Body Heat, written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and released in 1981, is a neo-noir film that stands as a testament to the power of intricate storytelling and well-crafted screenwriting.
Deception, lust, crime, sexual chemistry. That’s all I wanted at 16, just one year off the boat as an immigrant from behind the iron curtain, stuck in Louisville, Kentucky (long story, for a longer post). I barely spoke English. I only knew some basic words that could get me a bag of fries and a Coke with ice at McDonald’s, most curse words, which I committed to memory during one sleepless night, and the first two lines of a little ditty I saw scribbled on the bathroom wall of a Jewish deli in downtown Louisville — "Raise the pot lid when you piss, pee like a dad, not like a sis" — which made me laugh every time I uttered it (something about the vowels, I guess).
What I’m trying to say is that I didn’t understand most of the words in the film; yet, they had such an otherworldly effect on me — the way they were delivered, the heightened quality of the dialogue — that I was mesmerized. I sat through two screenings of the film, frozen in time.
Body Heat did two things for me. One, it made me fall in love with the English language. And two, it made me want to hang out with people who speak in perfect sentences (I’m still looking for them).
Most of the reviews have been positive, but not all. Pauline Kael, the high priestess of American film criticism, infamously panned the film in The New Yorker, taking the most vicious shot at the acting and dialogue: “insinuating, hotted-up dialogue that it would be fun to hoot at if only the hushed, sleepwalking manner of the film didn't make you cringe or yawn." Despite her scathing review, the film became an instant classic. Thank God I read Kael’s review many years after seeing the film; otherwise, I would have dismissed her as a petulant crank.
The other day I read a good post by Keith Phipps on
, which examines Body Heat from the genre/cultural POV. It made me want to throw in my two cents and analyze the film, or rather the film’s first act (all 22 minutes of it), from the screenwriter’s POV.Body Heat’s screenplay is a model of traditional Hollywood story architecture. I used to assign it to my students at Brooklyn College. We would discuss the story’s setup, complications, and resolution in detail and read scenes from it. Although I love the entire screenplay, my favorite part is the setup (Act 1).
Spoiler alert: Those of you who haven’t seen Body Heat, maybe you should before you read on. If you’d rather read the screenplay, I’m attaching it below (Note: For Educational Purposes Only).
Plot Summary: Ned Racine, a charming but morally questionable lawyer and womanizer, embarks on a passionate affair with Matty Walker, the wife of a wealthy entrepreneur. Soon, Ned devises a scheme to murder Matty's husband, allowing them to escape together with his fortune. However, complications arise, leading to grave consequences.
One of the screenplay's strengths lies in its ability to subvert audience expectations. While the core plot is a classic tale of crime and passion, Kasdan injects it with unexpected twists that challenge conventional storytelling norms.
What Should the Setup (Act 1) Do?
The setup should engage the audience, laying the groundwork for the story, introducing the protagonist (main character), and establishing the narrative trajectory. It creates a robust foundation that motivates the audience to invest in the characters and unfolding plot. Ultimately, Act 1 hooks the audience, introduces key story elements, and forms a strong foundation for character and plot development in subsequent acts.
Note: The three-act-screenplay structure is a story model that goes back to Aristotle's dramatic theory as outlined in Poetics. It is defined as a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. We can also think of the three-act structure as the Setup (Act 1), the Confrontation / Struggle (Act 2), and the Resolution (Act 3).
Act 1: Setting the Stage
Introducing Ned Racine
Ned Racine, a charismatic yet morally ambiguous lawyer, is introduced in his world of a sweltering Florida town. The first two scenes establishes Ned's character, lifestyle, and routine, providing a baseline for the audience.
Racine is the archetypal flawed protagonist. Note that
captivating characters are often flawed, allowing us to better witness their journey—whether one of growth or downfall—through the prism of their imperfections.
What is Racine flaw? Racine’s got two (at least in the beginning, when we first meet him).
1. He’s a womanizer
2. He’s an incompetent lawyer.
Let’s look at this scene showcasing his first flaw:
(P. 1)
And right after that, on pp. 2-3, his second flaw is introduced:
A few lines later:
The writer wastes no time. Racine’s flaws are revealed immediately. But so are his virtues – good-looking, charming, confident.
BTW, when screenwriters refer to “character flaws they’re talking about a narrative approach where the flaws of the characters in a screenplay are not intended for societal judgment but rather as elements that can lead to their downfall if not addressed in the story. In this context, the flaws serve as internal challenges or obstacles for the characters to overcome, adding depth and conflict to the storyline. This approach allows for a more nuanced exploration of the characters' struggles and growth throughout the narrative.
Now that we’ve established our main character, we’re ready to start the story. The inciting incident, a pivotal moment that sets the narrative in motion, acts as the key that starts the engine and thrusts our characters into an unexpected turn of events. This catalyst, a force of change triggered by the inciting incident, propels them into a journey filled with challenges and opportunities for growth.
Meeting Matty Walker (Inciting Incident):
Kathleen Turner portrays Matty Walker, a classic femme fatale. Her allure and mystique are central to the plot, and the screenplay ensures that her motivations remain shrouded in ambiguity until the very end. The palpable chemistry between Ned and Matty, and the tension between them, serves as the engine propelling the story forward. But that’s a tale for later. Back to Racine.
Another sweltering evening. Racine is on the prowl, as always.
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