Page One: “Manhunter” (1986)

Screenplay by Michael Mann, based on the book “Red Dragon” by Thomas Harris.

The movie version of the opening:

Mann includes a scene mid-titles: Someone with a flashlight (their POV) creeping through a household in the middle of the night. Oddly, they train their flashlight on a sleeping couple, holding it on them until it awakens a woman. She sits up. Stares into the light. Cut. Creates an unsettled mood for the scene described in the script above.

Read 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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