Example of Visual Storytelling

I know of no better example of the effectiveness of visual storytelling over dialogue-driven storytelling than looking at the "dropping the gem into the ocean" scene near the end of Titanic. In the movie, you may recall, this is a completely visual scene: Rose comes on deck in her gown, carrying the gem, and steps up on the railing -- and drops the gem.

Compare this to the following long-winded scene from an early draft of the screenplay:


306 EXT. KELDYSH DECK 

A desultory wrap party for the expedition is in progress. There is music 
and some of the (co-ed) Russian crew are dancing. Bodine is getting drunk 
in the aggressive style of Baker Joughin. 

Lovett stands at the rail, looking down into the black water. Lizzy comes 
to him, offering him a beer. She puts her hand on his arm. 

				LIZZY 
		I'm sorry. 

				LOVETT 
		We were pissin' in the wind the whole time. 

Lovett notices a figure move through the lights far down at the stern of 
the ship. 

				LOVETT 
		Oh shit. 

CUT TO: 

307 EXT. KELDYSH STERN DECK 

Rose walks through the shadows of the deck machinery. Her nightgown blows 
in the wind. Her feet are bare. Her hands are clutched at her chest, almost 
as if she is praying. 

ON LOVETT AND LIZZY running down the stairs from the top deck, hauling ass. 

ROSE reaches the sern rail. Her gnarled fingers wrap over the rail. Her 
ancient foot steps up on the gunwale. She pushes herself up, leaning 
forward. Over her shoulder, we see the black water glinting far below. 

LOVETT AND LIZZY run up behind her. 

				LIZZY 
		Grandma, wait!! Don't-- 

ROSE TURNS her head, looking at them. She turns further, and we see she has 
something in her hand, something she was about to drop overboard. 

It is the "Heart of the Ocean". 

Lovett sees his holy grail in her hand and his eyes go wide. Rose keeps it 
over the railing where she can drop it anytime. 

				ROSE 
		Don't come any closer. 

				LOVETT 
		You had it the entire time?! 

FLASH CUT TO: A SILENT IMAGE OF YOUNG ROSE walking away from Pier 54. The 
photographers' flashes go off like a battle behind her. She has her hands 
in her pockets. She stops, feeling something, and pulls out the necklace. 
She stares at it in amazement. 

BACK ON KELDYSH, Rose smiles at Brock's incomprehension. 

				ROSE 
		The hardest part about being so poor, was being so rich. 
		But every time I though of selling it, I though of Cal. And 
		somehow I always got by without his help. 

She holds it out over the water. Bodine and a couple of the other guys come 
up behind Lovett, reacting to what is in Rose's hand. 

				BODINE 
		Holy shit. 

				LOVETT 
		Don't drop it Rose. 

				BODINE 
			(a fierce whisper) 
		Rush her. 

				LOVETT 
			(to Bodine) 
		It's hers, you schmuck. 
			(to her) 
		Look, Rose, I... I don't know what to say to a woman who 
		tries to jump off the Titanic when it's not sinking, and 
		jumps back onto it when it is... we're not dealing with 
		logic here, I know that... but please... think about this 
		a second. 

				ROSE 
		I have. I came all the way here so this could go back where 
		it belongs. 

The massive diamond glitters. Brock edges closer and holds out his hand... 

				LOVETT 
		Just let me hold it in my hand, Rose. Please. Just once. 

He comes closer to her. It is reminiscent of Jack slowly moving up to her 
at the stern of Titanic. 

Surprisingly, she calmly places the massice stone in the palm of his hand, 
while still holding onto the necklace. Lovett gazes at the object of his 
quest. An infinity of cold scalpels glint in its blue depths. It is 
mesmerizing. It fits in his hand just like he imagined. 

				LOVETT 
		My God. 

His grip tightens on the diamond. 

He looks up, meeting her gaze. Her eyes are suddenly infinitely wise and 
deep. 

				ROSE 
		You look for treasures in the wrong place, Mr. Lovett. 
		Only life is priceless, and making each day count. 

His fingers relax. He opens them slowly. Gently she slips the diamond out 
of his hand. He feels it sliding away. 

Then, with an impish little grin, Rose tosses the necklace over the rail. 
Lovett gives a strangled cry and rushes to the rail in time to see it hit 
the water and disappear forever. 

				BODINE 
		Aww!! That really sucks, lady! 

Brock Lovett goes through ten changes before he settles on a reaction... HE 
LAUGHS. He laughs until the tears come to his eyes. Then he turns to Lizzy. 

				LOVETT 
		Would you like to dance? 

Lizzy grins at him and nods. Rose smiles. She looks up at the stars. 

308 IN THE BLACK HEART OF THE OCEAN, the diamond sinks, twinkling end over
end, into the infinate depths. 

Now if you can understand why the version in the movie is so much stronger than this over-written scene from the draft, then you are on your way to understanding the power of visual storytelling.

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