Class dismissed
I saw Alan Bennett’s The History Boys yesterday at the Ahmanson, and liked it quite a lot.
I think it’s important for a screenwriter to keep up with current plays, because the two art forms continue to influence each other. For example, at least in this staging, many pieces of connective tissue were pre-shot on video as montages, letting the story get off the stage for brief moments. There was also a flash-forward that would seem familiar to anyone who saw the third season finale of Lost.
A writer can get away with quite a few things on stage that are tough to pull off in movies. In the second act, a character remarks to the audience that since things seem to be going so well for everyone, the rules of dramatic irony dictate a sudden reversal. Which of course comes.1
A more clever use of dramatic liberty is a scene in which one teacher tells another about a conversation he just had with a student. The conversation and the re-telling of the conversation take place simultaneously. It makes sense on the stage. It would be a mess on film.2
Perhaps because they’re not photographed, plays take place in less naturalistic universes. They’re impressionist. So you forgive — barely — a scene in which students enter class, take their seats, have a heated discuss, and are then dismissed by the class bell. I don’t know much about the British school system, but I feel certain that their class periods are longer than five minutes.
The class bell rings a lot, frankly. I suppose that’s because the stage relies on entrances and exits, but it gets repetitious. But it’s a minor complaint, and a play worth checking out.
- In script jargon, this is called “hanging a lantern on it.” You address the plausibility problem by highlighting it. ↩
- The big problem isn’t with continuity of time — film viewers have gotten quite a bit more sophisticated in that regard. The challenge is that a scene in a movie takes place in a distinct location: you’re either in the classroom or the teachers’ lounge. On stage, the scene can be in both places at once because the audience is creating the environments internally. ↩
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December 2nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I was a theatre geek for years, and I love seeing how plays are adapted to the screen. I’ve not had a chance to see The History Boys on either stage or screen, but it would be interesting to compare and contrast.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
One cinematic way to shoot the classroom/teacher lounge scene, (I haven’t seen the play, I’m just imagining it from your description) is the way Tarantino shoots the Tim Roth “Commode Story” Bathroom Storytelling scene in Reservoir Dogs.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gixCpK80c_k
(I’m sure this has been done many times before Quentin used it, but this is the reference with which I’m most familiar.)
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
In a certain sense, the conversation and the telling-of-the-conversation bit in the play is probably best done on stage but when I was reading your post, this fantastic scene came to mind from an Indian film I had seen ages ago. A boy and a girl are accidentally locked out of their compartment in a train. When they finally get out, they each narrate their version of where-were-you?! to their respective friends. The actual scene, the girl’s version, and the guy’s version are all cut into each other. The dialogue, the editing, and the staging of the scene are all very, very well done. In fact, I can’t think of a more effective way of getting an audience member to watch three versions of the same scene!
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Erik – that would be a fun exercise – and both the shooting script and the play are readily available.
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
My kids and I enjoyed the screen version of The History Boys. I’m now going to have to consider taking them to see the play…thanks a lot, John. ;-)
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:14 am
No, five minute classes. We learn a lot of subjects, but in limited detail.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:11 am
It didn’t work very well on screen though… While we all know studios should give up remaking classic films altogether, perhaps their independent arms should resist the urge to remake plays for Oscar fishing? Or if they must at least for God’s sake turn them into a goddamn movie, not simply a filmed play. Case in point is the new version of Sleuth. Pinter’s script feels more like a play than the original play did! Anyone else see the film? Michael Caine and Jude Law bumble around delivering stage-y dialogue in a stage-y set, sounding not like characters but like mouthpieces for the playwright - sorry - screen writer.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I studied and saw The History Boys in London and LOVED it. Really rich characters. I didn’t think the movie worked as well…mostly because all the classroom scenes were visually flat. The field trip was cool because of all the big old buildings…but otherwise it works much better as a play since it is so dialogue-based.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I’m looking forward to seeing it. Is it a national touring company, do you know?
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Hi John,
Have you seen Sexy Beast with Ben Kingsley, directed by Jonathan Glazer? There is a conversation in there where three characters are carrying on two conversations happening at different times on the timeline, but at the same time on film. It’s really rather brilliant in my mind. Can’t remember anything else about it, but that part sticks out to me. I don’t know if it’s similar to what you’re talking about or not, but it sticks out in my mind as similar– at least on paper.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
sid, do you remember the name of that film? i’d love to see that scene.
hey john, what happened to the comment preview-as-you-type? that was a cool feature.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Umm… it might have disappeared because I pointed out that it has some small issues…..
Sorry all!
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:59 pm
security-type issues?
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:08 pm
I try and keep up on plays.
But I have found that the language of the comic medium is the one that is closest to film for me.
There are a lot of things in the theatrical experience that are difficult to replicate on film.
I am actually adapting a play for film and I have found that I am having some issues with it. But I am also trying to do an update too, so that could be part of it.