of fever increased Bill Muny's motivation to pursue gold.
Once the premise is established, the forces of good and evil must confront each other in Act 2. Will the hero survive? When Clint Eastwood is teamed with Morgan Freeman the sparks fly and stories are told. Both know they shouldn't pursue this quest for wealth. But like Odeyseus, they are compelled to correct things for a price. And the Gods demand payment in blood.
As a screenwriter, the higher the goal, the larger the quest, the more an audience will be compelled to attend your movie. Who doesn't want to retire with a pile of gold? That is the reason the western has survived for more than fifty years as a solid genre.
The other motivation as Keifer Sutherland said while interviewed on " The Actors Studio" every actor wants to be a cowboy. So do your research, explore the past of America or South America, determine the setting, put on your cowboy hat and write. Until next month when we cover the middle period of the western. Ciao
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