Page One: “L.A. Confidential” (1997)

Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson, novel by James Ellroy

The movie version of the opening:

The opening credit sequence is considerably different than the script. It’s an effective visually stimulating montage with lots of exposition via V.O.

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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