I watched Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 film Requiem for a Dream and it got me thinking about psychosis and addiction, I wondered how I could apply this to the screen in my own unique way. As I only have limited experience into the aforementioned ailments, I turned to external sources for inspiration. Like for example, in John-Paul Sartre’s 1938 novel Nausea, the protagonist Antoine Roquentin suffers acute physical illnesses on account of his immutable obsession with his own existence. As a form of textual dramaturgy, I thought to start with Sartre’s notion as a baseline for writing Beecroft’s crisis and the belief that he is shrinking. “What’s my name then?” bemoans Beecroft to the evil, calculating and sociopathic Melanie who is both a byproduct of this world and a contributor. My intention is to imply the question, how do I exist? Or, do I even exist in this world? A celebration of Sartre’s original text but moreover, a lead into Beecroft’s later line, “[I’m] Shrinking. I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got nothing left”. And it is here we see the catalyst for Beecroft’s escape from Melanie, personal recovery and impetus to repair this broken world.
To paint more of a picture of the world, I have added a sequence where Melanie argues that Beecroft would be better off staying with her due to the toxicity outside. It also illustrates Melanie’s need to keep him close. “You’ve got everything you need. Can you imagine living like the riffraff out there? You’re lucky, and you’re too selfish to see it. What could possibly be wrong?” As to why she intends to keep him close is left ambiguous. This is because I feel that applying such narrative at this stage of the writing process may cloud my attempts to crystallise the world.
Additional ‘world’ expansion can be seen when Melanie laughs hysterically at Beecroft immediately after he expresses that he has “given up”. Her reaction is to suggest that his woes are trivial in this world, it highlights the division of the classes by juxtaposing the opulence of the wealthy and the desperation of the poor. This reaction, and perhaps even some of Melanie’s character tropes, have been inspired by the character Effie Trinket in Gary Ross’ 2012 adaptation of Suzzanne Collins’ trilogy The Hunger Games. I would hope that these reactions become leitmotifs that would occur after any mention of Beecroft’s shrinking. In a sense, these reactions are my own reactions to my original misinterpretation of Florence Parry-Heide’s children’s book The Shrinking of Treehorn (1971) — the source of my inspiration. But moreover, they are to emulate and in turn comment on stigma in mental illness — which is entertained by this world’s inhabitants. These are themes that I hope to continue exploring throughout my practice.
To heighten an understanding of the effects that world has on its residents, I aim to apply audience and character interactivity by frequently blurring the lines between diegesis and non-diegesis. This I hope will cause insecurity and menace, as if a foreboding presence is looking over the viewer’s shoulder. I have illustrated this in Melanie’s introduction, “Each number needs a name”. I had envisaged that this dialogue would be delivered as a Voice-of-God narration and like a McGuffin, the point of view and audience expectation would be disrupted. I am hopeful that, such audience immersion may enrich the viewer’s empathy for the characters further.
- The Hunger Games 2012, DVD recording, Color Force, Lions Gate Films, USA.
- Parry-Heide, F 1971, The Shrinking of Treehorn, Holiday House, USA.
- Sartre, JP 1938, Nausea, Librairie Gallimard, Paris.