Subtext as clever writing
Just wrapping up “Core V: Dialogue,” a new Screenwriting Master Class course. As usual, we had a great group that really dug into the subject of how to approach writing dialogue. We spent a lot of time discussing subtext, the meaning beneath the text of the dialogue. One of the writers in the class Annika posted this on a forum:
“I was trying to think of a time when a character said something in a clever way and it was simply just that — pithy or clever — and not subtextual. For instance, when Don Carleone says, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” it’s a clever way to say, “I’m going to threaten his life”, which is the message of the subtext, too. So, does it mean that by the very nature of hiding something behind a layer of cleverness you automatically make the audience work a little find the meaning, thus you are creating subtext, almost by default?”
My response:
Your observation reminds me of an anecdote from Robert Towne about taking acting classes, both as young men and new to Hollywood:
“Watching Jack improvise really had an effect. His improvisations were inventive. When he was given a situation, he would not improvise on the nose. He’d talk around the problem, and good writing is the same way: It’s not explicit. Take a very banal situation — a guy trying to seduce a girl. He talks about everything but seduction, anything from a rubber duck he had as a child to the food on the table or whatever. But you know it’s all oriented toward trying to fuck this girl. It’s inventive, and it teaches you something about writing. Most scenes are rarely about what the subject matter is. You soon see the power of dealing obliquely or elliptically with situations because most people rarely confront things head-on.”
Jack Nicholson attempting to seduce a girl while talking about “everything but seduction” is probably the epitome of clever, yes?
So you make a great point and one nifty bit of takeaway is this: If you’re having a problem generating subtext with a character or in a scene, think about how they might be consciously attempting to achieve their goal in a clever, off-the-nose way. Almost by default, as you suggest, the subtext can emerge.
What do you think? Is clever a helpful touch point for you when it comes to writing subtext?