A Book to Read - Story by Robert McKee

Want to understand why Gordon Brown does not appear to have vision? Then answer this movie question.

Have you seen Adaptation, the film by Charles Kaufman, starring Nicholas Cage?

If you have, perhaps you remember Brian Cox's portrayal of a screenwriting guru. The guru in question? Robert McKee.

McKee's classes on screenwriting have become famous. And not just for his irascible personality. It's his contention that story, narrative, is at the centre of everything and that trying to build a film on character or photography won't work.

A superb interview in The New Yorker will introduce you to McKee if you haven't see Adaptation. But I recommend you go one step further and read his book Story.

What's this got to do with Gordon Brown?

McKee exposes the structure of a successful story, the way you move from one event to the next, the way the character changes through the plot. And his lesson doesn't just work for film writers. A politician trying either to demonstrate character without narrative or to be an action hero without a connecting story will fail.

Brown's problem isn't lack of vision, it's lack of a story.

I had just finished reading McKee's book when I was consulted by William Hague about whether to hold a referendum on his single currency policy. McKee's explanation of how to make a narrative compelling was one reason (as I told William at the time) that I advised him to take the risk.

Film buffs will enjoy this book, but it's got a great deal to give even if you hardly ever go the cinema.

Comments

[Alex]

To be fair, Aristotle probably has prior claim to the contention that story is at the centre of everything- the concept of plot or 'muthos' is the building block of his poetics.

And the poetics is shorter.