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The Dialogue of Eszterhas, Darabont and Tarantino - Part I: Eszterhas and BASIC

The Dialogue of Eszterhas, Darabont and Tarantino.
Part I: Eszterhas and Basic Instinct

by: Christopher Wehner

10/15/97

For me, when it comes to dialogue, Eszterhas, Darabont and Tarantino are in a league of their own. These three writers seem to always use the right words, they each could be called the Hemingway of the screenwriting profession. Before you get too excited about my comparison, consider the following.

Hemingway scrutinized over every single word he wrote and when it comes to dialogue: Eszterhas, Darabont and even Tarantino are no different. One may use a more eloquent and sophisticated variety of words, while another may use the kind of words that dismay, shock, and perhaps disturb some movie goers. But, as far I'm concerned each has a way with words that brings the conflict in their scripts to a level rarely captured by others.

Dialogue should serve as conflict as much as action scenes, if not more so. Characters in conflict is best presented by dialogue and once you master your dialogue, you'll master your script.

Properly written dialogue encompasses dimension, tempo, pace and savvy. We've all heard that each character must speak with a different voice. Well, that is the first step but it doesn't end there.

Real life people use profanity, speak in incomplete sentences and often use poor grammar... even the educated ones. Also, know when not to disrupt a character by using Tarantino like dialogue. It's a fine line that only great screenwriters can effortlessly accomplish, the rest of us are stuck scratching our heads.

The worst thing you can do is go to one extreme or the other. Don't fashion your characters by trends, but by your own ideas. Everyone in your story shouldn't curse and not everyone should be so good that they are always polite.

Be real, and make your characters real. Go out and sit in a coffee shop, a local pub and a dance hang-out. Or go to the park and watch kids and families play. Watch people at stoplights and busy intersections... you're getting the point. Watch, observe and take mental notes. If you can get away with it take notes on a pad of paper. I used to work in adult probation, so you can imagine the people I met... they influenced my writing greatly.

Okay, so we've talked a little about dialogue and we have a pretty good idea that it's not easy writing truly great dialogue. For to be sure, only scripts with great dialogue will sell. Lets look at some examples of great dialogue from the masters themselves.

My first example is from Eszterhas and more specifically his script Basic Instinct. This is one of the best scripts for the intermediate writer to read. The script reads like a breeze. It has a pace and rhythm that only a great writer can achieve. The action lines are on average shorter then most, but with very few words Eszterhas gives us an extremely visual description. His dialogue though, is right on. Each character has their own voice and the dialogue moves with grace, flamboyance and with a certain edge to each word.

(Note: be sure to notice the amount of "white space." Slug lines and descriptions are solid and tight. No wordy descriptions or ramblings.



              EXT. A BROWNSTONE IN PACIFIC HEIGHTS - MORNING

              Winter in San Francisco:  cold, foggy.  Cop cars
              everywhere.  The lights play through the thick fog.  Two
              Homicide detectives get out of the car, walk into the
              house.

                                                                     2.


              NICK CURRAN is 42.  Trim, good-looking, a nice suit: a face
              urban, edged, shadowed.  GUS MORAN is 64.  Crew-cut, silver
              beard, a suit rumpled and shiny, a hat out of the 50's: a
              face worn and ruined:  the face of a backwoods philosopher.

              INT. THE BROWNSTONE

              There's money here -- deco, clean, hip -- That looks like a
              Picasso on the wall.  They check it out.

                                  GUS
                        Who was this fuckin' guy?

                                  NICK
                        Rock and roll, Gus.  Johnny Boz.

                                  GUS
                        I never heard of him.

                                  NICK
                               (grins)
                        Before your time, pop.
                               (a beat)
                        Mid-sixties.  Five or six hits.
                        He's got a club down in the
                        Fillmore now.

                                  GUS
                        Not now he don't.

              Past the uniformed guys... nods... waves... past the
              forensic men... past the coroner's investigators... they
              get to the bedroom.

              INT. THE BEDROOM

              They walk in, stare -- it's messy.

              It's like a convention in here.  LT. PHIL WALKER, in his
              50's, silver-haired, the Homicide guys:  JIM HARRIGAN, late
              40's, puffy, affable;  SAM ANDREWS, 30's, black.  A
              CORONER'S MAN is working the bed.

                                  LT. WALKER
                               (to Nick and Gus)
                        You guys know Captain Talcott?

              They nod.

                                  GUS
                        What's the Chief's office doin'
                        here.

                                  CAPT. TALCOTT
                        Observing.

                                                                     3.

                                  LT. WALKER
                               (to the Coroner's
                                Guy)
                        What do you think, Doc?

                                  THE CORONER'S GUY
                        The skin blanches when I press it --
                         this kind of color is about right
                        for six or eight hours.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        Nobody say anything.  The maid came
                        in an hour ago and found him.
                        She's not a live-in.

                                  GUS
                        Maybe the maid did it.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        She's 54 years old and weighs 240
                        pounds.

                                  THE CORONER'S GUY
                               (deadpan)
                        There are no bruises on his body.

                                  GUS
                               (grins)
                        It ain't the maid.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        He left the club with his
                        girlfriend about midnight.  That's
                        the last time anybody saw him.

                                  NICK
                               (looks at body)
                        What was it?

                                  THE CORONER'S GUY
                        Ice pick.  Left on the coffee table
                        in the living room.  Thin steel
                        handle.  Forensics took it
                        downtown.

                                  HARRIGAN
                        There's come all over the sheets --
                        he got off before he got offed.

                                  GUS
                               (deadpan)
                        That rules the maid out for sure.

                                  CAPT. TALCOTT
                        This is sensitive.  Mr. Boz was a
                        major contributor to the mayor's
                        campaign.  He was Chairman of the
                        Board of the Palace of Fine Arts --

                                                                     4.


                                  GUS
                               (to Nick)
                        I thought you said he was a rock
                        and roll star.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        He was a retired rock and roll
                        star.

                                  CAPT. TALCOTT
                        A civic-minded, very respectable
                        rock and roll star.

                                  GUS
                        What's that over there?

              We see the white powder laid out in lines on the small
              mirror on the side table.

                                  NICK
                               (deadpan)
                        It looks like some civic-minded,
                        very respectable cocaine to me,
                        Gus.

                                  CAPT. TALCOTT
                               (evenly, to Nick)
                        Listen to me, Curran.  I'm going to
                        get a lot of heat on this.  I don't
                        want any... mistakes.

              Nick and Talcott look at each other a beat, then --

                                  NICK
                        Who's the girlfriend?

              Lt. Walker looks at the notepad in his hand.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        Catherine Tramell, 162 Divisadero.

              Nick writes it down.  He and Gus turn, leave.  Captain
              Talcott watches them.  He looks disturbed.

My next example from Basic Instinct is when Catherine is being interrogated at the police station. It's a great sequence, and the dialogue is right on. Pay attention to the flow and development of the dialogue, it really is excellent.

The Conflict in these scenes is not about action, but about dialogue. There's not only this confrontation between Catherine and the investigators, but also there is this verbal game between her and Nick. It's conflict on a multi-level, and that makes it even more interesting. Lets take a look:


 INT. A POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

              It is large, fluorescent-lighted, antiseptic.

              She walks in with Nick and Gus.  In the room are prosecutor
              John Corrigan, Lt. Walker, Captain Talcott, Harrigan, and
              Andrews.  There is a police stenographer:  a plain young
              woman in her 20's.

              As soon as she comes in --

                                  CORRIGAN
                        I'm John Corrigan.  I'm an
                        assistant district attorney, Ms.
                        Tramell.  Can we get you anything?
                        Would you like some coffee?

                                  CATHERINE
                        No thank you.

                                  TALCOTT
                        Are your attorneys --

                                  NICK
                               (hiding a smile)
                        Ms. Tramell waived her right to an
                        attorney.
                                                                     21.


              Corrigan and Talcott glance at Nick.  She sees the look.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (smiles)
                        Did I miss something?

                                  NICK
                        I told them you wouldn't want an
                        attorney present.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        Why have you waived your right to
                        an attorney, Ms. Tramell?

                                  CATHERINE
                               (to Nick)
                        Why did you think I wouldn't want
                        one?

                                  NICK
                        I told them you wouldn't want to
                        hide.

                                  CATHERINE
                        I have nothing to hide.

              The two of them keep their eyes on each other.

              She sits down.  They sit around her.  Nick sits directly
              across from her.  She lights up a cigarette.  They watch
              her.  She is poised, cool, in complete command of herself.

                                  CORRIGAN
                        There is no smoking in this
                        building, Ms. Tramell.

                                  CATHERINE
                        What are you going to do?  Charge
                        me with smoking?

              Ever so casually, she blows her smoke across at Nick.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  CORRIGAN
                        Would you tell us the nature of
                        your relationship with Mr. Boz?

                                  CATHERINE
                        I had sex with him for about a year
                        and a half.  I liked having sex
                        with him.
                                                                     22.


              She has control of the room:  she looks from one man to the
              other as she speaks.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (continuing)
                        He wasn't afraid of experimenting.
                        I like men like that.  I like men
                        who give me pleasure.  He gave me a
                        lot of pleasure.

              A beat, as they watch her.  She is so matter-of-fact.

                                  CORRIGAN
                        Did you ever engage in sado-
                        masochistic activity with him?

                                  CATHERINE
                               (smiles)
                        Exactly what do you have in mind,
                        Mr. Corrigan.

                                  CORRIGAN
                               (after a beat,
                                little flustered)
                        Did you ever tie him up?

                                  CATHERINE
                        No.

                                  ANDREWS
                        You never tied him up.

                                  CATHERINE
                        No. Johnny liked to use his hands
                        too much.  I like hands and fingers.

              They stare at her.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  LT. WALKER
                        You describe a white silk scarf in
                        your book.

                                  CATHERINE
                        I've always had a fondness for
                        white silk scarves.
                               (she smiles)
                        I have a very vivid imagination.

                                  NICK
                        But you said you liked men to use
                        their hands.
                                                                     23.


                                  CATHERINE
                        No.  I said I liked Johnny to use
                        his hands.
                               (she smiles)
                        I don't give any rules, Nick.  I go
                        with the flow.

              They have their eyes on each other.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  CORRIGAN
                        Did you kill Mr. Boz, Ms. Tramell?

                                  CATHERINE
                        I'd have to be pretty stupid to
                        write a book about a killing and
                        then kill him the way I described
                        in my book. I'd be announcing
                        myself as the killer.  I'm not
                        stupid.

              She smiles.

                                  TALCOTT
                        We know you're not stupid, Ms.
                        Tramell.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        Maybe that's what you're counting
                        on to get you off the hook.

                                  NICK
                        Writing a book about it gives you
                        an alibi for not killing him.

                                  CATHERINE
                        Yes it does, doesn't it?

              She holds his eyes a second, then --

                                  CATHERINE
                               (continuing)
                        The answer is no.  I didn't kill
                        him.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  GUS
                        Do you use drugs, Ms. Tramell?

                                  CATHERINE
                        sometimes.

                                                                     24.


                                  HARRIGAN
                        Did you ever do drugs with Mr. Boz?

                                  CATHERINE
                        Sure.

                                  GUS
                        What kind of drugs?

                                  CATHERINE
                        Cocaine.

              She looks directly at Nick.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (continuing)
                        Have you ever fucked on cocaine?
                               (she smiles)
                        It's nice.

              He watches her.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  NICK
                        You like playing games, don't you?

                                  CATHERINE
                               (smiles)
                        I've got a degree in psych.  It
                        goes with the turf.  Games are fun.

              They are holding each other's eyes.

                                  NICK
                        How about boxing?  That's a game.
                        Was that fun for you?

              They don't take their eyes off each other for a second.

                                  TALCOTT
                        I think that's irrelevant to this
                        inquiry.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (to Nick)
                        Yes it was.  Bobby died.

                                  NICK
                        How did you feel when he died?

                                  CATHERINE
                        I loved him.  I hurt.

              Their eyes are still on each other.
                                                                     25.


                                  NICK
                        How did you feel when I told you
                        Johnny Boz had died -- that day at
                        the beach.

                                  CATHERINE
                        I felt somebody had read my book
                        and was playing a game.

                                  NICK
                        But you didn't hurt --

                                  CATHERINE
                        No.

                                  NICK
                        Because you didn't love him --

                                  CATHERINE
                        That's right.

              Their eyes are digging into each other.

                                  NICK
                        Even though you were fucking him.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (after a beat)
                        You still get the pleasure.  Didn't
                        you ever fuck anybody else while
                        you were married, Nick?

              A bet; he stares at her, expressionless.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        How did you know he was married?

                                  CATHERINE
                               (watching Nick)
                        Maybe I was guessing.  What
                        difference does it make?

              She lights a cigarette.  He stares at her.

                                  CATHERINE
                               (continuing)
                        Would you like a cigarette, Nick?

              He just stares at her, expressionless.

                                  CORRIGAN
                        Do you two know each other?

                                  NICK
                        No.

                                  CATHERINE
                        No.
                                                                     26.


              INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

                                  ANDREWS
                        How did you meet Mr. Boz?

                                  CATHERINE
                        I wanted to write a book about the
                        murder of a retired rock star.  I
                        went down to his club and picked
                        him up.  Then I had sex with him.

                                  LT. WALKER
                        You didn't feel anything for him.
                        You just had sex with him for your
                        book.

              She looks at Nick.

                                  CATHERINE
                        In the beginning.  Then I got to
                        like what he did for me.

                                  GUS
                        That's pretty cold, ain't it, lady?

                                  CATHERINE
                        I'm a writer,  I use people for
                        what I write.  You write what you
                        know.  Let the world beware.

              She and Nick have their eyes on each other, then --

                                  CATHERINE
                               (continuing; to
                                Corrigan, smiles)
                        Would you like me to take a lie
                        detector test?

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

I hope you picked up on how Eszterhas keeps dialogue compact, and in rhythm with the action and story. The story moves at an exciting pace. You want to keep turning the pages, not just because of a good story, but because the characters are interesting and speak with flare and a type of erotic nature in some degree. The writing hooks the reader, and continues to draw us in.

  • Points of Reference: Eszterhas
    • Dialogue should be as tight as possible.
    • Rhythm, keep the dialogue in rhythm with the story.
    • Pace & Flow, keep the dialogue flowing.
    • Voice, each character has their own style of language. Be consistent.
    • Direct Words, use words that are easy to read and understand.
I hope that this presentation on dialogue and my examples from Eszterhas and his script Basic Instinct have been helpful. Come back next month for Part II: Frank Darabont and The Shawshank Redemption.

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