Schindler's List: Some Tips for Writers

Schindler's List. Great film. Both critically and commercially successful. A beacon of light to aspiring screenwriters. Here are some great things about it:

1. Subject: always introduce your subject EARLY. In this film, the subject is...LISTS. The opening scene shows the clerks setting up the tables, the long lines, the arbitrary cruelty of THE LISTS.

2. Character Introduction: The introduction of Schindler describes him perfectly. One scene shows him in a shabby hotel room donning his one nice suit. The next scene shows him charming the SS. His character? A charming rouge, an impoverished conman with style. The intro scene with Amon Goeth is equally powerful. Goeth casually kills the Jewish woman engineer, then follows her advice. As Terry Rossio said, "A character's entrance should be indicative of the character's traits. First impression of a character is most important."

3. Description: A general rule of screenwriting is that the description should never contain anything you can't see or hear. IMO, one exception to that rule is when you are introducing a major character or location. Then, you have and should use a little leeway. For example, when introducing Schindler, the script says, "Oskar Schindler -- salesman from Zwittau -- looking almost reputable in his one nice suit." There's no way to show that on the screen. But, it succinctly creates the character in the READER'S mind.

4. Active Characters: Characters should be active, not passive. Schindler wants to be rich. Later, he wants to save his Jews. He actively works towards these goals. It doesn't mater if the objective is good or bad as long as it's actively pursued. As The tools of Screenwriting says, the basis of drama is that someone wants something badly and is having trouble getting it.

5. Exposition: Make exposition scenes natural and unforced by combining them with another dramatic element. For example, in the setting of Schindler's list, many things are happening: war, black market ops, genocide. But it's revealed naturally. Exposition is a requirement in drama. There are things you need to tell your audience that they can't get from the basic setting or events. BUT, it can't appear forced. Some thinkers say you should present the exposition in the form of conflict. IMO, conflict or ANY dramatic element is OK as long as it distracts the audience from the fact that they are being fed straight exposition.