Writing Subtext. Linda Seger

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СКАЧАТЬ now moves back to the text. This is why she’s here – to explain these details. She tries to be no-nonsense, to-the-point, but it isn’t going to work with James. She hands him her business card, which re-emphasizes the text of the scene.

      BOND

      (examining the card) Vesper? I hope you gave your parents hell for that.

      James won’t stick to the text. He starts with text, noticing her name, but immediately begins to imply subtext. He first implies there’s something wrong with her name. He’s implying, “Who would want to be saddled with the name Vesper?” But the writer, in this case, Ian Fleming, has chosen the name, partly for its subtextual meaning. What does “vesper” mean? It implies evening, which can be filled with possibilities. In the Catholic Church, vespers is the evening service, although we can be reasonably sure James has nothing religious in mind when he examines Vesper. Vespers can imply twilight, a time when things aren’t always seen clearly, or are meant to be secret. It’s an evocative name.

      Vesper continues to speak the text – ten million dollars was wired to his account and he can get five million more if necessary. She asks about the menu and they begin to eat. As the meal proceeds, Vesper is clearly not convinced that James can be trusted to win at poker. She’s not sure their money is in good hands. Bond tries to show he knows the game well.

      BOND

      … in poker you don’t play your hand, you play the man across from you.

      Bond continues to show his knowledge, giving her information in the text, while trying to convince her of his abilities in the subtext.

      VESPER

      And you’re good at reading people.

      It sounds as if Vesper is doing straight text, but Bond catches the subtext.

      BOND

      Which is why I’ve been able to detect the undercurrent of sarcasm in your voice.

      Now Bond is saying outright that he has understood the subtext all along – he understands she doesn’t trust him.

      VESPER

      I am now assured our money is in good hands.

      BOND

      From which one might surmise you aren’t overwhelmingly supportive of this plan of action.

      Bond is now reading another subtext here – it isn’t just about distrust of him, but distrust of the whole plan. We might not have understood the subtext, but he did – because he’s good at reading people. In case we missed it, he explains the subtext to us very clearly.

      VESPER

      So there is a plan? Excellent. Somehow I got the impression we were risking ten million dollars and hundreds of people’s lives on a game of luck. What else can you surmise?

      The sarcasm is there, but now something else is coming out. If Vesper wanted to keep this business-like, she wouldn’t be engaging him by asking a personal question. We might think she’s still talking about the plan, but most likely not. She is probably asking him to surmise something personal. She must admit she’s attracted also. And, as we can see from her last comments at the end of the scene, she has noticed all along he’s an attractive and charming fellow.

      BOND

      About you?

      He got the subtext of her question, and puts it into the text; he studies her, enjoying this turn in the conversation.

      Well, your beauty is a problem.

      You worry that you won’t be taken seriously… ???

      Now, the whole conversation becomes personal. He guesses that she overcompensates for her beauty with her clothes, that she uses arrogance to compensate for her insecurity, and that she’s an only child or an orphan. She guesses he went to Oxford and didn’t have money, and that he is also an orphan. Then she zings him once more:

      VESPER

      … you think of women as disposable pleasures rather than meaningful pursuits, so as charming as you are,

      Ah, she noticed!

      I will be keeping my eye on our government’s money and off your perfectly formed ass.

      BOND

      You noticed.

      Yes, we got the subtext also. She noticed. She’s attracted, but doesn’t want him to get the better of her. She asks:

      VESPER

      … How was your lamb?

      BOND

      Skewered. One sympathizes.

      She did get the better of him, and he knows it. Of course, as the film continues, Bond will fall deeply in love with her and won’t treat her as a disposable pleasure but rather will see her as a meaningful pursuit.

      LOOK FOR THE SUBTEXT AT CRISIS POINTS

      Subtext is most apt to come through during crisis or at transition points in our lives – when a death occurs, a new job is taken, at the start of a new relationship or the break-up of an old one – when the stakes are high and everything might rest on our saying and doing the right thing – even though we’re not sure what the “right thing” is. In such cases, characters cover up the real meanings.

      In any kind of suffering, a myriad of emotions often leaves one speechless, so the subtext may be expressed visually, rather than verbally. Most people have difficulty facing pain, or knowing what to do when confronted with the unfamiliar. They might become stoic, denying their feelings and discomfort. They don’t want others to know how vulnerable they are.

      When people are ashamed, they can’t speak about it. They want respect but may fear that they’ll lose it if others know the truth. What do they talk about instead? Perhaps nothing at all; or, perhaps they become overly polite in their relationships with colleagues; or, perhaps they turn to discussions about the weather, information about their job, or polite inquiries about their colleague’s family. Even when writing this dialogue, words can be carefully chosen to imply what is really being said: “I want your respect. I’m going to gain it by politeness to make you think I’m a kind person, or by the knowledge I share to make you think I’m a smart person.”

      When a friend or parent lays dying, knowing how direct one can be (so the subject of death might be skirted) can be difficult. Every subject is discussed except death. The son might go on and on about who won the football game, but is really talking about whether the father will be able to win the battle between life and death. The daughter might be trying to make the father comfortable or might be smoothing the blanket on his bed, even though he’s taking his last breath and such neatness really doesn’t matter anymore. The sister might feel helpless and uncomfortable, wanting to get out of there, and so quickly volunteers to go get the nurse. Immediately, the brother simply says, “Well, that’s that!” And it is. But even those words imply vulnerability, discomfort, and perhaps a desire to get back to life. Enough of this death stuff!

      In the script of Remains of the Day (1993, by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala), when he is dying, Stevens СКАЧАТЬ