Every Screenwriter Should Know This

Фильм және анимация

A video essay on the most perfectly written and delivered movie speech of all time and why I hold it in such high regard. A video about the ancient art of classical rhetoric and how it is primordial for the creation a truly memorable, persuasive, emotional and beautiful text.
The film is "Amistad" (1997), directed by Steven Spielberg and written by David Franzoni, who proved here he's an extraordinary writer. Before the Supreme Court, former U.S. President John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) makes a passionate and verbally extraordinary defence of Cinque and prisoners of the Amistad, free African men who were kidnapped and sold into slavery.
You can find the real John Quincy Adams speech for the Amistad case online. It's 108 pages long and it lasted four hours.
In this video I'll go through the 5 Canons of Rhetoric (Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory and Delivery) and a slew of rhetorical devices. We'll witness this speech's complete mastery of each rhetorical subject.
A couple notes: in classical arrangement Confirmatio usually comes before Refutatio instead of after, as was done in this speech. Arrangement also gives another part to the speech called Partitio, which is when you state what will be your arguments throughout the speech. That sounds rather expositional and not very cinematic (spoiling your own scene?), so it makes complete sense to not have it in a movie speech.
Here are some of the books I used as references when writing this video. I recommend them all for those interested in the study of this priceless subject that is rhetoric:
- "How to Win an Argument: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion" by Cicero and James M. May
- "A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms" by Richard A. Lanham
- "Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric" by Ward Farnsworth
- "The Elements of Eloquence" by Mark Forsyth
- "On Rhetoric" by Aristotle
- "Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion" by Jay Heinrichs
This last book here with the catchy title. You won't believe who the author claims inspired him to study rhetoric!
I split the video into the parts of the speech (Arrangement) but make sure to catch up on the other canons and multiple devices:
00:00 Movie Speeches
00:32 Amistad
02:28 Exordium
03:04 Narratio
06:03 Refutatio
09:11 Confirmatio
12:45 Peroratio
I was editing the video when I found out "southern" is pronounced ˈsʌðɚn and not - as one would damn well expect - ˈsaʊðɚn. Damn you, English! Make sense! I couldn't be bothered to rerecord though.
#videoessay #screenwriting #filmmaking #anthonyhopkins
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Пікірлер: 63

  • @bimblebee
    @bimblebeeАй бұрын

    Moviewise know words good

  • @GaudiaCertaminisGaming

    @GaudiaCertaminisGaming

    Ай бұрын

    He got a purdy mouth.

  • @gilad1908

    @gilad1908

    Ай бұрын

    As a writer (i suspect) should

  • @JohnMoseley

    @JohnMoseley

    Ай бұрын

    He knows them a lot better than a lot of the native English speakers doing otherwise intellectual content on KZread. It's really sad. Never mind rhetoric, they seem not to have even learned basic grammar and syntax in school.

  • @petergivenbless900
    @petergivenbless900Ай бұрын

    One of the things I find particularly striking about 'Amistad' is how restrained Spielberg is in his camerawork; while his placement, blocking and framing are typically economic and expressive, the camera itself rarely moves (limited to tilts and pans etc.). But we are given a few dolly shots; during a conversation between Cinque and Adams, where the camera pushes in as Cinque describes calling upon his ancestors in times of strife, and in the courtroom speech when Adams does the same.

  • @Moviewise

    @Moviewise

    Ай бұрын

    I had to fight the urge to point out how when Adams rips the Executive Review he takes a couple steps forward. It wouldn’t make much difference to the Justices based on their distance to him, so what he’s doing is approaching the camera to make the action appear bigger for us. It’s discreet and it substitutes a camera movement.

  • @petergivenbless900

    @petergivenbless900

    Ай бұрын

    @@Moviewise yes, it's Spielberg at his most economic (the longest shot in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' is a static shot of Roy Neary, on the phone to Ronnie, in his livingroom; the action takes Roy from low-angle close-up to wide, as he walks back and forth, all the while maintaining a composition dominated by the model of the Devil's Tower in the middle of the room, and a TV set in foreground left), I would need to rewatch 'Amistad' but I am pretty sure the only other dolly shot in the entire film, aside from the ones I mentioned that link Adams' speech back to his conversation with Cinque, is a lateral tracking shot revealing the row of Judges at the start of Adams' courtroom scene.

  • @matm4331
    @matm4331Ай бұрын

    Thank you for finding cinema's diamonds in the places most of us are not looking!

  • @JohnMoseley
    @JohnMoseleyАй бұрын

    This has arrived just at the right moment to accompany me restringing my guitar.

  • @MrBenaud
    @MrBenaudАй бұрын

    "Who we are is who we were", standing next to a bust of his father. I remember being aware of the manipulation when I watched this film, but loving it and wanting more! As you say: chills.

  • @Shah-of-the-Shinebox
    @Shah-of-the-ShineboxАй бұрын

    I saw Amistad once years ago. Thanks to Moviewise, i will have to revisit it. Thanks again Wise One for making friday great!!!

  • @andrewgreenshoe
    @andrewgreenshoeАй бұрын

    Can you handle the ultimate compliment? Hope so. Genius!

  • @Julian97MetalFighter
    @Julian97MetalFighterАй бұрын

    Your videos on rethoric are one of best out there

  • @Kevin_Street
    @Kevin_StreetАй бұрын

    Wow. I remember watching Amistad in the theater, and everything in the movie built up to that speech. It was a tremendous release of the tension that had been building and building up to that point in the film. When John Quincy Adams stands up you _know_ he's going to be amazing, and the film actually delivers on that expectation. You explain how it works incredibly well.

  • @PerfectHandProductions
    @PerfectHandProductionsАй бұрын

    I think of the "The World is a Business" speech from Network.

  • @gelchert
    @gelchertАй бұрын

    Bonus point for Anthony Hopkins delivering this entire brilliant speech in the first take. Granted, his stage background probably helped with that, but compare that to America Ferrera bragging about how she used dozens of takes to get her much shorter and far inferior speech in _Barbie_ just right.

  • @davidunderwood1773

    @davidunderwood1773

    Ай бұрын

    With much more complex blocking and movement as well.

  • @Kevin_Street

    @Kevin_Street

    Ай бұрын

    It's an incredible performance. This is one of those movies where everyone involved was already legendary, so I guess they knew the movie had to be the best they could make it. This is swinging for the fences stuff.

  • @videovuer
    @videovuerАй бұрын

    A truly great video about truly great movie making about the elements of truly great storytelling!!!

  • @madmartigan21
    @madmartigan21Ай бұрын

    4:10 Similes are a TYPE of metaphor. All similes are metaphors but not all metaphors are similes. Much like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares.

  • @N_Loco_Parenthesis
    @N_Loco_ParenthesisАй бұрын

    Still waiting on that Genius of Powell & Pressburger essay, Wiseman.

  • @geoffhoutman1557

    @geoffhoutman1557

    Ай бұрын

    Just like Agincourt- BRING ON THE ARCHERS!

  • @matfresco
    @matfrescoАй бұрын

    2nd - sitting at the feet of the master, thanks MovieWise

  • @nicolasbelloni484
    @nicolasbelloni484Ай бұрын

    Thanks for teaching us with every video!

  • @peterkalyabe7553
    @peterkalyabe7553Ай бұрын

    I have visited this speech several times because it is so good. Thank you for this 'scientific explanation'.

  • @hassanbasire19
    @hassanbasire1926 күн бұрын

    I just love the way you speak

  • @bearcb
    @bearcbАй бұрын

    I usually save videos from this channel in a playlist of mine called Cinema. This one goes to another: Education

  • @OfekMazor
    @OfekMazorАй бұрын

    I fucking love you mr. Moviewise❤

  • @user-pj3vj3lv7y
    @user-pj3vj3lv7yАй бұрын

    Can't tell you how happy I am seeing a new video on speech because I rewatch JFK many times this week (which is thanks to you, too, I put off watching it for so long). Thank you wholeheartedly, Mr. Moviewise. edit: Also, I usually watch your videos with a notebook and a pen.

  • @Zed-fq3lj
    @Zed-fq3ljАй бұрын

    extraordinary video, thx man!

  • @rosiecarter7146
    @rosiecarter7146Ай бұрын

    More please!

  • @BMeneau
    @BMeneauАй бұрын

    Amistad went a bit under the radar, because it was followed by SPR. It has great stuff in it though. The Middle Passage Sequence, the eloquent screenplay, teh performances, the beautiful camerawork, John Williams' great score... It also makes a great companion piece to Lincoln

  • @MacRome61
    @MacRome61Ай бұрын

    Thank you for teaching us to be „aware movie buffs“!

  • @mashaikh52
    @mashaikh52Ай бұрын

    Bravo. Much to learn about the art of movie making

  • @DarkSideofSynth
    @DarkSideofSynthАй бұрын

    Absolutely BRILLIANT!

  • @thesoundofonemanlaughing
    @thesoundofonemanlaughingАй бұрын

    I have not seen this one, as "earnest" Spielberg isn't my favorite, but after "The Father," I think I will give something with Hopkins a watch without any arm-twisting. 👌

  • @vastvolume
    @vastvolume20 күн бұрын

    You are beautiful, your channel is gorgeous, and all your videos are stunning. Thank you for your work, Movieswise.

  • @therealinformalmusic
    @therealinformalmusicАй бұрын

    It is worth noting, I submit, that John Quincy Adam’s original complete speech, available online, is itself a model of rhetorical skill.

  • @uchil3916
    @uchil3916Ай бұрын

    it's like... he has the BEST words

  • @frankyan3943
    @frankyan3943Ай бұрын

    What an underrated film. In every way the prequel for his later masterpiece Lincoln

  • @bluehorizon9547
    @bluehorizon9547Ай бұрын

    Please make analysis of Park Chang Wook. His movies are insane: Oldboy, Handmaiden, Thirst, Decision to leave....

  • @deborahrose8621
    @deborahrose8621Ай бұрын

    Amazing

  • @ulaznar
    @ulaznarАй бұрын

    You forgot to thank yourself for teaching us 😅

  • @biffstrong1079
    @biffstrong1079Ай бұрын

    I'm a big fan of the Howard Rourke speech on the individual versus the collective in the The Fountainhead. It is Ayn Rand, but still I thought a very good speech. Liked Jimmy Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder. Lot of detailed talk explaining process and how the law works. Boring I know. Spartacus has a nice set of little speeches that establish each character. Olivier, Ustinov and Laughton all get their moments. Gorky Park has fewer speeches but just great pithy lines and characters. " Corpses their faces cut off, murdered and frozen in Gorky Park. Maybe Major Pabluda this is a job for KGB." "Someday Renko this could be you." Or " You know the KGB have better cars. " Yes But they don't always take you where you want to go, do they? " Big Chill Ghandi , Ben Kingsley, got a nice speech in court in South Africa, which nicely outlined a regime where Passive resistance simply wasn't going to work. Oh and Breaker Morant was a courtroom drama with a constant argument about committing murder during the Boer war. casablanca lot of great dialogue. I guess its less speechy.

  • @mercurialhypersprite9556
    @mercurialhypersprite9556Ай бұрын

    I feel like it WOULD BE INSULTING calling you the G.O.A.T. Because it should be OBVIOUS. Keep at it my G! YES. Writer's should learn rhetoric. You, magnificent, bastard.

  • @bryandukeBrynyab
    @bryandukeBrynyab15 күн бұрын

    Thanks

  • @Moviewise

    @Moviewise

    14 күн бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @hemanthkarri107
    @hemanthkarri107Ай бұрын

    beautiful essay. can you please recommend some books that you used to study rhetoric?

  • @Moviewise

    @Moviewise

    Ай бұрын

    Check the description ;)

  • @hemanthkarri107

    @hemanthkarri107

    Ай бұрын

    @@Moviewise thank you friend

  • @gdvanc

    @gdvanc

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@Moviewise I read the Forsyth book recently and it exposed a gaping hole in my education. When you popped "RHETORIC" across the screen, it was time for popcorn.

  • @tom-vj9lz
    @tom-vj9lzАй бұрын

    The next video should be about the 1972 mastery that is something evil by the great Steve. A movie so great it never appears on any of those ""EVERY" Steveven Spielberg movies ranked" videos.

  • @AugustGallmeyer1998

    @AugustGallmeyer1998

    Ай бұрын

    what are you talking about?

  • @tom-vj9lz

    @tom-vj9lz

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@AugustGallmeyer1998 that's the point

  • @Alsrdi5
    @Alsrdi5Ай бұрын

    To think after all that I'm going to watch the movie subbed in another language

  • @tejasambhore8046
    @tejasambhore8046Ай бұрын

    Can I have the name of the book?

  • @dattebenforcer
    @dattebenforcerАй бұрын

    Team America: World Police had a better speech.

  • @forecheckbackcheckpaycheck
    @forecheckbackcheckpaycheckАй бұрын

    Ok I low-key get nervous when Moviewise don't get enough views. This is one of only 25 channels I follow, so commenting and liking on this. Keep em coming big man, you're giving us gold, gold I tell ya!

  • @maximilianobarrionuevo9746
    @maximilianobarrionuevo9746Ай бұрын

    Talk about Andrei Tarkovsky!

  • @madmartigan21
    @madmartigan21Ай бұрын

    Anthony Hopkins never changes the emotional level of his delivery. I disagree that this is even a good movie speech.

  • @tr7938
    @tr7938Ай бұрын

    Too bad McConnahy was in this movie. He's tiresome and overrated like so many of them....

  • @seamotine
    @seamotineАй бұрын

    While I love this channel and this movie, I have to disagree. The Braveheart ‘they may take our lives’ speech stands alone. Honourable mention for the Rocky IV speech which brought down the Berlin Wall, quite the days work.

  • @N_Loco_Parenthesis

    @N_Loco_Parenthesis

    Ай бұрын

    See more movies.

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