Review of The Screenplay
Author: Margaret Mehring
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN; 0-240-80007-9

Ever wonder how camera angles and editing affect the writing of a screenplay? Have you ever wanted to write a great screenplay and win awards for it’s art? Before you do that you should read Margaret Mehring’s book The Screenplay. The Screenplay was published in 1990 and was Mehring’s most famous work. Mehring was a Professor of Cinema at the USC film school for many years. She was the founder of the USC’s School of Cinematic Arts Filmic Writing program. Her book was well received and is still used in film schools throughout the United States. This review will talk about the text in depth. It will provide a summary of the textbook, an analysis of various aspects of the book, a consideration of any negatives the book may have, and finally a conclusion about who should read this book.
The book is structured like a textbook about screenwriting. The Screenplay is targeted to screenwriters and TV writers. The twelve chapters each include a topic about the major argument of the book; blending film form with film content. Each chapter discusses blending film form with film content through various techniques. There are chapters which talk about using cinematography, editing, and other techniques while writing screenplays. Mehring presents her theories and then uses four major screenplays as illustrations of how the techniques are used in writing screenplays. She relies on four major films: Out of Africa, Rebel Without a Cause, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Body and Soul.
There are many books that discuss how to write films. The Screenplay by Mehring is the first that I have encountered which talks about using film methods to write a screenplay. In other books use of technical details is said to be best left to others in film production like the director and director of photography. Mehring’s book is unique in that it’s sole purpose is to write about how screenwriters should blend film form and content together to make screenplays better. She states many times that using techniques will make screenwriters into professionals instead of amateurs. Through her use of examples and illustrations her point is well made and convincing. I can see why it was recommended to me by my Screenwriting Professor from Graduate school. After reading some of the chapters it set off alarm bells about how screenwriters should be writing their screenplays. It clearly shows that film writing is an art form different from writing fiction or theater.
Mehring’s use of film to illustrate her examples are similar to other screenwriting books who use excerpts and scenes from screenplays to make their points. Cherry Potter’s Screen Language is similar in this respect. The excerpts show how each of Mehring’s theories are presented. A great point is made by using a sequence from Out of Africa to illustrate the use of sound in films. There are several examples used from An Officer and a Gentleman. Also from Rebel Without a Cause where she discusses the editing combined with the “chickie run” scene. The examples create clear pictures of how film content is blended with film form to create films that are classics.
The book is similar to other textbooks about screenwriting. It is similar to Irwin Blacker’s The Elements of Screenwriting because both consider the mechanics of screenwriting. Both talk about the content of films; what a screenwriter must do, how a screenplay should develop. Both are in agreement that screenplays should be organic and not too mechanical. Mehring goes a bit further then Blacker by considering the form films take and how they influence the writing of screenplays. This makes Mehring’s book similar to Cherry Potter’s Screen Language in it’s discussion of great films that use specific techniques to make films. Mehring’s book is also similar to Paul Lucey’s classic textbook Story Sense. Both use four classic films to illustrate their points. Lucey’s book is more of an encyclopedia where Mehring’s book is shorter and more concise to one argument about the blending of film form and content. I think Mehring’s book is a classic text that addresses a need for screenwriters who want to improve their writing so that it is more visual and image oriented. If the techniques in the book are applied they could lead to better screenplays.
The book has few flaws. The structure is straight-forward and the content is easily readable. I would caution anyone to avoid the book if they are looking for a book that promises easy solutions to the hard problems of writing screenplays. The book is more for a film school attendee or anyone who writes screenplays be they amateur or professional. Some of its material is rather complicated and having a background in film production is an asset. Still the book makes ample use of cartoon imagery so anyone could understand the book. It’s not too long either.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in filmmaking. The book is a fast read that shows some great examples of how to make films. Film students, filmmakers, and especially screenwriters would greatly benefit from reading this text. The hours that would be put into the text would result in a better understanding of how screenplays are written, films are made, and the creative process. ( )