CHINATOWN -- masterpeice?

[kintnerboy]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

Can you explain that?

Yeah. I could copy and paste an explanation from someone more articulate than myself, but I seem to remember it being the idea that when you find yourself in an environment where you can't tell what's going on (literally, an American in Chinatown, but more figuratively, anywhere where you don't know who's calling the shots or what their motives are) it's best to do nothing at all, because any course of action might be helping the wrong people.

[SNAFU]

Originally Posted by kintnerboy

when you find yourself in an environment where you can't tell what's going on (literally, an American in Chinatown, but more figuratively, anywhere where you don't know who's calling the shots or what their motives are) it's best to do nothing at all, because any course of action might be helping the wrong people.

Thanks.

Now we're getting somewhere.

[ATB]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

Still not reading anything that educates me.

I can't believe that of all the folks on DD no one has responded with anything other than banter/sarcasm.

Actually, my post was meant to help. You can't be spoonfed education. It's earned. Discifer the code yourself.

Us telling you what specifically works in Chinatown would be like you reading a screenwriting book and going, "Okay so this goes here and that goes there and then I write this sorta thing and BINGO. Done!"

Doesn't work that way. You have to see how it all works TOGETHER. As a whole. Not as individual parts.

[falcon18]

To the OP... What are your favorite three films? What film is a masterpiece in your opinion? Examining your own taste might explain why you don't appreciate the greatness of Chinatown.

I personally think Chinatown is cool as a breeze.

[Hasil Adkins]

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.
-Some guy with a pipe and funny hat.

[BattleDolphinZero]

Originally Posted by sbbn

No one said that and I never said that anyone did. That was a reference to the pretentious attitudes of "it's awesome and that is a fact and how dare you have a different opinion or want to discuss it."



If you "don't get" that some people are interested in discussing what they do or don't like about a movie -- then fine, grow up, move on and ignore the thread. But don't be an ass and try and shut down something just because you don't like it or "don't get it." That's not cool. This is a movie/screenplay discussion forum for God's sake! Some of us actually are interesting in knowing what grabbed a person's interest in a movie/screenplay, eg, (among others here) Ire's response, which was a hell of a lot more informative than your childish "this is stupid, move on" response.

You're misquotes are too wild to tame. There's no way to have a discussion with someone who makes things up.

[BattleDolphinZero]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

Still not reading anything that educates me.

I want to understand EXACTLY and SPECIFICALLY what screenwriting techniques R.T. used to create what many regard as the greatest screenplay ever.

I want a deeper understanding so I can improve my writing.

I can't believe that of all the folks on DD no one has responded with anything other than banter/sarcasm.

And that no one's mentioned the misspelling the subject line.

Watch the movie.

Read the script.

The movie is there. Yes some stuff changes but the movie is on the page. That's what makes a script great, man. If you don't love a movie, there's little chance you'll love the script.

That's why this is frustrating because you're asking for "techniques" as if there's some magical way he arranged the story or some trick he used that is making people say it's a great script. There are no tricks to making people think a script is great. It either is, or it is not. And a script is (almost) always great because it is a movie in your hands.

In the instances where a script is great but the movie sucks, what people love about the script is they "see" the movie it could have been.

Maybe I'm confused. What are you looking to hear? What kind of "techniques" could possibly be unveiled that would convince you a script for a movie you don't like is great? I'm asking in earnest. What are some "techniques" that makes a script great?

I apologize for being snarky earlier but something about this thread infuriated me.

[Todd Karate]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

Still not reading anything that educates me.

I want to understand EXACTLY and SPECIFICALLY what screenwriting techniques R.T. used to create what many regard as the greatest screenplay ever.

You're asking for the impossible, because the things you're looking for don't exist. It's the stuff of gurus: "Towne did *this*, which made Chinatown great!" is a bullshit statement, because no one thing made it great (or bad, if you happen to not like the script). Screenwriting is more than the sum of its parts.

There is no version of this where someone replies, "He used mythological thrust on page 40, a fortune-reversal on 20 & 77, and a Planck reveal on 100 to tie everything together..." and solves the puzzle for you.

[omovie]

Originally Posted by SNAFU

Still not reading anything that educates me.

I want to understand EXACTLY and SPECIFICALLY what screenwriting techniques R.T. used to create what many regard as the greatest screenplay ever.

You want to understand or you want other people to tell you? If you want to understand, then figure it out yourself. That's what smart people do.

[Archduke]

Why don't you read that one screenwriting book. Forget what it's called and I'm to lazy to look it up but I think it used to be considered THE SCREENWRITING book. He dissects Chinatown in depth and if I recall it's THE ONLY EXAMPLE he uses for all his screenwriting theories that he tries to proclaim as the be all end all of how to tell a good story which always seemed a bit juvenile to me.

Chinatown is still a good movie but I think you can't use it as the only paradigm to tell every good story ever told.