OK. So these are my own personal screenplay favourites, I’m not ranking these on a 1-10 or anything. These are all excellent screenplays though, because I do have very high standards of integrity, art, creativity, structure and composition. Therefore for me to even consider a script for this list it would have to fill an awesome checklist of creative excellence. The Screenplay is the only original piece of work in any movie. Upon this work the Director does his visual interpretation, he interprets the script visually, the Actors base their performances on the script, they interpret the script and bring the characters on the page to life. Everyone else from the Score Composer, Art Director, the Set Designer, the Costume Designer and everyone else involved; all bring their skills in making the written film script come to life. So here we are, please let me have any critique.
Apocalypse Now (Redux). (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola)
Written by Francis Ford Coppola and John Milius, John Milius is perhaps the most underestimated talent in cinematic history. A friend and contemporary of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. John Milius wasn’t accepted by the Hollywood hierarchy and never wanted to be, he therefore never really reached the accolades he truly deserved. He was largely responsible for not only some of the iconic dialogue in this movie 🎥 He was also responsible for such as the iconic Clint Eastwood dialogue in the Dirty Harry films. Work which he was paid for but not credited for? Francis Ford Coppola has a history of screenwriting and film making excellence and as such needs no introduction. As for this movie, it’s an awesomely iconic script and movie with some of cinemas most memorable scenes, dialogues and monologues. This is still my favourite movie and this is largely due to the screenwriting excellence. An Oscar nominated screenplay which should most certainly have won Best Oscar. Just watch it and judge for yourselves.
Pulp Fiction. (Directed by Quentin Tarantino)
Written by Quentin Tarantino, based on a story by Tarantino and Roger Avery. A brilliant and iconic masterpiece of screenwriting excellence. The brilliance and entertaining factor of this movie is written directly in this script. This movie more than any other, highlights just how important the screenplay is. You cannot make a great movie out of a bad screenplay, it’s impossible. This screenplay is unquestionably is one of greatest screenplays ever written, it’s an Oscar winning screenplay.
Se7en. (Directed by David Fincher)
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker is a beautifully crafted piece of work. It’s clever, cinematically brilliant, well structured with one of cinemas greatest ever endings. This is one of the benchmarks of screenwriting excellence. This is the kind of work you should aspire too. If you haven’t seen this yet? Go and watch it now.
The Usual Suspects. (Directed by Bryan Singer)
Written by Christopher McQuarrie. Again this is a well known and awesomely crafted piece of cinematic, screenwriting brilliance. It’s structurally clever, very entertaining, cinematically brilliant. It is in all aspects the very definition of what a great screenplay should be. This script did win the Oscar for best original screenplay.
Fight Club. (Directed by David Fincher)
Written by Jim Uhls. A well known and formidable script, which should inspire anyone who see’s it to at least aspire to write something. Powerfully entertaining and very very stylish. An iconic script and movie.
Lucky Number Slevin. (Directed by Paul McGuigan)
Written by Jason Smilovic. A clever, well crafted, very stylish and very entertaining screenplay, it’s absorbing, funny and a very watchable movie. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know what I’m talking about, if you haven’t seen it? Go see it now.
Ghost Dog. (Directed by Jim Jarmusch)
Written by Jim Jarmusch. A phenomenal and hugely underrated movie and screenplay. Very well crafted, very stylish and almost unique in its brilliance. An iconic screenplay which made an iconic film. A cult classic.
The Insider. (Directed by Michael Mann)
Written by Michael Mann and Eric Roth. A very absorbing, highly intelligent and brilliantly constructed and written screenplay. Like Michael Mann’s other films “Heat” and “Public Enemies” its absorbing to the point of being addictive. Based on real life events and is also very real to watch. Scripts like this beat all the high concept scripts ever written hands down. The movie which was made from this screenplay is just excellent; this screenplay was nominated for an Oscar, which it should have won.
The Third Man. (Directed by Carol Reed)
Written by Graham Greene. I couldn’t compile this list and leave out this quintessential film noir classic. A brilliant movie in every respect and I’m surprised that there has never been a remake. Brilliantly written, powerfully atmospheric and encapsulated the cold war era beautifully. Great movie, great script and great soundtrack.
The Godfather 1&2. (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola)
Written by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Some people may ask you, do you like Godfather part 1 or part 2? This is absolute nonsense, they are essentially two halves of the same movie. The screenplay merges from one film to the other seamlessly. It’s a classic and iconic pair of screenplays, in fact it’s two of the greatest screenplays ever written and as such they need no explanation. Both Godfathers 1&2 won a best adapted Screenplay Oscar and both richly deserved it. Need I say more.
Silence of the Lambs. (Directed by Johnathon Demme)
Written by Ted Tally. Based on the book by Thomas Harris. Another monumentally good piece of literary and cinematic excellence. This script is so good that you just don’t realise it’s so good. This screenplay is what made the film so compelling to watch. This film has my favourite all time ending of any movie; again this won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
JFK. (Directed by Oliver Stone)
Written by Oliver Stone.and Zachary Sklar. This is a vastly underestimated screenplay which certainly deserved its Oscar nomination. Oliver Stone did win best adapted screenplay Oscar for Midnight Express and has received nominations for “Platoon” and “Born on the Fourth of July”. This screenplay I feel is better than all of these. Brilliantly written, cinematically brilliant and really needs no explanation.
Training Day. (Directed by Antoine Fuqua)
Written by David Ayer. This again is one of those once a generation films which become almost timeless. This script is primarily unique because of its essential realism. It’s not flashy or high concept it’s just rock solid very well crafted screenwriting. The film which emerged from this script is just monumentally epic. All this sounds easy enough but just you try doing it. Epic script, epic movie.
The Counsellor. (Directed by Ridley Scott)
Written by Cormac McCarthy. I really like this man’s work. “No Country for Old Men” was another of his great scripts. The Blu Ray Directors Cut version highlights this script fully, the original cinema release severely undermines this movies depth, intelligence and integrity. It’s a clever, well structured script with a great insight into the human character. Well structured, great dialogue, great ending.
ianplantagenet 