Elaborating on my discussion of the moral center in films… “The first casualty of war is innocence.” That’s the tagline for Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1986), a film that’s different from other Viet Nam war stories because it’s not about two countries fighting each other. Rather, it’s a story about a country at war with itself. […]
In most American films, the moral high ground is the domain of the hero. To conquer the villain he has to undergo some sort of change within himself. A general template for this transformation might be overcoming selfishness and putting the needs of others ahead of his own. Through his apprenticeship and growth, the hero […]
Whether we admit it or not, a lot of us wannabe screenwriters with blogs are in awe of John August. He is to screenwriting what Robert Plant is to singing, or Humphrey Bogart to acting: one of those artists that possesses a complete understanding and awareness of his own abilities. John has posted to his […]