Page One: “Lincoln” (2012)

Screenplay by Tony Kushner, based on a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The movie’s opening scene:

Read the script. Watch the movie version. Eleven lines of scene description which Spielberg turned into pure cinema. Not as lengthy as what he accomplished in Saving Private Ryan, but a graphic scene which immediately thrusts viewers into the middle of the Civil War.

As a screenwriter working with battle scenes, we don’t choreograph every incident, rather we create a sense of place, atmosphere, and action.

Download the script here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

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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