Page One: ‘Unforgiven’ (1992)

Written by David Webb Peoples

The movie version of the opening:

Some significant differences. No voice-over narration. Wyoming, not Nebraska. There is sex which is interrupted by a ruckus next door which introduces some characters, most notably Skinny. The thing I want you to pay attention to is the scene description. Here are Page 2 and Page 3:

Set aside the length of the paragraphs. That’s changed nowadays where typically they are no more than three or four lines each. Don’t read the dialogue, instead when you focus on the scene description, you get a really specific feel for the story’s narrative voice. Not the dialogue of Written Words, but the ‘dialogue’ of the action writing.

Try this: Read aloud the scene description and try not to slip into an old time Western twang in your voice.

Hopefully, that will pique your interest to read an extensive article I wrote on the Narrative Voice of the Unforgiven script. In my view, it is one of THE best examples ever written. It is one reason among many why screenwriter David Webb Peoples deserved to receive an Academy Award nomination for his original screenplay.

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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