Life or movie: Which comes first? An aspiring screenwriter's discovery of... [Paperback]

Mickael L. Rozwarski (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1581126255 | ISBN-13: 978-1581126259 | Publication Date: July 1, 2002

"Life or movie: Which comes first?" is a glimpse into an aspiring screenwriter's mind as he tries to figure out the inner workings of high concept movies. The author starts out with the premise that there are very easy rules that govern storytelling, rules which are universal and tolerate no exceptions. That is how he was led to discard traditional perspectives of movie analysis one after the other (Field, Campbell, Jung, Freud) which all proved to be unfaithful to observable facts. The author proposes then a change of paradigm and a different look at storytelling: fiction is like magic; you cannot explain it or it will break the spell, ruin the magic. But when you think about it, there are no two rational ways of making a rabbit appear from a hat.

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . . a recipe the entertainment industry wants to keep secret . . . . -- Philip Lyren, Screenwriter, Disorientation

About the Author

Mickael Rozwarski is a writer and an avid student of literature and film. Mickael continues to work toward his goal of film directing as well as pursuing a professional writing career. As an artist, he teaches through non-fiction writing and tells stories through screenwriting and other creative venues. Mickael received a Master of Arts in English from the University of Upper Alsace, France, and an M.A. in French literature from the University of Houston, Texas.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Universal Publishers (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581126255
• ISBN-13: 978-1581126259
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,637,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Can Magic be explained?, December 9, 2003

By 

Michael Bird (Yorba Linda, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life or movie: Which comes first? An aspiring screenwriter's discovery of... (Paperback)

In just a little over a hundred pages this dissertation on screenwriting takes the reader on a journey through several "high concept" movies, explains from the authors viewpoint some of the metaphors for real life found in these films and makes some conclusions about successful movie making in general. Are these specific rules true to all successful high concept movies?, I'm not sure, could it be that the movies picked for examples fit the conclusions? I'm going to leave that to other readers to decide for themselves but the insights are interesting.

There are plenty of footnotes and quotes in this book, the author certainly did lot's of homework, but I wasn't always sure if some of his conclusions about what certain articles in movies, or certain acts by the actors or directors really meant what he concludes they meant. However, whether he is always on spot or not, the "thinking about it" part of the read was interesting and entertaining and I enjoy thinking about and discussing the theoretical blend of reality with fiction.

Some of the movies discussed here are 'Titanic', Disney's animated version of 'Tarzan', 'The Beach', 'Fight Club' and 'Seven'. There are many others and he includes an extensive filmography and bibliography at the end of the work. The author makes some assertions about how audiences view the movie and how the movie acts as a both a piece of fiction and as something bigger than that. From the back cover: "fiction is like magic; you cannot explain it or it will break the spell, ruin the magic." Of course that brings to light a paradox, a book on screenwriting fiction, acknowledging that you cannot really explain the magic, yet attempting to break the spell anyway. He goes on to say "...there are no two rational ways of making a rabbit appear from a hat." Perhaps. But perhaps not. Perhaps the magic is deeper still, unexplainable and ambiguous and in multiple forms.

Yet, agreeably, there are some themes, some rules that are simply inescapable when it comes to good stories, whether they be screenplays or novels.

Is there really, as a blurb on the back cover states "recipes the entertainment industry wants to keep secret?" Maybe. I've always believed that if you could tell a good story, people will listen, but it is true that certain rules (generally) must be adhered to for success in any industry.

I recommend this work to any that have a desire to get all the information they can on successful screenwriting, to get into the mind of one that believes he has found some universal secrets to great films. I'm going to complain here that the price of the book, in relation to the size is a bit steep, and it could have used a little more polishing in the editing process. It is not a "nuts and bolts" or "how to book" however, so keep in mind that the book assumes a basic knowledge already in place for fictional story telling and script or screen writing in general.

For those serious about writing screenplays how do you place a cost on even one good idea? I enjoyed the read and the thinking inspired by it.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boldly going where no other "How To" has gone before, December 13, 2003

By 

Christian R. Bonawandt (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life or movie: Which comes first? An aspiring screenwriter's discovery of... (Paperback)

A necessary supplement to the unestablished screenwriter's library. Rozwarski ventures away from traditional writers' "How to . . ." books and actually disects the very nature of the "high concept" movie. Hits like Titanic, Fight Club, Se7en and Tarzan, along with cult favorites such as The Beach and Bedazzled, are all picked apart scene for scene using a variety of methods until, at last, the heart of all movies is revealed. I could sum up his conclusion in a single sentence, but, as

the Buddhists say, the journey is in itself the destination.

In other words, read this book. Then read it again.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars over-analysis, January 18, 2004

By 

Jeffrey L. Armbruster (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life or movie: Which comes first? An aspiring screenwriter's discovery of... (Paperback)

This book will not help you write a screenplay. It does not explain any deep theory about stories or movies. The author of this self-published book presents his unchallenged, psychological theories about movie symbology. Not symbols regarding character development or story development. But symbols about what actors call the 4th wall, the one that separates the audience from the stage (many actors quickly forget they are on stage to entertain and present a story, not to socialize with the audience. I think the 4th Wall is a French/Marxist idea: separating the workers from the means of production. Very thin). I won't explain, too strongly disagree. If you think seeing a blackboard, or a business card, or a blank page on the screen is going to make the audience recognize that shape as a sub-conscious symbol for the screen, and it will somehow bring audience and movie closer together, then this book is for you -- and so is the writer's block that it will generate in your conscious mind. If you think playing amateur psychologist to your reader/audience is the wrong direction for learning about the art of story writing (as I do), then spend your money more wisely on Bill Johnson's book, A Story is a Promise, a much better book Psychology has its place in understanding and explaining the behavior of your characters. But second-guessing how the audience will unconsciously perceive the symbolic meanings in your story is the apogee of pure BS. Let the French play that game. It's difficult enough writing a good story that an agent or a Hollywood Script Reader will accept and recommend to their boss.