KAUFMAN Sir, what if a writer is attempting to create a…
““KAUFMAN Sir, what if a writer is attempting to create a story where nothing much happens, where people don't change, they don't have any epiphanies. They struggle and are frustrated and nothing is resolved. More a reflection of the real world — MCKEE The real world? KAUFMAN Yes, sir. MCKEE The real fucking world? First of all, you write a screenplay without Conflict or Crisis, you'll bore your audience to tears. Secondly: nothing happens in the world? Are you out of your fucking mind? People are murdered every day! There's genocide, war, corruption! Every fucking day somewhere in the world somebody sacrifices his life to save someone else! Every fucking day someone somewhere makes a conscious decision to destroy someone else! People find love! People lose it! For Christ's sake! A child watches her mother beaten to death on the steps of a church! Someone goes hungry! Somebody else betrays his best friend for a woman! If you can't find that stuff in life, then you, my friend, don't know CRAP about life! And WHY THE FUCK are you wasting my two precious hours with your movie? I don't have any use for it! I don't have any bloody use for it! KAUFMAN Okay, thanks.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Storytelling requires conflict and crisis; without them, narratives feel stagnant and unengaging.
In simple terms: Stories need tension and change to hold interest.
Key Takeaway
Incorporate meaningful conflict into narratives.
Themes
storytelling
conflict
drama
creative writing
Mood
reflective
critical
analytical
Type
instructional
philosophical
When to use this quote
- screenwriting workshops
- film production
- novel drafting
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
narrative tension
character development
plot dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What are effective ways to introduce conflict without forcing it?
- How does conflict shape character growth?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on conflict can lead to melodrama; balance is needed.