Page One: “The Great Gatsby” (2013)

Screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The movie version of the opening:

Folks on Twitter were atwitter about the script’s use of the term DISCOVER.

It doesn’t mean CLOSE ON because the script uses that term independently. It probably means something like REVEAL. I wouldn’t recommend using it because (A) it’s meaning is not entirely clear and (B) generally speaking relative to contemporary screenplay style, we avoid using camera jargon. Besides, a script reader or development exec may think the writer to be rather pompous when all one needs to do is simply describe what we see:

A stately Victorian building.

A man shrouded in darkness.

Simple, clean, and clear. What more do you need?

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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