This movie has an Oscar for its screenplay because it contains all the essential elements that engage the audience and allow the story to unfold in an interesting manner. Conflict is one of the key features of a good screenplay. For example, Lingerfelt (2016) argues that internal and interpersonal conflicts are essential for a plot. In the “Lord of the Rings,” both are evident – Frodo is fighting the temptations of the ring, the internal conflict of Aragorn, and the overall fight against Sauron. Apart from that, in this film, there are many conflicts between the main characters who are friends but experience difficulties because of the responsibility they have. For example, Frodo and Sam part ways because the latter does not trust Gollum. Through a conflict, the writers can convey a certain idea, such as the value of friendship and the ability to overcome hardships, as illustrated by Frodo and Sam.
Next, a unique style of writing often distinguishes a good screenplay from a bad one (Lessons from the Screenplay, 2017). In this movie, Peter Jackson collaborates with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, writers who have worked with him before on other Lord of the Rings movies. Hence, the trio has a unique style that creates a special atmosphere present across all “Lord of the Rings” movies, which is recognizable to the viewers.
Finally, this screenplay uses the omniscient point of view, meaning that the story is told by showing the perspectives of different characters and sharing the information that they know (Lessons from the Screenplay, 2016a; Lessons from the Screenplay, 2016b). This is evident from the scenes where Aragorn prepares for the fight without knowing whether Frodo is still alive or not. The viewer can see both perspectives, although the characters possess limited amounts of information, creating more engagement for the viewers. Overall, this screenplay won an Oscar because the writers used different techniques to make the narrative interesting.
References
- J. Lingerfelt (2016). Fundamentals of Hollywood screenwriting with James Russell Lingerfelt.Web.
- Lessons from the Screenplay (2016a). Gone girl-don’t underestimate the screenwriter. Web.
- Lessons from the Screenplay. (2017). The social network-Sorkin, structure, and collaboration. Web.
- Lessons from the Screenplay. (2016b). Ex Machina-the control of information. Web.