5 films that will show you how great stories are written
Congratulations! You just completed your writing masterclasses and webinars. But you’re probably scrolling around Medium because your writer’s block has again gotten to you. No fear!
Mastering the art of writing and storytelling is more than sitting down in the lectures of the greats. You curate what you consume — and you can learn so much beyond the regular courses or lessons you can take. Let the art of cinema delight, move, and inspire you into strengthening your craft as a writer. Without further ado, here are 5 remarkable films that will take you deeper into the magic of storytelling!
Break the rules — Bayaning 3rd World (2000)
A film within a film, it takes a different direction from the familiar telling of the life of Dr. Jose Rizal. Talking about two filmmakers (Ricky Davao and Cris Villanueva) attempting to create a film about the national hero, De Leon utilizes a mockumentary style featuring interviews with the people in Rizal’s life.
Many films have often attempted to retell Rizal’s life in their own way and they often fall short due to the lack of authenticity. Bayaning 3rd World introduces us to Rizal like never before, stating the truth that we may never know who the real Rizal is and that his myth is limited to the accounts he’s left for us to interpret. De Leon’s reinterpretation of the hero is effective as it breaks the rules of storytelling while still coming up with a satisfying generalization of his theme.
Talk about your discomfort — The Farewell (2019)
All of us have probably felt out of place at one time or another. This was succinctly captured in the way American-raised Billi (Awkwafina) attempts to connect with her Chinese roots in The Farewell.
Director Lulu Wang deals with cultural differences as Billi goes home to visit her dying grandmother, unable to comprehend how her relatives hide from her grandmother her impending death, a cultural custom in China. Wang excellently delves into the human desire of belonging, similar to how scriptwriting titan and Esme educator Ricky Lee found inspiration in his stories as an outcast growing up in Bicol. “I become different things in the stories I read,” he mentions in his Secrets to Storytelling webinar with Esme. Stories of isolation often lead to the most climactic moments and biggest realizations, hence their attractiveness to readers.
Go beyond linear storytelling — Anak (2000)
Hailed as one of the hall of famers of Philippine cinema, many actors, writers, and directors have turned to this Rory B. Quintos cinematic masterpiece for inspiration. Through the incorporation of flashbacks and powerhouse performances by Vilma Santos (Josie) and Claudine Barretto (Carla), the story (written by Lee himself) was unfolded meticulously, clinging viewers to their seats.
Similar to breaking the rules of storytelling, going beyond the linear structure adds curiosity to readers rather than spoon-feeding them with all the information as is. Flashbacks help your audience empathize with your character, as they find out that your character’s decisions are backed up by internal motivations and experiences.
Hurt your characters — Ruby Sparks (2012)
In one of his most important tips, Lee tells his students to not cuddle their characters. Placing them in different scenarios and experiences unfolds a different identity in them. In an avant-garde story directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Ruby Sparks deals with how writer Calvin (Paul Dano) literally writes to life a character named Ruby (Zoe Kazan) who becomes his girlfriend. As the plot advances, conflict arises between Calvin and Ruby as he tries to write to control Ruby, who sees her potential to become her own person.
“You cannot ask them [your characters] to be like you,” Lee asserts. Learn to separate your character from yourself — place them in different scenarios, hurt and confuse them to see how they react and to establish a voice of their own.
Explore different scripts — Her (2013)
Lee advises combining different elements and genres to discover new ways of storytelling. Director Spike Jonze brilliantly combines science fiction and romance in Her, as Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with a virtual assistant named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Jonze’s reimagination of love in a futuristic world lights a bulb on the desire for human connection despite technological barriers.
Imploring different genres into one story invites new perspectives of seeing different themes. Some of the biggest box-office hits have done this, opening these stories to different audiences.
Remember, taking a break from writing is not a bother. While taking inspiration from films, books, plays, poetry, music, and most importantly, your own life experiences, you are subconsciously writing your story in your head. Life is a classroom of its own — go ahead and flip through it.
