Script

This screenplay is under full copyright of Ashlee May. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNATTAINABLE

Written by

Ashlee May

 

15^th May 2020

Draft #1

 

©copyright 2020-2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email: -

Address: - 

 

 

Page One

EXT. A PARK – NIGHT

A close up of police tape being applied is shown and siren sounds are faintly heard. A torch light flashes past and we now have a more zoomed out perspective. Police cars are surrounding the area, and the cops are scattered across the premises, all dressed in uniform. Onlookers are being told to clear the area.

The busiest part of the park: Police are surrounding a bench so it cannot be seen, until one moves. A limp arm can now be seen hanging off the bench. There is no noticeable damage to the arm itself; it looks completely normal with the exception of being limp. The police are discussing and confirming what they already know about the incident so far.

POLICE OFFICER #1 arrives on the scene and swiftly approaches POLICE OFFICER #2. POLICE OFFICER #1 is a tall man, medium build, with dark hair. POLICE OFFICER #2 is shorter and with a larger build.

 

POLICE OFFICER #1

What do we know so far?

 

POLICE OFFICER #2

Twenty-five-year-old male, suspected poison. Call was made at 11:06 pm. Forensics are on their way to look for any DNA left at the scene.

 

POLICE OFFICER #1

[frustrated]

That’s the sixth poisoning we’ve had this month, and it’s only the 14^th.

 

The other officers, after overhearing the conversation, give each other very subtle looks of concern. Another officer (POLICE OFFICER #3) is moving quickly towards the group. He is fitter and younger looking than POLICE OFFICER #2 but noticeably less fit than POLICE OFFICER #1.

 

POLICE OFFICER #3

[addressing all the officers at the scene, buzzing with adrenalin]

The owner of Toffs said he saw the victim leave at around 10pm with a potential suspect.

 

POLICE OFFICER #2

[surprised to hear more information so soon]

And? What do we know about the suspect now?

 

POLICE OFFICER #3

The owner said she stayed hidden in the back, so he didn’t get a look at her face. He did say that she was blonde and five foot three, petite build.

 

POLICE OFFICER #2

[disappointed]

That’s not very helpful.

 

CUT TO:

INT. A café in the same area – a week later, midday.

Two young men, JAMES AND WILLIAM, can be seen sitting at a table by the window. WILLIAM looks to be in his early twenties with curly, dark brown hair and blue eyes. His build is slim and scrawny. JAMES looks to be a similar age to WILLIAM, but he has shaggy blonde hair and green eyes. He is of medium build. The table is covered in comics and WILLIAM is reading one of them, with his head almost buried in it. JAMES looks bored and is clearly not interested in the comics.

JAMES

Did you watch the news this morning?

 

WILLIAM doesn’t answer. He is focused on the comic he is reading and hasn’t heard.

 

[louder]

Someone else has been poisoned…men are dropping like flies out there [nervous laughter]

 

WILLIAM puts down the comic with a sigh.

 

WILLIAM

[offended]

If you’re going to make a joke out of it then you could at least go for a less dehumanising metaphor.

 

JAMES

Sorry…you just hadn’t spoken for a while. It’s difficult to get any conversation out of you when you’re reading these.

 

JAMES picks up a comic and waves it around. He then starts to flip through the pages. WILLIAM retaliates by snatching the comic away from him and placing it back on the table.

 

You do know this isn’t real right? You’re not getting anything out of it.

 

WILLIAM

You don’t get anything out of going to clubs looking for girls, but you still do it.

 

There’s silence between them for a moment before they erupt into hysterical laughter.

JAMES

[still laughing]

Nice.

 

Their laughter eventually dies down.

 

Seriously though, at least I try to get girls. Have you ever talked to a girl before?

 

WILLIAM

[nervously]

Of course I have.

 

JAMES

Other than your mum and your sister?

 

There’s an awkward silence between the two for about 10 seconds.

 

WILLIAM

…No.

 

James snickers before looking around the café. He turns to the back corner of the café. A woman is sitting there, alone, with a book in her hands. She has light brown hair, hazel eyes and her complexion is pale.

 

JAMES

Go and talk to her.

 

WILLIAM turns to look in the same direction as JAMES. He shakes his head a little, eyes going slightly wide.

 

WILLIAM

[nervous]

Why?

 

JAMES

[teasingly]

Aww, are you scared?

 

WILLIAM

[assertively]

No!

 

JAMES

[smirking]

Go on then.

 

WILLIAM

[with fake confidence]

Alright then, I will!

 

WILLIAM trembles slightly as he stands and clumsily makes his way over to the back corner. JAMES can still be seen laughing as the camera looks over WILLIAM’s shoulder. The woman places her book down on the table and gives WILLIAM a questioning look.

WILLIAM

[stuttering]

H-Hi…

[clears throat]

So, how’s the book?

 

JAMES can be heard laughing again, to which WILLIAM cringes. The woman doesn’t seem to take notice of this though. Her hand moves to rest under her chin with her elbow on the table to support it.

 

UNKNOWN WOMAN

It’s great…thanks for asking. I’m Jane by the way.

 

WILLIAM

Jane? That’s a great name.

 

JANE

Thanks. Mind if I ask who you are?

 

WILLIAM

[nervously]

William, my name is William. Will is fine though. You know, if you prefer something more casual…

 

JANE

Alright [with enthesis] Will.

 

WILLIAM

[awkwardly]

So, err, Jane would it be alright if I asked for…you know…

 

JANE

My number? How about a date tonight instead?

 

WILLIAM

[surprised]

A date? A date! Sounds great, yeah, I’ll pick you up at 7:30?

 

JANE rummages through her handbag for a while, pulling out various lip balms and tissues before finding what she was looking for – a small notepad. She writes something in it before tearing out the page, gathering up her lip balms and tissues, and standing. She hands the note to WILLIAM.

 

JANE

Sounds like a plan. My address is on there.

 

JANE kisses WILLIAM on the cheek before leaving the café. WILLIAM is quite shocked. He takes a few seconds to process what has happened before he smugly walks back to JAMES and sits down in his chair, picking up a comic and beginning to read it.

 

JAMES

[impressed]

Wow.

 

WILLIAM

[smugly]

Wow indeed.

 

CUT TO:

EXT. JANE’S DRIVEWAY – evening

 

WILLIAM arrives outside JANE’s house and the time on the dashboard reads 7:29pm.  He is wearing a dark grey suit and his hair is combed back. He gets out of the car and heads to the front door. He then rings the doorbell and JANE opens the door. She is wearing a short black dress; her hair is tied back in a high ponytail and her makeup is heavier than it was at the café.

 

WILLIAM

You look great, Jane.

 

JANE

[jokingly]

Thanks, you don’t look too bad either.

 

They both head to WILLIAM’s car and WILLIAM opens the passenger door for JANE.

 

JANE

[teasingly]

Such a gentleman.

 

WILLIAM chuckles at this as JANE gets in the car. He then shuts the door and heads to the driver’s side before getting in. They both put on their seatbelts.

 

Where are we going?

 

WILLIAM

[dramatically]

Wherever the road takes us!

 

JANE laughs at this. They then drive off.

CUT TO:

INT. Restaurant – evening

 

WILLIAM and JANE are sat at a small table, on opposite sides. A waiter approaches the table with their orders and places the plates down in front of them. WILLIAM has ordered a lasagne with garlic bread. JANE has ordered a mushroom ravioli, to which WILLIAM turns his nose up at. They both begin eating though, and they both seem happy with what they’ve ordered. WILLIAM pauses about halfway through his meal.

WILLIAM

Do you mind if I err…?

 

He nervously points to the bathroom. JANE doesn’t seem bothered.

 

JANE

Sure. I don’t mind.

 

WILLIAM leaves to go to the bathroom. While he’s gone, JANE quickly pours an unknown substance onto his garlic bread.

CUT TO:

EXT. A park in the neighbouring city – night

 

WILLIAM and JANE are sitting on a bench in the centre of the park. There are a few other people around.

JANE

Dinner was great, wasn’t it?

 

WILLIAM

[uncomfortable]

Yeah…

 

JANE

[concerned]

Are you okay?

 

WILLIAM

Yeah, sorry, it’s just…I’m not feeling well.

 

JANE

[disheartened]

We should probably call it a night then. It’s a shame actually…I was having fun.

 

WILLIAM doesn’t answer. He’s holding his stomach in discomfort.

 

I don’t go out on dates often now actually. The news scares me a little.

 

WILLIAM

Well, neither of us have anything to worry about, right? The news said the police are suspecting a blonde woman. You’re not blonde and I’m not a woman.

 

JANE

I know. It’s still scary though isn’t it. For all we know, she could be wearing a wig every time she goes out and they’ll never know her natural hair colour.

 

WILLIAM

I guess.

 

JANE

I bet they don’t know that she’s a lesbian either.

 

WILLIAM

[confused]

What?

 

JANE

A lesbian. A lesbian who’s tired of being hit on by men. All they want from her is her body anyway. There’s no love between a man and a woman. It’s all fake.

 

WILLIAM

What? That’s not true!

[quietly]

I didn’t approach you in the café because I wanted your body, Jane. You’re so much more than that.

 

JANE

You really think I’m going to listen to any of your nonsense? Save your breath… although [pause] it’s not like you’ll be needing it.

 

WILLIAM’s expression changes to one of horror and realisation. He then falls off the bench, still holding his stomach. He looks very unwell. As he falls, Jane’s attitude changes. She begins yelling to the public for help.

 

WILLIAM

[almost inaudible]

You? You’re the…

 

WILLIAM stops moving. A member of the public tries to perform CPR and an ambulance is called. Jane is faking any distress or panic she shows.

 

CUT TO:

INT. the café – the next day

 

JAMES is reading one of WILLIAM’s comics. His hands are noticeably shaky as he turns the pages of the magazine. A news broadcast can be heard playing on the tv in the background. The news reporter has a stoic expression and is dressed in a dark suit. 

 

NEWS REPORTER

Another poisoning took place last night in Chesterham Park. The victim was just 21 years old…

 

The news is drowned out slowly. JAMES takes a sharp swig of his coffee and then stands. He places the comic in his backpack, being careful not to bend it, before zipping it up and placing one of the straps on his shoulder. JAMES then leaves the café swiftly.

Short Film Analysis

Wasp

Wasp is about a single mother who is struggling to provide for her children. Despite this, she is still seen trying desperately to have some normality (dating and going to the pub). The camera shots used in the pub scene allow the audience to see the men watching her as she tries to find David at the pub and when she is playing snooker. Whilst at the pub she is wearing a short skirt and vest which attracts the attention of most of the men there, including David. This presents the ideology that women are sexual objects and that the clothes she is wearing are for the purpose of attracting men and not simply because she wants to wear them. Another key element of this short film is the characterisation of the mother. She cares a lot about her children and this is evident when she leaves David after hearing one of them scream. This is the scene when the families struggles push them all to breaking point and the diegetic sounds of yelling and crying symbolises this but the embrace they share shows the strong bond between them. This film conveys the importance of family through the love a mother has for her children despite their struggles. 

About A Girl

About A Girl is known for its shocking twist of an ending which can lead to multiple interpretations. One of interpretations is that a teenage pregnancy might have occurred and she is disposing of it the same way her mother disposed of the dog she tried to hide in the house. She is copying her mother’s questionable behaviour because she does not have a better example. The other main themes and issues raised in the film are ambition, domestic violence and social deprivation. The film is shot with the main character addressing the audience, which suggests the girl is confident. However, this can also imply that the girl needs someone to talk to. Considering that the people she is talking to (the audience) are strangers this presents the idea of counselling. The girl speaks quite quickly throughout the film and this can represent either panic or excitement and the use of jump cuts adds to this representation. The only shot that is quiet is the one showing the baby in the canal and that could imply that she has nothing to say about it or that she cannot explain it, especially to her mother.

When The Day Breaks

When The Day Breaks is a animated short film with anthropomorphic animals as characters. The appearance of the main characters seems to be metaphorical as there are also regular fish, dogs and pigeons. The film shows the two main characters getting ready for the day with contrasting attitudes. The male chicken is serious and organised and makes a shopping list before heading out to the shop. The female pig is cheerfully dancing and peeling potatoes for her breakfast. She realises that she is out of milk however and goes to the same shop as the man. This appears to be a set up for a romantic meeting between two very different characters, however it results in the man being fatally hit by a car after giving the woman a cold glare for bumping into him. The woman, being overwhelmed by a feeling of guilt, rushes back inside. The view then takes the audience through electrical wires that lead back to the chicken’s home and then a series of flashbacks is played to provide the audience with some background on the character. This also generates some sympathy and questioning. The chicken appears happy and lively in these flashbacks, so the an active audience might question why he is no longer this way. 

Curfew 

La La Land Question

Discuss how important cinematography is in establishing strong responses from spectators to a key character in La La Land. Refer to one scene in detail. 

In the ending scene, Mia and Sebastian are shown in the cinema, watching what could have been if their relationship worked out. This scene includes yellow lighting, which connotes happiness. I think this could also represent 'golden hour' which is the time of day when the sun starts to set. This could convey reality, where the sun has began to set on any hope of a future for Mia and Sebastian. Another colour that I believe has been used to show feelings is blue. When Mia is pregnant, herself and Sebastian are both wearing blue. This could suggest calmness and peace or even the gender of their child, who is shown five seconds later in a blue blanket. When the dream sequence has ended, the blue lighting used has a different meaning. I think the darker blue conveys sadness or misery. The close up shot of Sebastian shows the audience the shadows on his face, and the blue light creates an outline whilst also being the only light source. The lighting in this shot contrasts the 'What Could Have Been' sequence because the emotions conveyed in both are oppositional. The 'What Could Have Been' sequence is full of happiness, which is portrayed by yellow, high-key lighting and the actors' facial expressions. When the sequence ends, the audience is taken back to reality, where blue lighting and shadows are used to convey melancholy. Mia's dress further implies this emotion and contrasts the dress she wears in the sequence. 

This sequence also includes references or parallels to other musical films. An example of this is a reference to "Broadway Melody of 1940". Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell danced across a starry stage in "Broadway Melody of 1940" and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone waltz through a romantic, star-filled room. 


Another scene in the sequence references "Singin' In The Rain". Both films have a monochromatic colour scheme and large-scale public dance scenes. La La land appears to be heavily influenced by the 1952 film. 

This scene allowed me to respond actively because I can relate to Mia's wish fulfilment and question how the couple could have made things work. I can also feel sympathy for her because her 'happily ever after' with Sebastian is now unreachable and reality has taken over. This scene has allowed me to align with Mia because she dreams about a happy, working relationship but knows that her dream career is important to her as well and in this scene she realises that she could not have had both. 

notes (what to include):
-spectatorship
-alignment
-preferred reading 

Winter's Bone Question

In Winter's Bone Granik relied majorly on social context. The plot is mainly shown through setting and costume instead of dialogue, which is minimal. This is done because 'Winter's Bone' is an independent film that relies on realism. An example of this is the cup scene. Merab throws tea in Ree's face and then hits her across the face with the cup. She is then dragged and pulled by her hair by Merab and two other women. I thought this was a very strange and unnecessary attack because it is more common to see guns or fist fighting in films. The camera shots used here represent Ree's frantic attempts to escape but are also quite confusing and difficult to follow. This scene caused me to start asking a lot of questions because, not only are the women carrying out acts of violence, it appears to be a 'normal' act that is carried out when people do not follow the rules. This is very different to how people are disciplined outside of Ozark. Usually, if someone refused to stay away from someone else's property, a restraining order could be put in place. However, there is not a scene showing the police being involved at all, instead the citizens 'take matters into their own hands'. When questioned by Teardrop they tell him that Ree refused to listen when she was told to go home. Teardrop's only concern is that she was possibly hit by a man, but when he finds out it was actually a woman he accepts it and offers to take Ree home. I thought that this reaction was odd because whether it was a man or a woman should not matter; violence is never acceptable. I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters in this film because they have very different behaviours and ways of surviving. They appeared violent and disrespectful to me in this film because they attacked Ree with a very poor excuse for doing so. I was also shocked that no one was arrested for murdering Ree’s father since it’s a very serious crime.

Storyboard

Synopsis

Synopsis

Bates is shown murdering the kid. His motive is unclear but supposedly he is insane and looses his temper. There is a scene of gratuitous torture and violence.

·        Doyle gets called regarding the "suicide" and from Bates’ perspective he sees his chance to cover it up by requesting to assist Doyle. He leads him to an undisclosed location and we see him attack Doyle in the train station lift and drag the body away.

·        Bates finally gets to torture Doyle, he gags him, beats him and eventually murders him.

·      Finishes with a similar scene to the beginning and therefore has an almost circular narrative.

·      Film ends with a blackout after looking at Doyle's dead body on the floor of the art studio Bates used to frame his masterpiece artwork in, the murders. As he is not captured the ending is ambiguous on whether he will continue on this path or he has finished with his murderous ways.

Pan's Labyrinth question

With close reference to one scene from 'Pan's Labyrinth', explore how cinematography and mise-en-scène create meaning.

In this scene Ophelia has taken her brother and plans to take him to the labyrinth, but she is being chased by the Captain. The first shot follows Ophelia as she heads down a staircase, with the Captain showing at the top of the stairs after an explosion, the light from it shadowing his figure. The camera then uses a pan movement to follow the Captain, and the lighting has reverted back to hard light. This is used to show shadows and create a feeling of mystery and fear because the audience do not know if Ophelia will succeed. There is a swift dolly movement as he leaves the building, which shows his men being killed in an explosion, despite this, the Captain continues to hunt down Ophelia, so this adds to his already well developed character. The audience can observe how much he despises Ophelia in this scene, because he choose to continue chasing after her, even when his men were dying.

This is followed by a 12 second shot of Mercedes, who is looking for Ophelia in her bedroom. The lighting in the room is from the various explosions outside and is a yellow/orange colour. This is the same colour the audience sees later in Ophelia’s kingdom, so this could foreshadow her return. After Mercedes notices the chalk door, the camera focus changes to Ophelia again. The audience is now aware that Mercedes is looking for Ophelia and this short shot could bring a sense of hope to the intense scene.

Tracking shots are used next and hard light is used again, to follow Ophelia and the Captain into the labyrinth. After a few seconds the camera uses a dolly curve to see each character from a different angle, first from the front, then the back. Cuts are used to show Ophelia turning corners and the Captain following her a few seconds behind. These camera movements and several shot changes create a realistic experience because the audience are following the characters through the twists and turns of the labyrinth. The next shot is a long shot of Ophelia running into the centre of the labyrinth, the change in shot occurs when the labyrinth closes, because the picture is then pitch black, this could foreshadow the Captain not being able to see the entrance to the labyrinth. The Captain, unable to enter the centre, leaves in a different direction. The camera then zooms in on the Faun as Ophelia approaches him, and then a ‘shot and reverse shot’ is used. Reaction shots are used and are also important here because it allows the viewer to see how Ophelia reacts to the final task and therefore forms a connection between character and viewer.

At the end of their conversation, when the Faun asks Ophelia if she would give up her throne for her brother, the Captain is seen behind her. Because Ophelia agrees that she would give up her throne for her brother, the Faun leaves her to confront her fate with the Captain and a pan is used as she is turned around. This is followed by the Captain taking back Ophelia’s brother and shooting her. The shot used here (a mid shot) means the viewers cannot see the wound, but instead they see Ophelia’s bloody hand. This could actually be considered more affective than just a close up of the wound because we see her reaction as well and there is a small amount of light on her hand to clearly show the severity of the injury. At this point in the scene the non-diegetic sound (the soundtrack) increases in volume and adds to the tragedy of the scene. It is at this moment that Ophelia realises she has lost, as she is dying and can no longer keep her promise to her brother (taking him to her kingdom and making him a prince).