Here’s a great selection of video monologues from The Script Lab people. Plus, they give us the added bonus of a script download, so what’s not to love.
Do you write monologues in your scripts? Or are they considered old-school? I wrote one for my Big Pharma Drama where the main character, in a delusional state, rants for a page. I wanted him to fully vent his frustrations and thought I’d just let him rip. What I learnt from this was the pacing and syntax had to be punchy, a kind of staccato style, to make it easier for the actor to go along with the flow.
From the selection in the article, what is your favourite? Personally I loved Peter Finch’s monologue in ‘Network’. I must admit it had me in tears by the end of it.
For you: Is the monologue dead? What is your favourite from the selection in the article? If you’re an actor, do you like the opportunity to let your character vent and flex your actorly muscles?
https://thescriptlab.com/weekly-feature/41075-moving-monologue-the-best-...?
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Oh, a monologue I REALLY loved is Martin's Spaghetti-monologue in Killing of a Sacred Deer (played by Barry Keoghan). Such a simple gesture of eating spaghetti that was turned into such a tense moment, really.
I don't think the monologue is dead. I personally enjoy a really good monologue from time to time; one that is motivated and flows well into the scene. I don't want to be aware that the character is going on a rant now; it should come naturally and flow out and back into the dialogue, like Greta Gerwig's monologue in Frances Ha and Michael Stuhlbarg's monologue in CMBYN.
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Quint in Jaws probably had the best monologue. The whole thing was mesmerizing. Something like 2 pages of dialogue and you don't bat an eye during it.
I'm surprised that Colonel Kurtz's monologue from Apocalypse now wasn't mentioned.
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You wanna know which monologue is my favorite, Geoff Hall? Well, "you can’t handle the truth!" Haha The "A Few Good Men" monologue is my favorite.
I don't think the monologue is dead. It's a powerful tool. I think the key is to keep it engaging.
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It has to have a purpose. Can be Very useful in showing the villain’s point of view, give a counter argument to the theme of the film.
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I don’t think that monologues are dead. It really depends on the script and the character as to whether it’s appropriate.
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I guess no experts told a young Tarantino monologues are dead.
Seriously, ppl only remember good/great and this occupation has way too many average skills in front & behind camera. Either you can or can't.
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My initial reaction is that it would really depend on the audience's investment in that character and what they have to say. Most movie monologues I've seen have had me invested, such as the one at the end of Barbie. I cared about the character and it was so relevant to her journey and the message of the movie. I can't recall a monologue that has left me bored, and I suspect that's because most screenwriters know to use them sparingly.
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Hard to use well but when they are they can be amazing. James McAvoy's in Atomic Blond was very satisfying to watch! Daniel Craig's in the opening of Layer Cake is brilliant at setting the tone of the movie, while Alec Guinnes pondering on whether his life has amounted to anything meaningful in Bridge on the River Kwai is a moving use of understatement.