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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

NGUYEN THI PHUONG THAO

MOVIE SCRIPT AS A LITERARY GENRE

Major: Theory of Literature
Code: 9.22.01.20

SUMMARY OF DOCTOR OF PHYLOSOPHY IN
LITERATURE

Hanoi - 2022


This thesis has been completed in
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

Instructors: Assoc.Prof. Dr Le Tra My
Dr. Tran Ngoc Hieu

Reviewer 1: Assoc.Prof. Ly Hoai Thu
Workplace: VNU Hanoi University of Social Sciences and
Humanities
Reviewer 2: Assoc.Prof. Phung Ngoc Kien
Workplace: Institute of Literature
Reviewer 3: Dr. Do Van Hieu
Workplace: Hanoi national university of education

Hanoi - 2022


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INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
Up to now, cinema has been born and developed for more than 100
years. Although its starting point was only envisioned as a pastime in
Western urban life, cinema gradually became the seventh art form with a
great position and role in cultural life besides the traditional art forms that
have appeared since ancient times. Recognized as a synthetic art - with
many components involved and constituting - cinema fuses diverse art
forms: painting, photography, music, architecture... and including literature.
The most important part of literature involved in creating a film is the
script. The position of the script is so important that Alfred Hitchcock - a
famous British filmmaker, one of the greatest directors in cinema history
asserts: "To make a great film, three things are needed: the script, scripts
and scripts". With linguistic material - the material of literature, the script
shows the obvious thing: literature is a constitutive element of a cinematic
work.
1.2. In recent years, the study of film is a dynamically developing field
with many important changes. However, academic life is still very sparse
with studies of movie scripts from a literary perspective, despite the special
position of scripts. In Vietnam, right from the 90s of the last century, there
was a screenwriting contest in Van Nghe newspaper, two works that won
third prizes were Anonymous Eucalyptus Tree (Nguyen Quang Than), Moon
on the guest land (Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat). Many Vietnamese poets and
writers are active in film associations, such as: Dang Nhat Minh, Nguyen
Huy Thiep, Nguyen Quang Lap, Nguyen Quang Sang, Nguyen Van Thong,

Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, Pham Thuy Nhan... Thus, Vietnam was soon aware
of the special role of feature movie scripts in both art forms: cinema and
literature. Many movie scripts have been published on Internet sites,
translated and published into books such as the script collection of Dang
Nhat Minh, Pham Thuy Nhan, Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, Tran Anh Hung, Vo
Thi Hao... won the national Literary Award. Not only stopping at the filmmaking material, the screenplay of the feature film also influences the
writing style of literature, associated with new discoveries in terms of
narrative. Many "cinema" novels were born, the work of Marguerite Duras
being one of the typical examples.
1.3. The study of scripts from a literary perspective can shed light on the
aesthetic characteristics of this genre; contributes to providing film researchers
with certain knowledge and equips ordinary readers with the method of
decoding the script, obtaining an effective reading. The thesis shows respect for
each script, shows the non-stop perfection of the script from the time it was
born to the time it was filmed, and affirms a special respect for the screenwriter
- knowledgeable writers in the field of cinema, always strives to find out new
things in topics, themes, art of expression... and especially has high patience,


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career sacrifices to complete the script to meet the requirements. requirements
of manufacturers, agencies, organizations ... and many other complex
requirements.
This research, in one hand, promotes and influences scriptwriting activities
because the script's material is words; on the other hand, makes us rethink the
peculiarities of the dramatic literary genre. For a long time, the study of drama
literature has only paid attention to the script, even though cinema is in the position
of the neighboring "younger brother" of the stage. Looking back at the history of
world literature, once the position was denied, but now the screenplay has become
an independent literary genre, written to serve theatrical art, and at the same time

bring pleasure to the audience. Reading; many playwrights became canonical
authors/winners of the Nobel Prize in literature such as Shakespeare, Harold Pinter,
Eugene O'Neill... It's time to recognize the role of screenwriter/screenplay in a
proportionate way. This is also the theoretical significance of the topic. We can
expect the names of film screenwriters to be honored at the Nobel Prize in the near
future.
From all the above theoretical and practical reasons, we conduct the research:
Movie script as a literary genre.
2. Object and subject of the study
2.1. Research object
The research object of this work is the characteristics of the genre of
cinema from a literary point of view.
2.2. Research scope
The scope of the research is the screenplays of feature-length films and
films of the screenwriter (distinguished from the short movie scripts and
storyboards of the director rich in technical elements). In English, the concept
of "script" is said in two ways: script and screenplay. Script means preproduction script, original literary script, writer's work. Screenplay refers to the
scenario that has been realized on screen into a film. When watching a film, the
audience can to some extent imagine the script of that film. Due to the study of
movie scripts from a literary perspective, the focus of the writer's research is on
scripts. However, sometimes we still have to perform a comparison with
screenplay in some cases, for reasons of film file security, lost script, language
barrier...
The thesis focuses on surveying mainly Vietnamese scripts, with the
addition of some foreign scripts with 38 Vietnamese movie scripts, 15 English
scripts; In addition, it also surveyed and compared more than 70 other
scenarios. Among them, there are scripts that have been published into books,
such as the script collection of Dang Nhat Minh, Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, Nora
Ephron,...; or the scripts are printed into text for readers to enjoy independently
such as: Adrift; Bi,don't be afraid...; Father and son and... by Phan Dang Di;

Sand life, Island of the inhabitants by Nguyen Quang Lap; Away time by Ho
Quang Minh; American Beauty by Alan Ball;... Some screenplays, TV series...


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were also included in the survey to compare and contrast.
3. Research aims and missions
3.1. Research aims
With this study, for the first time, the screenplay of a feature film is
approached as a literary genre. The thesis aims at affirming the specificity of the
genre of the feature movie script, distinguishing it from the theatrical script and
other types of narrative.
3.2. Research missions
From the research purpose, we define the research task: to build a research
model of movie script as a literary genre. This model not only helps us to
understand the literary features of the screenplay, but also suggests to the
filmmakers and the audience somewhat the evaluation criteria for the
screenplay stage at the specific levels. Proposing a research model will
differentiate the thesis from script writing teaching materials - where we use
scripts as specific case studies to guide filmmaking. The purpose of the thesis is
not to help readers gain knowledge and skills to write a script, but to show that
a script is an aesthetic artistic text that is not only necessary for people and the
profession of filmmaking but also can create pleasure reading for recipients.
4. Research methods
We combine many different methods in the research process, in which the
main methods are as follows:
Structural method: With this thesis, the writer carries out modeling - proposes
a model to study film screenplay as a literary genre, so the most important
method to be implemented is the structural law.
Typological method: Based on a diverse system of screenplays and films

being surveyed, the writer finds out the basic common characteristics and
community values of the scripts from a literary point of view.
Interdisciplinary method: Because the research object of the thesis is a very
specific object - the script of a feature film - a component of a cinematic work,
cinema is a general art, so the writer carry out research from an interdisciplinary
perspective - literature, cinema; cinema, theater; cinema, photography; cinema,
art…
Method of comparison and contrast: An important operation that needs to be
used in the thesis is to compare, in order to find out the characteristics of the
movie script genre. Although the main research object of the thesis is the
scriptwriter's original literary script (script), we still need certain comparisons
and contrasts with "screenplay" - the script is realized on the screen into a
successful film.
Statistical methods & analysis, synthesis: From a certain number of
scenarios (ensuring the principle of diversity and richness), we perform this
operation to analyze aspects of the literature shown in the scenarios included in


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the survey; from which to draw the basic general characteristics from the
perspective of literature in screenplay, feature film.
5. New contributions of the research
This is the first work to focus and systematically study on the screenplay of a
feature film, not from a cinematic perspective, but from a literary perspective, and
propose it to be an independent literary genre. The thesis builds a research model
of screenplay and feature film as a literary genre, establishing the characteristics of
this genre in distinguishing it from theatrical scripts and other narrative texts.
The thesis has made certain contributions in the life of literary enjoyment. Film
screenplay - an important text in the film production process and people often
doubt its literaryness, but in fact the screenplay is a form of artistic text rich in

aesthetics, creating enjoyment. reading sensibility, can exist independently like any
other literary work. The thesis contributes to providing certain insights for readers
to get an accurate and effective "reading"; At the same time, it helps viewers to
partly appreciate the value of the screenplay through reading the text directly or
through the process of watching the film.
The thesis has a certain practical significance for screenwriters of films.
movie scripts have their own characteristics, screenwriters should avoid
writing as a short story, novel, screenplay... in practice.
While literary researchers are still focusing on the mode of adaptation, as an
intertextual relationship between literature and film, this study represents a
promising direction of interdisciplinary research in the future approach to
studying movie scripts from the perspective of literature, because the script
uses linguistic material - the material of literary art.
6. Structure of the thesis
In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, Publications, References and
Appendices, the content of the thesis is developed in detail in the following
chapters:
Chapter 1. Overview
Chapter 2. Movie script as a model of worldview
Chapter 3. Movie script as a communication model
Chapter 4. Movie script as narrative model
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Movie script as an element of a feature film
1.1.1. Movie- a turning point in storytelling
Early human history did not have a written word, stories were transmitted
orally - told by word of mouth. In addition to linguistic materials, people tell stories
in a variety of forms: drawings carved in mountain caves, folk songs, music, pictures
on ceramic vases, sacrifices... The birth of writing is a turning point. tell the great
story of mankind. When there is writing, people tell stories in words. Over the next

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20 centuries, the art of storytelling evolved into the quintessence of the novel genre.
Not only that, with the need to share at different levels, the stories told by a variety of
materials have developed quintessence into art: with colors, lines in painting; rhythm,
rhythm, pitch in music; the acting art of the actor in a certain context at the stage; still
images in photography…
Cinema arose from the suggestion, the attraction in photography. If
photography is "still image", then cinema is the art of "moving image". Cinema has
progressed from simply recording entertainment to a real art. What makes cinema so
special to the masses is its ability to synthesize and overcome the many limitations of
previous visual and expressive arts. Cinema overcomes the limitations of the
conventional stage associated with the "only three" rule, absorbing the attraction of
music, painting, photography...
Movies have many genres: feature films, documentaries, scientific films,
textbooks... In the world of movies, feature films hold a prominent position.
Cinematographic film can be simply defined but the core is as follows: A film that
tells a certain story in an artistic cinematic language. Movies and movies are both a
mode of human storytelling and a leading form of entertainment in the world today.
In the first stage, feature films and movies did not have scripts, scripts only
existed in the form of ideas. In order to increase competitiveness with many other
entertainment art forms (such as theater), to serve the professional filmmaking
process, etc., the script was born, the role of the screenwriter gradually took shape.
1.1.2. Script - the beginning of a feature film
From a cinematic perspective, the script is a paper film; an intermediate
state, a transient textual form that then transforms and disappears into a film,
written for a primary audience of film crew members - each reading in its own
way and purpose. Most films go through three stages: pre-production,
production, and post-production. The script is in the first stage of the filmmaking

process, with many stages: synopsis, script with one/several revisions, complete
script. The script is a part of the film production process. If the script is made
with artistic language text, the remaining stages are the transformation of that
text into a film by technical manipulations, acting, and combining various art
forms (painting, photography, etc.) photos, music, sculptures, etc.) to create vivid
movies.
1.2. Movie script studies for films
1.2.1. Studying movie scripts in cinematic art studies
* Firstly, the works talking about the definition of movie script
Definition of movie script is mentioned in many works and research
papers: Language of cinema and television (DIXT/Jean Pierre Fougea and
Vietnam Cinema Association co-published, 2007); Cinema, Saturday art (Cao
Thuy, Youth Publishing House, 2004); Walking in the cinema garden (Viet Linh,
Saigon Cultural Publishing House, 2006)... From a cinematic point of view, a


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movie script is understood as a script for a story. It is a paper film. As an
intermediate state, a transient textual form that then transforms and disappears into
a film, written for a primary audience of film crew members to read - each read in
its own way and exclusively for the filming process, not for literary enjoyment.
Include only what “shows”: images, sounds, glances and silences, movements, and
stillness.
* Second, the works of film research follow historical trends, talk about the
position and role of screenplays and screenwriters.
As an important textbook for film students, two volumes of World Cinema
History (Hanoi National University Press, 2007) David Bordwell and Kristin
Thompson's The Art of Cinematography (Education Publishing House, 2008) ,
David Bordwell, mentions the script as one of the important issues of film
preparation. World cinema is associated with the history of screenplay, many films

are adapted from novels, stage scripts; many successful films are thanks to the
script has the ability to deeply move people... Regarding the history of Vietnamese
cinema, two books The History of Vietnamese Cinema (Cinema Department
published in 2003, 2005); Vietnam Cinema 1983 (Published by the Cinema
Department)... shows that from the early years of the country's cinema, scripts have
been honored and awarded at the Film Festival. In particular, the article Cinematic
Screenplay and Concepts of Le Ngoc Minh (Journey to Research Vietnamese
Cinema. Culture and Information Publishing House, 2007) affirms the concept of
many countries: the script is a field. A new literary field, an unprecedented literary
field, cannot be left out of the gate of the literary ivory tower because it has already
been born... Regarding the role of the script in the movement of film history, a
remarkable work is the book Writing screenplays for feature films by author Le
Ngoc Minh (Cinema Association, Hanoi Theater Publishing House, 2006). The
author highlights this role first of all through statistics: the five great leaps of
cinema all started with the script or from the head of the writers and directors.
* Third, works on writing screenplay techniques for movies
The works on writing screenplay techniques for movies are very rich:
American Screenplay Documents (John W. Bloch - William Fadiman); Film and
TV screenwriting techniques (R.Walter); Self-taught screenwriting (Ray
Frensham); Methods of writing screenplays (Vgik National Film School-Soviet
Union)... These documents are intended to teach the profession of screenwriters,
not to research and reason about the beauty of script texts...
* Fourth, works that talk about the scripting team's approach to the script
Starting from the purpose of writing scripts to make films, the script
reading community is quite large, most of which are people involved in film
production. They read the main script to find and do their specific work. Therefore,
the works on approaching the script of the filmmaking team are very rich: Tra
Giang - People's Artist, Cinematographer (Published by Vietnam Film Institute,

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2010), Cinematographer (Vietnamese Film Institute, 2010). M.M. Volnhes, Hong
Duc Publishing House, 2016), When the director is young and old (Le Minh,
Saigon Cultural Publishing House, 2011), Studio Secretary's Manual (Pat P.
Miller, Culture Publishing House, 2011)… In this document system, there are
some opinions that assert that the feature movie script is a special literary genre.
Screenwriter Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat in the screenplay collection Gamble,
My Father and Two Women, The Moon on a Foreign Land (Literary work won the
State Prize, Writers Association Publishing House, 2015) affirms: The screenplay
can be called a special literary genre. Tu Publishing House translates and publishes
a series of screenplays and films (Walking in the Clouds, Casabalanca, Letters
from an Unknown Woman...) affirming that the feature movie scripts have stood
independently, becoming a literary form of its own. However, all opinions and
comments in the works simply stop at the designation.
1.2.2. Studying the script of movies in interdisciplinary studies of literature cinema and in literary studies
If film is the integration in which the quintessence of many arts such as
literature, painting, sculpture... then the script of the movie is created solely by
linguistic material - the material of literature. Therefore, in interdisciplinary
studies, the script is seen mainly from the perspective of interdisciplinary with
literature. For example: the thesis The influence of traditional literature and art
on the art language of Vietnamese feature films by Phan Thi Bich Ha (Institute of
Culture and Information, 2004), Cultural patterns and art of Vietnamese feature
films (Culture and Information Publishing House, 2011) by Tran Thanh Tung,
Looking for poetic cinema (Internal research document, Vietnam Film Institute)
by Ta Hoang Anh… Notably, in the book Cinema and Literature (Timothy
Corigan, World Publishing House), a study on the script by author Besla Balázs
affirms: the screenplay is also a characteristic form of literature. independent like
theatrical script…, is a literary form worthy of a poet's pen, a form of literature
that can even be published and read like a book. In the Dictionary of Literary
Terminology (Le Ba Han - Tran Dinh Su - Nguyen Khac Phi, co-editor,

Education Publishing House, 2013), the movie script is assumed to be a concept
that belongs to the category of literature and clearly defined.
In summary, the documents and works talk about the script quite a lot,
but mainly study the script from a cinematic perspective, in order to guide people
in the film world to work or consider the relationship between cinema and
literature. studies in certain aspects..., there has been no systematic study of
movie scripts, considering them as an object of study from a literary perspective
with specific linguistic materials. This is what makes the writer's research new.
In this work, the movie script is placed in the central position, as an independent
literary genre. The writer conducts a survey of the screenplay script writing
system to confirm three issues: First of all, the movie screenplay is a type of


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"readable" text like any other literary work. ; Its reading audience is
characteristic, ensuring the principle of diversity and richness; Those are really
aesthetically pleasing texts that give pleasure to read.
1.2.3. Studying the movie script of a feature film as the main research area
We temporarily divide the research materials on movie scripts as the main
research area into three sub-categories of content.
On screenwriting techniques and artistic value of screenplays for films, the
works: Documentary American Cinema Screenplay (John W.Bloch - William
Fadiman); Self-taught screenwriting (Ray Frensham); A guide to solving difficult
problems for film writers (Sydfield)… mainly guides on how to write
screenplays or guides the writer's career - copyright, script sales, pseudonyms...
Some A document that studies the artistic value of feature movie scripts but
always puts the script under the projection of cinema, not of literature: Theory of
film screenplay by Doan Minh Tuan (House of Literature). Publishing Culture
and Information Hanoi, 2008); The art of writing a feature movie script by
William Packard (Translated by Dang Minh Lien, Vietnam Film Institute

Published and Internally circulated, 2021); Writing film and television scripts by
Sam Thuong (Ho Chi Minh City Cultural and Arts Publishing House, 2011);
Thesis of Nguyen Thu Dung - the topic The attractiveness of the screenplay for
feature films (Hanoi University of Theater and Cinema, 2005)…
With the issue of improving the artistic quality of the script, there are a
number of documents: Proceeding of the seminar How to have many good
scripts for feature films (Vietnam Film Institute - Vietnam Film Association
published content). ministry, 2001); Thesis The problem of developing scripts in
feature films based on events and real characters by Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh
(Hanoi University of Theater and Cinema, 2012)…
Regarding the role of the script in the movement of film history, a remarkable
work is the book Writing a screenplay for a feature film by author Le Ngoc Minh
(Cinema Association, Hanoi Theater Publishing House, 2006). The author gives
general information and detailed proofs around the content: the five spectacular
great leaps of world cinema art all started with the script or the focus of the
screenwriters. and directors.
In the studies on film screenplays, there are some opinions asserting that
feature movie scripts are a special literary genre such as the opinion of former
Soviet cinematographers, the summary of Author Doan Minh Tuan, words by
Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat in an anthology of scripts Gambling, My Father and Two
Women, The Moon on a Foreign Land (Literary work won the State Prize,
National Association Publishing House. literature, 2015). In particular, in the
book Dictionary of Literary Terms (Le Ba Han - Tran Dinh Su - Nguyen Khac
Phi, co-editor, Education Publishing House, 2013), the movie script is defaulted
to a concept of category of literature. However, all the opinions and judgments in
the works just stop at the identification, have not studied deeply the script of the
movie script to show that the movie script is the textual form rich in aesthetics,


9

creating pleasure in reading, worthy of the status of a special literary genre.
In summary, the documents and works talk about the script quite a lot, but
mainly study the script from a cinematic perspective, in order to guide people in
the film industry to work or consider the relationship between cinema and
literature. studies in certain aspects..., there has been no systematic study of
screenplays of films and films, considering it as an object of study from a literary
perspective with specific linguistic materials. This is what makes the writer's
research new.
1.3. Studying the scripts as a literary genre: The problem of the principle of
genre establishment
1.3.1. Literary genre problem
Every art form has its own genre system and there are many ways to divide
genres according to different criteria. It is very important to study literary works
from the perspective of genre, because the concept of genre is associated with the
overall form and the content characteristics of the literary work, which is
meaningful in both creative activities and activities. literary appreciation and
criticism. Each genre is always associated with a very specific approach to life, ie
through a prism of worldview; genre is a very specific communication channel;
Each category is associated with a principle of organizing linguistic texts.
1.3.2. Perspectives on studying the genre of screenplay and film as a literary
genre
It is possible to base on the principles of approaching literary genres as above
to propose a point of view of studying film screenplay as a literary genre. When
establishing the status of a literary genre for a movie script, the thesis conducts
research on three paths: firstly, how to approach life, limit its exposure to life,
secondly, how to specific communication mode, the third is the principle of
organizing verbal documents.
From the point of view of such an approach to movie script, we establish
issues of worldview, communication mode, narrative mode as aspects of life
contact, interaction writer - reader, literary text structure. The thesis researches

the common issues, the common "language" of the movie script genre, so the
issues of worldview, communication methods, and narrative methods will be
considered as follows: are general models, relatively suitable for specific and rich
types of scenarios that have appeared in Vietnamese and world cinema. These
issues will be mentioned in turn in chapters 2, 3, 4 of the thesis. From these
research results, the thesis will establish a place for film screenplays in
contemporary literary life.
Sub-conclusion of chapter 1
Cinema was born - a major turning point in human storytelling, the seventh art
and the world's leading entertainment industry. Films have many genres, the top
attraction for viewers is feature films. The more films develop, the more important
the role of the screenplay is, because it is the first stage of the film production
process. Currently, movie scripts are widely disseminated by many methods: book


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publishing, publicizing on the Internet; a number of works won the National
Literature Prize and was translated into many languages around the world… The
script lived fully the cinematic and literary life.
Studying movie scripts from a literary perspective has become an important
and new issue with a large research gap. Most of the research papers on the new
script are only from the point of view of cinema. With linguistic material,
existing as an independent work of great value, stored and disseminated... based
on the principle of establishing literary genres, movie scripts and films have
grounds to establish. characteristics of an independent literary genre with unique
features.
Chapter 2
MOVIE SCRIPT AS A MODEL OF THE WORLD
The appearance of cinema made many people think that the stage was its
neighboring "brother". Both types are synthetic arts, collective works and have the

nature of "act". On the other hand, cinema was born in 1895 - the period when the
novel took the throne, strongly "novelizing" other genres. Carrying the "genome" of
the novel, the first footage of humanity with real scene content, real people:
Afternoon session at a factory, train entering the station… Movie script with
language material is a genre with a special worldview, where it is possible to
recognize the impression of vision - artistic thinking of theatrical drama and the
approach to approach. Near life - artistic thinking of the novel.
2.1. Approaching life in conflicts, contradictions or imprints of stage script
thinking in movie scripts
2.1.1. Dramatic nature in movie script
In the dramatic genre, drama is the most prominent feature, created by
contradictions and high-level conflicts of actions carrying in them different and
opposing ideas and personality tendencies. Theatrical script is usually divided
into acts, corresponding to three basic stages: knot - climax - unknot. Not
escaping the characteristics of a play realized on stage with limitations in space,
time, characters, etc., screenplays often require high compression and clear
"dramatic".
With a feature movie script, its basic nucleus is always a plot. In the research
paper Structure of the script of a feature film (Culture and Art Magazine, No.
423, 2019), we have summarized three common types of structure of a feature
movie script: Structural model Hollywood's three acts, piece/piece structure and
impressive mode of expression. The writer pays attention to the type of script
following the three-act structure, because it prioritizes drama first in order to
create attraction for the recipient. The three-act structure model is often a
diagram (rational, dramatic, linked to the chain of cause and effect) of the
difficulties that the main character has to overcome; consists of 3 parts (called 3
acts) with 5 main climaxes, the level of climax is increasing in difficulty and
suspense.
The whole work is the main character's journey to overcome all difficulties to

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reach the goal. The main character has allies and has to face opponents. He/she
always encounters the obstacle system, the opponent character is also an
obstacle. Facing and overcoming opponents creates drama for the work. The
system of obstructions includes internal and external obstacles. External
obstacles such as weather (rainstorm, poverty, ...), the character's own mistakes
(lack of proficiency in certain skills, lost important files...); Internal obstacles are
of the psychological and spiritual type, such as fear, jealousy, etc. In Nguyen
Quang Lap's scenario Sand Life, the journey to preserve the husband-wife
relationship, the external obstacles of Mrs. Thoa is the second wife (the character
Tam), the inner obstacle is her inferiority when youth has passed, bringing with it
the beauty of beauty as well as the ability to give birth.
2.1.2. Dramatic level in a feature movie script
2.1.2.1. Screenplays for feature films and feature films are less compressed
and less predictable than theatrical scripts
Despite inheriting some elements from theatrical scripts, movie film
scripts still have their own characteristics, originated from the difference between
these two art forms: films’ space and time are freer than drama; films are more
realism, dramas are more stylized description; film’s actions are closer to reality
than those of drama. All creates freedom in movie scripts. In terms of characters,
movie scripts can have hundreds, thousands... characters; theatrical scripts are
limited in the number of characters. In terms of plot, stage scripts often
emphasize dramas, actions, conflicts; movie film scripts have many ways of
telling, ways that are not likely to create dramas. Space and time in movie films
are diverse and can be flexibly changed. As a result, movie film’s scripts have
more scenes than stage scripts.
2.1.2.2. Movie script add non-plot elements, creating a slow narrative
compared to theatrical scripts
Minimizing lyrical extras, scene content of screenplays and films have two

main components, dialogue and non-plot texts, with the function of
describing/introducing the person's background. object. However, the main role
of the stage script is dialogue, in contrast to the screenplay of a feature film mainly with descriptive sentences - describing the setting, characters, actions of
the character... The descriptions can making the tempo in the script of the feature
film reduce the drama, the repression, and slow down the plot progression. The
script Let's cry (Minh Ngoc) and the screenplay for the film Moon at the bottom
of the well (Chau Tho) were both adapted from the short story Moon at the
bottom of the well (Tran Thuy Mai) is a prime example.
2.2. Approaching life in the present unfinished tense or as an imprint of
novel thinking in a movie script
2.2.1. The world is not finished
Unfinished, unfinished worlds are a feature of novels and this often occurs in
film screenplays - the end of the work is sometimes not a clear outcome, as if the


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story unfinished, can suggest continuity. In the last scene of Sand Life (Nguyen
Quang Lap), Mr. Canh stayed with Mrs. Thoa. However, that is still not a
complete solution, compensating for all the characters… The unfinished feature
movie script is also reflected in the fact that people can't have a final assessment
of it yet, can act. solve it in many dimensions, from many points of view. In The
Life of Pi (David Magee) there are two stories. The choice to believe the story of
Pi and the tiger or the story told to the Japanese in order to legalize the insurance
procedure depends on the religious beliefs of each recipient.
2.2.2. The nature of everyday life
2.2.2.1. Daily life character
First of all, the characters in movie scripts are very diverse, with all kinds of
people, all classes, social classes - leaders, rich people, poor people, salesmen,
heroes, even Even those who are considered to be at the bottom of society… Second,
each movie script is like a slice of unfinished life with characters whose fates are

unknown. In the scenario Rom (Tran Thanh Huy), the final ending is unknown for
the people who love black and red games; the fate of the character Ghi - a "mother"
who specializes in recording and returning the number of questions is left
unresolved, and Rom (the main character) is also associated with the secret of fate...
Third, the characters of the feature film in particular, can be very complex; the
character of the experience to grow up. The innocent, dependent Thelma, after
overcoming many difficulties, has become an independent woman and understands
the value of life that lies in freedom in Thelma and Louise (Callie Khouri).
The lives of screenplay/film characters may not coincide, the characters are
multifaceted. Jean-Baptiste in the script Scent (Patrick Süskind): to society, he is
gentle; with the masters, he obeys and gets the job; but in fact Jean-Baptiste is a
pervert who longs to maintain the fragrance of virgins, ready to kill people to try
to distill them to retain the scent...
2.2.2.2. Daily life dialogue
The dialogue in the feature film not only shows the character's personality,
but the style of the dialogue is also close to life. This is the genre that has the
voices of many classes in society - the voice of the most powerful person like the
president, in Hanoi in winter 46 (Dang Nhat Minh); voices of the people at the
bottom of society such as in Vu Dai village of that day (Doan Le), Cyclo (Tran
Anh Hung)... In addition, the dialogue in the movie script has a bold dialect
character. strokes. For example, the Southern language in the Endless field
(Puche language); Hue, Northern language in Girl on the River (Dang Nhat
Minh); Southern and Central languages in Sand Life (Nguyen Quang Lap)…
2.3. Limits of exposure to real life and main trends of film screenplays
2.3.1. Dramatic trend
The trend of dramatization is clearly shown in movie scripts that focus on
dramatic elements and cause-and-effect logic. The work is composed with the
classic Hollywood three-act model representing this trend. With a three-act
model, every element in the scenario is often associated with a formula. In

13
addition to the main climax, the screenwriter builds many secondary climaxes in
the script to increase the attractiveness of the work. Act I usually takes up 15% of
the script/film space, Act II takes up 70% and Act III takes up the remaining
15%. The main climax points are named by Hollywood cinema as follows:
Catalyst - the background event, on which occurs the main event (big event) that
pushes the character into the story, the event that pushes the character into the
story without there is a way out (pinch), crisis - the character's crisis event (the
character is faced with choices, in danger of failure), the final climax
(showdown) - the character uses all his skills and experience in action. your
process to take action, make the final decision. Act I ends at the big event, Act II
ends at crisis. Many successful American screenplays/films follow the 3-act
structure as a divine model, for example: Gone with the wind, Kamer vs
Kamer… In fact, the three-act model has very diverse variations. For example,
the flexibility of the percentage of capacity per act, there are scripts/films with
the number of acts not stopping at 3. Parasite by screenwriter Bong Joon-ho,
Han Jin-won is an example.
The feature of the three-act model is to focus on the scene according to
the strict cause-and-effect logic.
The script follows the three-act model, where even the scene unit is focused
on building according to the dramatic three-act model: in the scene there is a
"story", there is a beginning, a climax, and an ending that create the attraction of
the actors. work. The connection between scenes according to the cause and
effect logic in the script is very tight. The script Thelma and Louise (Callie
Khouri) is a prime example.
2.3.2. The trend of novelization
In addition to the classic three-act model of Hollywood, there are European
cinema models, with French impressionism, French surrealism, Italian
Neorealism, French New Wave, several film styles Asia… Hollywood

independent filmmakers themselves are affected by these trends. Experimental
model with polylinear structure, breaking the annals of time; sensory film model,
film without plot… appeared. We temporarily classify these forms into the
impressionist model, which consists of two sub-categories: impressionist mode
of expression and mosaic type. These types show the trend of novelization of
movie scripts. We note some of its characteristics as follows.
Blurring the main character - side relationship, not focusing on cause
and effect logic.
The impressive model of a feature film screenplay does not necessarily have a
main character, it is difficult to predict which character the main character in the
script/film is. For example, the script Father and son and... by Phan Dang Di
tells about a group of young people living in a transitional period, in Saigon.
Each character in the work has his own feelings, the link between the sparse
destinies. As a result, the factuality in the work is not promoted, and the causal
logic in the work is fuzzy. The logic of cause and effect is also mitigated within


14
each scene and in the association of scenes.
The content is not necessarily dramatic, even creating "atmosphere" is the
main purpose. The scenario Love and miss the countryside (Dang Nhat Minh) is
an example.
Fragmentation of the plot
The piece/piece model is based on comparison, association, and synthesis
thinking when people face things and phenomena that are similar in some way.
Based on the puzzle pieces and associations, people will visualize the whole, and
draw their own meaning. We see this pattern in screenplays/films: Father and
Son and… (Phan Dang Di), Three Times (Hau Hieu Hien), Crash (Paul Haggis)
…
Analytical thinking and impressive tactics

Impressionist mode of expression allows to arrange artistic elements in
different sequences to create emotions and feelings for the viewer towards a
certain expression of the author. Following this narrative are often sensational
films. Anonymous Eucalyptus Tree (Nguyen Quang Than), Adrift (Phan Dang
Di) are written in an impressive expression.
Sub-conclusion of chapter 2
Considered as the neighboring "younger brother" of theatrical art, born again
in the era of novels, cinema absorbed in it the worldview imprint of both theater
and novels. First of all, movie scripts approach life in conflicts and
contradictions. It is also a mark of deep dramatic thinking in movie scripts. The
screenplay of a feature film with a core element of a "plot" still maintains in it the
dramatic character that exists as a primary element of theatrical drama. However,
the dramatic level of the feature film screenplay has been slightly reduced
compared to the theatrical script through reducing compression and estimation,
increasing non-plot elements, creating a slow narration. cobble.
Second, the screenplay for the feature film and film approach to life in the present
unfinished tense, clearly shows the imprint of the novel thinking - the world in the
movie script has not been completed, not yet finished; people and everyday
language. Third, in terms of life exposure limits and major trends, the screenplay of
the film with the classic Hollywood three-act model represents the dramatic trend
and the screenplay is written in an impressive model (including two sub-models:
array of pieces, impressive modes of expression) clearly show the trend of
novelization. In terms of approaching life, movie scripts are closer to novel thinking;
Modern movie scripts are trying to innovate the way they tell and express a more
prominent novel's perspective.
Third, in terms of life exposure limits and major trends, the screenplay of the
film with the classic Hollywood three-act model represents the dramatic trend
and the screenplay is written in an impressive model (including two sub-models:
array of pieces, impressive modes of expression) clearly show the trend of
novelization. In terms of approaching life, movie scripts are closer to novel

thinking; Modern movie scripts are trying to innovate the way they tell and


15
express a more prominent novel's perspective.
Chapter 3
MOVIE SCRIPT AS A COMMUNICATION MODEL
3.1. Communication object of movie script
3.1.1. Filmmaking community and target audience
First of all, it should be re-emphasized that cinema is not only an art form, but
also the world's most important entertainment industry.
The issue of the reviewer, the unit that buys the script is one of the factors
that make movie scripts different from ordinary literary works. The feasibility of
a film project starts from reading and selecting the script. The producer will
consider whether the screenplay is attractive enough to attract the audience
before deciding to buy. Producers pay special attention to the issue of script
ideas, which is also why movie scripts, especially commercial film projects,
always require specific ways of summarizing the script. succinct, enough key
information and most attractive. To best serve the script review process, the
concept of Logline and Synopsis was born - two common types of script
summaries that writers must write: Logline is a brief sentence that tells the story
of the script. Synopsis is a summary of the film's story content from 1 to 5 A4
pages (usually 1 page).
The screenwriter writes the detailed script (specific scenes) according to the
templates (formats) so that the producer can base on that to make the film production
plan. Therefore, a screenwriter's detailed script needs to number the scenes, specify
the context name, internal or external scenes... and even describe the context very
clearly for the filmmaking crew to find/design the setting. ...
The question goes further: what determines the success of the film? The
deciding factor is the audience. The audience is the key to making a truth in

cinema: Those who know the taste, they are successful. When writing and
interacting with the script, both the screenwriter, the producer... are all aimed at
the audience, especially commercial films.
In particular, the screenplay for the feature film is deeply correlated with the
people in the filmmaking crew. The director is the person responsible for
directing the execution of the film. After receiving the script from the
screenwriter, the director will modify the script to different degrees to suit his
artistic intentions. The edited script is given to the other members of the crew to
do their job - each department will make its own script: the art design script, the
props script, the screenplay. music score, editing script… Movie script is really a
project for the whole system to read and work.
There are two possibilities: the writer writes the screenplay for himself as the
director, and the screenwriter writes the script for someone else as the film
director. First of all, when screenwriters write scripts for others to make films,
the script is both a work of art and a project for the team. The script is usually
written in a very easy-to-see format, where the director, deputy director, actors...
know where their work is. Of course, the important thing is still a script with an


16
attractive/haunting story, impressive characters, reasonable events..., inspiring
the crew to continue composing on the basis of that script. . Screenwriters need
to be clear: the language in the screenplay is not a language rich in imposition.
The "calling structure" of the script is essentially the problem: The script is a
narrative proposition for the film.
In the second case, the screenwriter is also the director of the film, the
communication model takes place between "me and me". We encounter this
model in cases like Dang Nhat Minh, Phan Dang Di, Nguyen Van Thong... The
script written by Phan Dang Di is not as detailed and thorough as in the scenario
Adrift (Bui Thac Chuyen Dao). to act). In this communication model, the creative

"white space" seems to be larger, since the writer himself is in complete control
of his or her own upcoming film.
3.1.2. Free Readers
Existing as a stand-alone literary work, a feature film screenplay has a certain
free-reading audience. In Vietnam, many domestic and foreign scripts have been
published: Casablanca (Julius J.Epstein, Philip G.Epstein, Howard Koch, Young
Publishing House, 2011), Train named lust (Tennessee Williams, Young
Publishing House, 2011), Until October (Dang Nhat Minh, Thuan Hoa
Publishing House, 2002)... With the explosion of information technology, the
Internet is the bridge that allows readers around the world to touch the scripts of
famous films such as: Gone with the Wind (Sidney, Howard, Ben Hecht, David
O. Selznick, Jo Swerling, John Van Druten, 1939), The Godfather (Francis Ford
Coppola, Mario Puzo, Robert Towne, 1972)... There are scripts written for the
sole purpose of reaching readers, such as Movie Script - Autumn's Appointment,
The Wild Rock, The Sea of Salvation (Writers Association Publishing House,) by
Vo Thi Hao, script Dry tears (Scenario collection Dang Nhat Minh, Thuan Hoa
Publishing House)... There are scripts that have not been filmed but still have the
potential to be transformed into a meaningful film in the future like Old Elephant
(Banh Bao)... As the scripts were published in different formats, the script
reading community became more and more open. The script is now being
circulated as a literary work, the status of "filmmaking project" is still imprinted
in the script text, giving readers interesting impressions when receiving it.
3.2. The expressiveness of the screenplay and the role of the author
3.2.1. Expressiveness of literary language
The concept of "performative language" was proposed by linguist J.L. Austin.
J.L. Austin's most groundbreaking conclusion was not to contradict words with
actions. To him, "saying" means "doing". For example, the sentence “I promise
to pay you” is not a description of a statement of fact, but a performance of a
promised act; The narrative “The cat is on the mat” can be seen as a sober
version: “by saying these words, I assert the cat is on the mat”. Expressive in

nature, literary language in general creates the appearance of a certain reality.
The expressiveness of language is the foundation for creating a system of literary
images - objective and intangible images - but combined with the imagination,


17
association, perception... of the reader, which exist as living entity.
The ideal life of a feature movie script is to be made into a film - it needs to
be realized into a story told by visual materials through images and sounds. In the
movie script, there are many "instructions" for the filmmaking crew to find their
work. That is why we need to study the screenplay of a film as a particular
expressive language.
3.2.2. Expression in screenplay and feature film - a mode of mediating
between script writers and readers
Thanks to the expressiveness of the script, all the production team, investors,
filmmakers envision the future film, clearly feel the atmosphere of the film
(space, time and people). What specific activities are existing, how happy they
are, etc.), from which they see how their tasks must be done. Through descriptive
language, dialogue, quotes and suggestions on filmmaking techniques, the work
of choosing the setting, setting, acting, sound making, editing... is carried out.
Even after the film is completed, readers who are free to read the script still have
their own visualizations and imaginations. Thanks to that, many adaptations and
"remakes" were born, showing that each adaptation is a performance of an act in a
feature film from a different angle. The expressiveness of the script has given the
imagination of readers different films.
3.3. The generative nature of the movie script and the author's fate
3.3.1. The generative nature of movie scripts
"Generativeness" is mentioned as a concept of linguistics that was initiated
by researcher N. Chomsky. Inheriting the concept of "generative" in linguistics,
based on the basis of the movie script built in the literary language, we refer to

the generativeness of the movie script as a feature. Substances can be changed,
modified, omitted, inserted, replaced... during the process of composing, writing
scripts, putting into production and even being printed into works. It is the
process of non-stop scripting in order to create an entity that is most suitable for
the filmmaking process, associated with the ultimate purpose of the script, which
is to be filmed.
It can be affirmed that the script is a filmmaking proposal, it is always
changed by the key elements of the crew. From script to film is from the vision
of the screenwriter to the vision of the director, from the linguistic narrative to
the multimedia narrative.
3.3. The generative nature of the movie script and the author's fate
3.3.1. The generative nature of movie scripts
"Generativeness" is mentioned as a concept of linguistics that was initiated
by researcher N. Chomsky. Inheriting the concept of "generative" in linguistics,
based on the basis of the movie script built in the literary language, we refer to
the generativeness of the movie script as a feature. Substances can be changed,
modified, omitted, inserted, replaced... during the process of composing, writing
scripts, putting into production and even being printed into works. It is the
process of non-stop scripting in order to create an entity that is most suitable for


18
the filmmaking process, associated with the ultimate purpose of the script, which
is to be filmed.
It can be affirmed that the script is a filmmaking proposal, it is always
changed by the key elements of the crew. From script to film is from the vision
of the screenwriter to the vision of the director, from the linguistic narrative to
the multimedia narrative.
Screenplay for a feature film as a proposal for a film
Screenplays for films can be written by one person or by a group of people;

can be repaired or changed to different degrees - sometimes up to several dozen
times - to suit production conditions, filmmaking budget, contemporary audience
tastes...
From the script to the film, there can be a lot of changes, in fact it is a
matter of the writer's point of view to the director's vision and handling.
Changing the script is very difficult to avoid when both authors are subjects
with strong creative abilities. It can be reduced to two cases as follows: First, the
director is loyal to the screenwriter's script (very unlikely). Second, the
screenwriter's script is just a suggestion, a suggestion - a common phenomenon
when making films.
3.3.2. The fate of the movie script writer
First of all, a feature film screenplay is a type of open text - a writerly text,
with plenty of room for reading and interpretation. A script appeals to
filmmakers as it makes it clear to them the possibility of intervening in the text
itself. From script to film is to "translate" the work from one sign system to
another, and that always happens "slips", renovations, transformations... All these
things make The scriptwriter's language cannot be the language of imposition,
but there are always "whitespaces" that invite creativity. It is writerly text, what
estheticians call texture beckoning. To become a film, script writing needs a lot
of resonance and collaboration. Screenwriters are clearly a kind of "reduced
author".
Second, cinema is an entertainment industry, so the issue of "the name of a
movie script writer" is sometimes quite complicated, always influenced by
economic factors, teamwork, and methods. The mode of buying and selling
copyrights, adaptations, etc. takes place dynamically in the world of cinema.
Sub-conclusion of chapter 3
As the starting stage of the film production process - the process of blending
art and economic factors, the screenplay for a feature film is a special
communication model between the screenwriter and very special subjects.
enemies in the film production community, target audience, free readers… The

first and foremost purpose of a feature movie script lies in its feasibility to
become a film. That affects the writer's method of composing in terms of both art
form and ideological content - script sample, number of scenes, characters,
events, narration, scene connection, rhythm. script… and especially, the script
with "expressive language", the nature of a kind of "interoperable text",