Anjum Rajabali Recommended films:

1. Chinatown (Dark theme, complex characters, tragic ending, difficult screenplay. But, one of the finest to come out of Hollywood)

2. Casablanca (Regarded as one of the best screenplays from Hollywood. So simple as to be almost elementary. Definitely worth studying closely.)

3. 12 Angry Men (A tightly-structured screenplay entirely placed in a single room. Notice the arcs of transformation of different characters.)

4. It’s a Wonderful Life (The reluctant hero, who is capable of exemplary heroism. And of course a compelling theme. Trivia: The idea for this script came from a Christmas greeting card!)

5. Fugitive (Quite a definitive thriller. Very clear structure and defined motives even as the intentions change with the growth of the character – including a definite mid-point where his response to his situation undergoes a sharp reversal. Disappointing action climax, though.)

6. Witness (Good combination of premise and theme.)

7. Zodiac (Another way of crafting a thriller, elaborate and open-ended, in a way.)

8. Amores Perros (Three separate stories linked only by their theme and by an individual incident.)

9. Children of Heaven (You don’t need a universally BIG premise for a touching story. It can be merely about a lost pair of shoes, but the effect of that on the characters has to be strong.)

10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Written by one of Hollywood’s most interesting contemporary screenwriters, this very unusual premise has been structured in a most energetic and involving way. See all of Charlie Kaufman’s films.)

11. Big Fish (Tim Burton’s experiments with narratives continues. What is fantasy, and what is reality? After a while, does it matter really?)

12. Sweet Sixteen (Ken Loach’s touching, rousing and heart-rending account of a boy in Ireland. See all of Ken Loach’s films.)

13. Dead Girl (Telling the story of one dead person from the povs of different characters who knew her, and how character is revealed thus.)

14. The Machinist (A character believes his delusions to be reality. Quite well done.)

15. Cronicas (A dramatic but incisive and uncompromising story about how media-persons manipulate reality with tragic consequences.)

16. No Man’s Land (An entire screenplay loaded with huge ethnic conflict depicted entirely in a narrow, tense space during a war.)

17. Amadeus (Powerful theme of envy, keeping your sympathies entirely with the envious protagonist who is an anti-hero. Excellent opening sequence.)

18. Verdict (Rather compelling script of how a character rises from the ashes to some glorious heroic victory.)

19. Battle of Algiers (A bold powerful and different way of telling a story. While it is made to look like a documentary, it is actually a feature film and was entirely scripted.)

20. Deewaar (One of the better scripted Hindi films. Good to study.)

21. Aakrosh (Notice the transformation of the character, as the plot intensifies. While telling the front-story of the lawyer and his case, the script brings out the exploitation of tribals so effectively.)

22. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (Once again, notice the arc of the character.)

23. And another 100 that you already know about or will discover. Watch as many films as you can!