UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL THÈSE PRÉSENTÉE COMME EXIGENCE PARTIELLE nUnOCTORATTNÊTUOESET'PRATIQUES1lES ARTS PAR AtiSaeed Zalijalii Jumet 2006 UNIVERSITÉ -nU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL -SCréénpiay: nt<wie script ur Hterawre? A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE -OF DOCTOR OFPHiLOSOPHY I~r STVDŒS ANI>P.RACTICES OF THE ARTS -by AtiSaeed Zanjani JuÎy 200-6 UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL Service des bibliothèques Avertissement La diffusion de cette thèse se fait dans le respect des droits de son auteur, qui a signé le formulaire Autorisation de reproduire et de diffuser un travail de recherche de cycles supérieurs (SDU-522 - Rév.01-2006). Cette autorisation stipule que «conformément à l'article 11 du Règlement no 8 des études de cycles supérieurs, [l'auteur] concède à l'Université du Québec à Montréal une licence non exclusive d'utilisation et de publication de la totalité ou d'une partie importante de [son] travail de recherche pour des fins pédagogiques et non commerciales. Plus précisément, [l'auteur] autorise l'Université du Québec à Montréal à reproduire, diffuser, prêter, distribuer ou vendre des copies de [son] travail de recherche à des fins non commerciales sur quelque support que ce soit, y compris l'Internet. Cette licence et cette autorisation n'entraînent pas une renonciation de [la] part [de l'auteur] à [ses] droits moraux ni à [ses] droits de propriété intellectuelle. Sauf entente contraire, [l'auteur] conserve la liberté de diffuser et de commercialiser ou non ce travail dont [il] possède un exemplaire.» Acknowledgement 1 thank my advisor Jean-Philippe Uzel, for his insights and encouragments. Jean-Philippe was always there te listen and to give aôviëe. 1 also thank Louise Poissant, Josette Féral, and Micheline Lanctôt, whose suggestions hâve been incorporated in this version. A special thanks goes 1'0 Anne Ahrnad and Carol Johnson for editing the manuscript and the screenplay-noveî (Between Borders). And, 1 thank Behjat Benarn for her contïnuous support. Contents Acknowledgement -------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv Table des matières ------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii ~éSlln1é ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Chapter 1 (Screenplay) 1. Development of screenplay -------------------------------------------------------- 12 1.1 The Waterer Watered ------------------------------------------------------------- 14 1.2 A Trip to the Moon ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18 1.3. Life ofan American Fireman --------------------------------------------------- 21 1.4 The Great Train Robbery --------------------------------------------------------- 24 1.5 The Birth ofa Nation -------------------------------------------------------------- 26 1.6 ~h()()t the 1Dianist ------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 Chapter 2 (Plot) 2. The art of Poetry ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 2.1 Four Elements of Dramatic writing (Poetry) ------------------------------------ 38 2.1.1 Plot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39 2.1.2 Action Plot ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 39 2. 1.3 Three Acts ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 2.1.4 Reversai and Recognition, Suffering ---------------------------------------- 40 2.1.5 Unity ofTime, Length -------------------------------------------------------- 42 2.2 ~pic -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 2.3 Plot in novel ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 2.3.1 Action Plot ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 2.3.2 Three Acts, Change of Fortune, Suffering ---------------------------------- 45 2.3.3 Time and Length --------------------------------------------------------------- 47 2.4 Plot in Screenplay ---------------------------------------------------------------- 49 2.4.1 Three Acts, Change ofFortune, Suffering ----------------------------------- 49 2.4.2 Time, Length -------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 2.4.3 Plot in Screenplay Titanic ----------------------------------------------------- 51 2.5 Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 53 Chapter 3 (Character) 3. Character in Tragedy and Epic ---------------------------------------------------- 54 3.1. Three Types of Characterization ------------------------------------------------ 55 3. 1.1 Aims of Characterization ------------------------------------------------------- 55 3.2 Character in Novel ----------------------------------------------------------------- 57 3.2.1 Characterization in Novel ------------------------------------------------------ 58 3.2.2 Through Description ---------------------------------------------------------- 59 3.2.3 Through Action ------------------------------------------------------------------ 61 3.2.4 Through Dialogue --------------------------------------------------------------- 63 3.2.5 Types of character in Novel ---------------------------------------------------- 63 3.3 Character in Screenplay ----------------------------------------------------------- 65 3.3.1 What makes a good Character -------------------------------------------------- 67 3.3.2 Through Description ------------------------------------------------------------- 67 3.3.3 Through Dialogue ---------------------------------------------------------------- 68 3.3.4 Through Action ------------------------------------------------------------------ 70 3.3.5 Types of Character in Screenplay -------------------------------------------- 71 3.3.6 Character's names and numbers ----------------------------------------------- 73 3.4 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74 Chapter 4 (Thought) 4. Thought in The Poetics ------------------------------------------------------------ 75 4.1 Thought and Stake in Novel ------------------------------------------------------ 77 4.2 Thought and Stake in Screenplay ------------------------------------------------ 78 4.2. 1 Stake ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 81 4.3 Conclusion -----------------------------------------------------------"'--------------- 82 Chapter 5 (Diction) 5. Description, Dialogue --------------------------------------------------------------- 83 5. 1 Characteristics of"Good Diction" ------------------------------------------------ 85 5.1.2 Five Cornrnon Errors ------------------------------------------------------------ 86 5.2 Diction in Novel -------------------------------------------------------------------- 86 5.2.1 Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 87 5.2.2 Narrator, Point ofview, Tense -------------------------------------------------- 88 5.2.3 Dialogue -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 89 5.3 Dicti<m in Screenplay ------------------------------------------------------------- 92 5.3.1 Point ofview, Tense, Narrator ------------------------------------------------ 93 5.3.2 Dialo~e ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 94 5.3.3 Voice-over --------------------------------------------------------------------- 96 5.4 Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 97 Chapter 6 (Between Borders, a screenplay-novel) 6. A Screenplay-novel --------------------------------------------------------------- 99 6.1 Plot -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101 6.2 Character -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102 6.3 Thought and Stake --------------------------------------------------------------- 105 6.4 Diction (Description) ------------------------------------------------------------- 105 6.5 Diction (Dialo~e) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 106 6.6 Element of style in screenplay-novel ------------------------------------------- 107 Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 Appendixes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 119 Bibliography -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 154 TABLE DES MATIERES Acknowledgement ------------------------------------------------------------------------ üi Co ntents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ iv Table des matières ----------------------------------------------------------------------- vii lléslImé ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x Introd11 ction ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Chapitre 1 (Le scénario) 1. Histoire du scénario ---------------------------------------------------------------- 12 1. 1 L'Arroseur arrosé ---------------------------------------------------------------- 14 1.2 Le Voyage dans la lune ------------------------------------------------------------ 18 1.3. Dfe