Ever read an exciting book or watched a thrilling movie, only to end it with a confused, “Huh?”This bemused and disgruntled “That’s it?” reaction is the product of anticlimax. What is it exactly? And why would we want to use it in a screenplay?What is Anticlimax?An anticlimax is a rhetorical device where an exciting or dramatic narrative is built up to a point of heightened expectation or tension, only to conclude in a disappointingly underwhelming or trivial resolution. How to Use Anticlimax WellAs the title mentions, Much Ado (big hullabaloo) About Nothing also tackles anticlimax. In this work, the villain Borachio is arrested by the night watch who overhear him boasting about his deception. When interrogated, he confesses to his plot against the heroine, Hero. This confession comes through a comedic scene with the bumbling constable Dogberry, which partially defuses the plot's building tension and contributes to the resolution of Hero's storyline in ways that subvert typical dramatic expectations.Now, why would someone like Shakespeare (of all people) let his play be so anticlimactic?Primarily, anticlimax is seen as a sign of narrative failure, but that’s when the anticlimax is unintentional or is a result of poor plot development. If that’s the case, then yes, any writer should be afraid of their narrative ending in an anticlimax.However, there have been attempts (such as Much Ado About Nothing) to use an anticlimax as an effective narrative tool to give the story a meaningful conclusion. There is, obviously, a thin line that separates an...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today