Ever say one thing and mean something else? Of course you have. In fact, virtually every word that leaves your, or my, mouth is weighted with innuendo, context, subtext and various other hidden meanings. When saying "yes" to a cup of tea, is that word a simple expression of desire, or a willingness to please the tea maker out of politeness, or a desperate expression of thirst, or a bunch of other potential meanings?
In writing dialogue, lines that merely state what the character is thinking or serve only to explain the plot, are referred to as 'on the nose'. It feels unnatural.
For a masterclass in writing dialogue that says one thing while conveying the exact opposite, spend a wonderful couple of hours watching The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, written by Andrew Dominik. If you haven't already seen it - and why haven't you? - it is the best film of 2007, in my opinion.
As I'm going to be discussing a particular scene from the film, it's a great idea if you can refer to the actual script. You can access the official Warner Bros download here as a pdf. Open the script and flick to page 37, scene 78. For the rest of you, so no one feels left out, here is the scene courtesy of YouTube.
We already know that Jesse James (Brad Pitt) is pretty ruthless, and prior to this scene Ed Miller (Garret Dillahunt) has been established as an accomplice on a previous heist. Suddenly, James arrives at Miller's cabin unannounced.
Throughout the scene, both characters have hidden agendas directly conflicting with their dialogue. We know Ed is not pleased to see Jesse. We suspect from his denials that he had definitely considered collecting the reward. And despite all his claims that he only 'happened by', we know Jesse has other thoughts on his mind. The moment Jesse invites Ed to ride into town for him for dinner, we know Ed is as good as dead.
Yet, at no point in the scene does Jesse threaten Ed, talk about killing anyone, refer to the heist or do anything except repeat that he was only visiting innocently. But throughout the scene, his intent is clear and in direct contradiction with his words. Beautiful, multi-layered dialogue; made possible by the careful building of character and action throughout the script so that we understand the motivations and emotions behind the words.
This is one of a number of scenes that cleverly play games with subtext. Characters constantly hide their true motives behind a cloud of deceit and bluster - in truth, behaving like real people in extreme situations. Each conversation becomes tinged with danger, despite the most innocent-sounding of anecdotes or statements. Another scene, rife with such innocent anecdotes masking sheer terror and deception, is when Jesse appears at the Harbisone Homestead and shares coffee with Bob, Charley and Wilbur. (Flick to page 52 in the script). After a lot of prompting from a highly agitated Charley, Bob tells James the facts he used to recite when claiming that he and James had much in common.
BOB
Well, if you'll pardon my saying so, I guess it is interesting, the many ways you and I overlap and whatnot. You begin with our Daddies. Your daddy was a pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church; my daddy was pastor of a church at Excelsior Springs. Um. You're the youngest of three James boys; I'm the youngest of the five Ford boys. Between Charley and me, is another brother, Wilbur here (with six letters in his name); between Frank and you was a brother, Robert, also with six letters. Robert is my Christian name. You have blue eyes; I have blue eyes. You're five feet eight inches tall. I'm five feet eight inches tall. Oh me, I must've had a list as long as your nightshirt when I was twelve, but I've lost some curiosities over the years.
JESSE is as still as a photograph. Smoke spirals from his cigar in a line and then squiggles above him like sloppy handwriting; but his eyes are active, cagey, calculating. He comes carefully to life and taps ashes into his coffee cup.
JESSE
Ain't he something?
The point of this piece of dialogue is not to illustrate Bob's obsession with James, as that has already been plainly established. This speech marks the point in the film where Bob switches from adoring fan to potential threat. Bob knows James would easily gun him down for the murder of Dick, and has seen enough recent events to reveal James as lacking the heroic qualities Bob had previously lauded. As such, the dialogue here is highly ironic, the new Bob reciting the words of the old Bob, layered with a growing dread as the two figures face off across the kitchen table. Each knows there is something else occuring underneath the words, prompting James' measured and cagey response.
Dialogue like this is not easy. It relies on exposition being provided in other ways so that the dialogue is not required to carry the story directly. More has to be conveyed by action and image, with dialogue used merely to accentuate mood and reveal character, not plot. It is a common criticism of amateur writing that the dialogue is used to convey story and it is an incredibly easy trap to fall into.
How do you approach dialogue and what are your favourite examples?
