How To Write Great Dialogue
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How To Write Great Dialogue
How To Write Great Dialogue - What makes this dialogue work so well? It has a little bit of everything, doesn’t it? It’s informative, funny, and charming. Now, we know the golden rule of filmmaking: show, don’t tell. But let’s not forget, dialogue is just as crucial in a screenplay. Choosing the right words can be tricky: too realistic, and the film may come off as mundane; too lofty, and you risk sounding pretentious or overly theatrical. So what makes a dialogue truly compelling? Let’s find out:
The Narrating Voice
Sometimes the first line of dialogue you’ll hear in a film is narration. It could be from some storyteller like in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Or it could come directly from a character, like in I Saw The TV Glow or the iconic #TaxiDriver.
Travis Bickle’s narration hits hard because it pulls us right into his messed-up head. His internal monologues reveal his increasing alienation and descent into madness, making his actions more understandable. The gritty, almost poetic nature of the narrative enhances the film's dark, brooding atmosphere. It helps us understand the underlying tensions and conflicts within Travis, making his eventual breakdown more impactful.
Good narration in film does a lot of heavy lifting: it enhances storytelling, provides insight into characters' thoughts, and can set the tone or mood of the film. Effective narration should feel integral to the story, not a crutch for lazy writing. It should offer perspectives that visuals alone may not convey. Bad narration is the kind that spells out far too much. You don’t want to be overly reliant on voice-over. It’s outright condemned as sloppy in Adaptation.
The worst kind of narration is one that feels tacked on. And there’s no greater example of this than Blade Runner. When Blade Runner was first released in theaters, it had Harrison Ford delivering narration. This was a demand of the studio. Director Ridley Scott and Ford did not want it. It just didn’t feel right. This led to Ford delivering the most lackluster of line readings. The attempt to make the film feel more like those noir movies with constant narration failed.
Every subsequent cut of Blade Runner since has removed the narration. Now it’s hard to even imagine the film with constant talking over the eye-popping settings. The lack of narration also worked well for the sequel, Blade Runner 2049. No narration was needed to communicate the thoughts and feelings of futuristic androids and cops. Narration can be good for filling in the gaps of a story that don’t require an extra scene to communicate. But sometimes it’s important to know when to turn the microphone off.
The Language of Characters
A crucial aspect of dialogue writing is deciding what language your characters will speak. This goes beyond whether the characters of Ferrari will speak Italian or English. People communicate in different moods, accents, and vocabularies. These aspects not only define the character but their dialogue as well. A good example of defining a character’s language can be found in American Fiction. Jeffrey Wright’s character of Monk is established as an intellectual author. He speaks in an articulate and stuffy manner. He also doesn’t favor the language of the streets. This is why the comedy of the film revolves around Monk changing the way he writes and speaks. He’s not used to speaking like the stereotypical black man of the ghetto. But that is what white people gravitate towards in this story. From the way that Wright speaks, we know what he is and what he isn’t. We can see his comfort zone and when exactly he leaves it. But characters don’t have to remain locked within one way of speaking. Some characters can go through a transformation. This is best seen with Bella in Poor Things. At the beginning of the film, Bella can barely speak words as her brain is not developed enough. Soon, she starts forming more complete sentences. As she experiences more of the world, her language grows as much as her intellect. She starts speaking in a more matter-of-fact manner. Her progression can be felt as well. The more she converses and reads, the more expressive and articulate she becomes. Her dialogue becomes a part of her growth as a character.
Subtext
Subtext can play a heavy role in good dialogue. It’s a great way to convey more than one message as characters converse. Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers...
Read How To Write Great Dialogue https://flickside.com/how-to-write-di...
Credits:
Voiceover: Nile David
Video Editor: Prem Raja
Subscribe to Flickside: @flicksideofficial
https://flickside.com/
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#writingdialogue #howtowritedialogue #screenwriting #screenplaytips #filmmaking #quentintarantino #pulpfiction #Barbie #furiosa #furiosaamadmaxsaga
The Narrating Voice
Sometimes the first line of dialogue you’ll hear in a film is narration. It could be from some storyteller like in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Or it could come directly from a character, like in I Saw The TV Glow or the iconic #TaxiDriver.
Travis Bickle’s narration hits hard because it pulls us right into his messed-up head. His internal monologues reveal his increasing alienation and descent into madness, making his actions more understandable. The gritty, almost poetic nature of the narrative enhances the film's dark, brooding atmosphere. It helps us understand the underlying tensions and conflicts within Travis, making his eventual breakdown more impactful.
Good narration in film does a lot of heavy lifting: it enhances storytelling, provides insight into characters' thoughts, and can set the tone or mood of the film. Effective narration should feel integral to the story, not a crutch for lazy writing. It should offer perspectives that visuals alone may not convey. Bad narration is the kind that spells out far too much. You don’t want to be overly reliant on voice-over. It’s outright condemned as sloppy in Adaptation.
The worst kind of narration is one that feels tacked on. And there’s no greater example of this than Blade Runner. When Blade Runner was first released in theaters, it had Harrison Ford delivering narration. This was a demand of the studio. Director Ridley Scott and Ford did not want it. It just didn’t feel right. This led to Ford delivering the most lackluster of line readings. The attempt to make the film feel more like those noir movies with constant narration failed.
Every subsequent cut of Blade Runner since has removed the narration. Now it’s hard to even imagine the film with constant talking over the eye-popping settings. The lack of narration also worked well for the sequel, Blade Runner 2049. No narration was needed to communicate the thoughts and feelings of futuristic androids and cops. Narration can be good for filling in the gaps of a story that don’t require an extra scene to communicate. But sometimes it’s important to know when to turn the microphone off.
The Language of Characters
A crucial aspect of dialogue writing is deciding what language your characters will speak. This goes beyond whether the characters of Ferrari will speak Italian or English. People communicate in different moods, accents, and vocabularies. These aspects not only define the character but their dialogue as well. A good example of defining a character’s language can be found in American Fiction. Jeffrey Wright’s character of Monk is established as an intellectual author. He speaks in an articulate and stuffy manner. He also doesn’t favor the language of the streets. This is why the comedy of the film revolves around Monk changing the way he writes and speaks. He’s not used to speaking like the stereotypical black man of the ghetto. But that is what white people gravitate towards in this story. From the way that Wright speaks, we know what he is and what he isn’t. We can see his comfort zone and when exactly he leaves it. But characters don’t have to remain locked within one way of speaking. Some characters can go through a transformation. This is best seen with Bella in Poor Things. At the beginning of the film, Bella can barely speak words as her brain is not developed enough. Soon, she starts forming more complete sentences. As she experiences more of the world, her language grows as much as her intellect. She starts speaking in a more matter-of-fact manner. Her progression can be felt as well. The more she converses and reads, the more expressive and articulate she becomes. Her dialogue becomes a part of her growth as a character.
Subtext
Subtext can play a heavy role in good dialogue. It’s a great way to convey more than one message as characters converse. Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers...
Read How To Write Great Dialogue https://flickside.com/how-to-write-di...
Credits:
Voiceover: Nile David
Video Editor: Prem Raja
Subscribe to Flickside: @flicksideofficial
https://flickside.com/
Instagram: Instagram: flickside_official
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@flickside_of...
Twitter: Twitter: FlicksideM
Facebook: Facebook: FlicksideMovies
#writingdialogue #howtowritedialogue #screenwriting #screenplaytips #filmmaking #quentintarantino #pulpfiction #Barbie #furiosa #furiosaamadmaxsaga
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