Daily Dialogue — April 28, 2012

A special Daily Dialogue today. Earlier this week Teddy Pasternak posted a critique which I thought raised a really important subject: When voice-over narration is not a good choice. Here are Teddy’s thoughts:

This may be an unpopular opinion but I will submit this film as an example of voice-over gone wrong: Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. A quick search of the script reveals ninety eight instances of voice-over. It is chock full of unnecessary, intrusive narration that adds very little, if anything, to the story. In my opinion this film would have been much better without it.

It has some of the most beautiful actors and actresses in the world playing interesting characters in an unusual situation in one of the most visually stunning places on earth, and Allen decided to not let the film breathe at all, constantly interrupting the visuals with blunt, over-descriptive narration that ruined the experience for me. It is the opposite of visual storytelling.

Exhibit 1:

EXT. BARCELONA STREETS — NIGHT

Some PEOPLE shoot off sparklers in the street.

Vicky and Cristina walk down the street past a church.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
Vicky and Cristina left the art
gallery and decided to go for
dinner. They strolled past the
church in the wonderful summer
night air, while people
celebrated…

Vicky and Cristina walk out of frame.

INT. RESTAURANT — NIGHT

Vicky and Cristina sit at a table at the restaurant. There
are plates of food in front of them.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
…finally winding up around
midnight at a little restaurant.

Over and over he uses voice-over to tell the audience exactly what the characters feel and think, and something that should never be done: narrate what we are already seeing on screen.

Exhibit 2:

EXT. OUTDOOR CAFE — DAY

Cristina, Vicky and Juan Antonio sit at a table and eat
lunch.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
Juan Antonio took his guests for
lunch. They discussed art and
romance. He was full of stories
about Maria Elena, his ex-wife,
whom he both criticized and
idolized.

Wouldn’t it have been better to hear Juan Antonio talk about his ex-wife and see the young women’s reaction? Maria Elena is an important character in the film and we get this exposition through an on-the-nose voice-over.

Exhibit 3:

INT. OVIEDO HOTEL/LOBBY — NIGHT

Juan Antonio walks across the lobby with two glasses of wine.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
The question of sleeping together
did not come up until that night…

Juan Antonio puts the glasses of wine down on a coffee table
in front of Vicky and Cristina, who sit on a sofa.

JUAN ANTONIO
Here you are.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
…and Juan Antonio was a little
drunk.

CRISTINA
Thank you.

JUAN ANTONIO
You are very welcome. All right.

Juan Antonio sits down.

JUAN ANTONIO (cont’d)
Well, now that the day is almost
over, is it reasonable of me to ask
you…if you would both join me in
my room?

Again, a sensual, quiet moment ruined by narration that dumbs down the entire scene. Let the actors act, for godssakes.

Exhibit 4:

EXT. LIGHTHOUSE — DAY

A boat moves across the water near the lighthouse.
Vicky and Cristina walk down a walkway together.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
After lunch, Juan Antonio took
Vicky to see the old lighthouse at
Avilés, which she found very
beautiful.

I mean seriously, was the sound guy sick that day? One line of dialogue from Vicky would have solved that problem. Even just a shot of her face admiring the scenery would have sufficed.

What was your reaction to the use of voice-over narration in this movie? Compare it to Allen’s use of V.O. in the beginning of Manhattan:

Let’s discuss in comments.

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