Film 4 - Shot for Shot - The Village - Part 1

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENT

1.     What is the story--the beginning, middle, and end--of this scene in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens in this scene as it starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

Noah Percy, a disabled man, visits Lucius Hunt. When Lucius tries to explain himself, Noah stabs Lucius, allows him to fall, and then stabs him again.

2.     What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively? How do you intend to communicate that information?

What I find most incredible about The Village (2004) is its thoughtful approach to disability within a confining and restrictive culture. This scene is truly tragic on the part of both men. In a sense, they are both protagonists of the film. It is important to ensure that both characters are treated with respect and maturity. Most of this is done with framing, but it will also have to take place in the directing.

3.     If this scene is from a longer piece, what is the narrative, emotional and thematic purpose of the scene in the larger story?

Lucius Hunt has just asked Ivy to marry him. Noah Percy, the disabled man in the village, is also in love with Ivy, and takes it as the ultimate betrayal. In order to “win” over Ivy, Noah attempts to murder Lucius. This provides Ivy’s story with an objective and rising action to prove her love for Lucius.

4.     What emotion do you want to communicate in this scene? How do you intend to do this?  

I want to create sorrow. There is obviously going to be some gut wrenching reaction to a knife being pulled out of a stomach, but I am going to have to give patient, thoughtful direction to my actors.

5.     What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene?

The first image in the scene is a door. The final image is a wood-burning stove. Both are inanimate objects in a very raw human scene.

6.     Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal experience(s) does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?

I’m a rebel at heart, and have occasional anti-establishment sentiment. I loathe when people exercise authority over me, and I believe that the Village is a warning to the dangers of overly confining and restrictive societies. This film maturely approaches mental handicap and simultaneously argues against overt rulemaking. Because of their village’s restrictions, Lucius Hunt nearly dies in the film due to a lack of medicine.

7.     What two visual elements (line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement) will you use to help communicate the emotion of the scene?

This scene is incredibly flat, confining the characters in a space together that they cannot escape. And throughout the film, red is a “bad color”, and it shows up only once in this scene.

8.     What are two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

The biggest obstacle I forsee is not casting, as I already have two tremendous actors in mind, but the location. The single room period cabin will be hard to find. And harder still will be to find one close by. To overcome this, I am going to start now in attempting to find a location. One thing about the scene that may work to my advantage in this regard is how dark it is. I may be able to cheat a bit.