Behind The Veil

A Film Noir in the style prevalent during the post-World War II era, the story taking place during that period, based on universal themes, while emphasizing the harsh realities of the era regarding racism, bigotry, intolerance, injustice, and social and political corruption.

It represents a dark, cynical portrayal of Hollywood’s golden era, as we view with hindsight the changes and revelations to come. And as film noir relies heavily on dialogue, archival footage of the era may be incorporated within the action.

I’ve taken great strides to make it as historically correct as possible in terms of people, places, and events; to the point of the views and dialogue being indicative of the era.

COVERAGE - THE FILMMATIC SCREENPLAY COMPETITION 2020

Call me a sucker for noire, but this script had all the twists, turns, and escalating tension that I could have wanted. Behind the Veil knows exactly what genre its operating in and makes sure to bring the entertainment not just through surprising plot points, but also through equally complex characters. The entire cast feels like it has real relevance to the narrative. Even minor characters see their actions have a direct role in shaping the story. It’s great seeing how consequential character choices are. It not only makes the world seem authentic, but it keeps coincidence and luck from removing all stakes from the plot. With a feedback loop of narrative affecting character motivation, which affects narrative - the story becomes engrossing.

Behind The Veil also does a good job of avoiding jarring anachronisms. While the setting and time period are a major draw for the script, they also come with a host of dangers. Misrepresentations of the technology, culture, worldview, or even manner of speech are obvious and require a lot of attention to detail on the writer’s part. Fortunately the writer is up for the task, littering the script with little details specific to the time period. The setting never becomes distracting with overly obtuse colloquialisms in the dialogue. Likewise, the action description doesn’t come off as an encyclopedic recitation of the era and its quirks. The setting serves as a backdrop and not the star of the show, which I appreciated.

I really enjoyed this script because of the way the narrative slowly unfolds into a greater, more intricate story. The writer is great at playing in the mystery genre, dripping out information and giving clues to even deeper mysteries. Pacing is a key factor here as the writer knows when to draw out a moment or write with greater urgency to convey tension. I quickly realized trying to predict the twists and turns of this narrative were futile, though the writer never relies on cheap tricks like luck or convenience to deliver its surprises. Everything is grounded in the internal logic of the story so that even the more objectively far-fetched plot points feel at home in the narrative.