The Frank Darabont Script

Peacock's-Eye

New member
The Man said:
Darabont writes of the fridge landing amidst debris, whereas the film shows it land completely seperate to anything that should have also blown that way.
Yeah, but who knows how beautifully it's described in the Koepp script? It could be Shakespearian poetry - but with the same gag & the same director, I'm willing to bet it would've been exactly the same in the finished film.
 

James

Well-known member
Peacock's-Eye said:
Yeah, but who knows how beautifully it's described in the Koepp script? It could be Shakespearian poetry - but with the same gag & the same director, I'm willing to bet it would've been exactly the same in the finished film.

True. A lot of what is praised in Darabont's script (Indy's thoughts, description of lost city, etc.) were also present in the novelization. Spielberg approaching this as a B movie from the 1950s obviously had a big effect on the outcome.
 

agentsands77

New member
Peacock's-Eye said:
It could be Shakespearian poetry - but with the same gag & the same director, I'm willing to bet it would've been exactly the same in the finished film.
That's actually an impossible judgment call to make. Who knows how Spielberg's direction would have taken shape if this came together back in '03 with this screenplay? It might have been very similar to what he did for KINGDOM, but given the difference in tone between Darabont's screenplay and KINGDOM, I imagine Spielberg's direction wouldn't have been exactly the same, either.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Peacock's-Eye said:
Have you read any of Maxphactor's posts?
Have you warned Agent Spalko about calling people a "Nazi"?

:confused:

They've been chastised elsewhere; I'm quite certain that MaxPhactor enjoyed something of a hiatus as well. Two wrongs, and so forth...
 

Peacock's-Eye

New member
agentsands77 said:
That's actually an impossible judgment call to make. Who knows how Spielberg's direction would have taken shape if this came together back in '03 with this screenplay? It might have been very similar to what he did for KINGDOM, but given the difference in tone between Darabont's screenplay and KINGDOM, I imagine Spielberg's direction wouldn't have been exactly the same, either.
Yeah, but has anyone read Koepp's script?
Has it been published?
If not, then there's no comparison to make anyway - that's all I was saying.
The common factors here are the gag & the director.
 

Ignatius Stone

New member
Thoughts on Darabont's script

Just finished reading Darabont's Indy 4 script.

Well, as is always the case with these things, it's fascinating to compare and contrast this version to the one which ended up on the screen.

However, anyone out there hoping for a truly wildly different take on Indy 4 to the one we ended up with may be disappointed. The general structure of this script is pretty similar to that which Koepp ultimately hammered out and assembled from the various previous drafts. Indy's destinations are familiar, but the catalysts leading him there vary drastically. The overall tone is somewhat more serious however, with a reasonably strong streak of darkness present throughout.

For the most part, Indy is more proactive in this version, and gets to participate in more of the action, resulting in the script having a flavour more immediately akin to the previous 3 Indy films, at least in that respect.

Ultimately, whether you prefer this version to the film itself will depend largely on whether you liked or hated the Indy/Mutt father-son dynamic, and the ramifications which Mutt's presence had to the film overall. The other differences are, by and large, fairly minimal.

Does this version suggest that it would have made a better movie in any way had it been the one that was filmed? Not really.
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agentsands77

New member
Peacock's-Eye said:
Yeah, but has anyone read Koepp's script?
Has it been published?
If not, then there's no comparison to make anyway - that's all I was saying.
The common factors here are the gag & the director.
Well, whether or not Koepp's draft has been published is irrelevant. We were discussing the differences between Darabont's draft and the finished film, which is fair.
 

Peacock's-Eye

New member
Ignatius Stone said:
Marion's role in this version however is much more pivotal, with a harder edge to her character immediately recalling the Marion we know and love from Raiders.
Ignatius Stone said:
This was one of my problems with the script - it was like she hadn't grown at all, in all those years. I prefer Koepp's Marion.

But good review.
 

Peacock's-Eye

New member
agentsands77 said:
I'm shocked that anyone would say that, given how poorly drawn Koepp's Marion was (assuming the final cut of the film reflects Koepp's work).

I think Darabont took the material far too seriously.
I don't want a weepy melodrama for an Indy movie.
Can you imagine if Raiders handled its material that way?
I mean, Indy pretty much seduced a teenager, and by her second scene, Marion is joking & flirting with Indy!
Indy's a cross between a pulp story, comic strip & movie serial.
I thought Koepp & Spielberg hit just the right note.
Y'know, sometimes it's not about how 'good' the text is as literature lying flat on the page, but about giving a particular actor material that suits their talents. And I honestly can't see Karen Allan performing Darabont's Marion.

Just my .02cents worth.
 
Peacock's-Eye said:
I think Darabont took the material far too seriously.
I don't want a weepy melodrama for an Indy movie.
Can you imagine if Raiders handled its material that way?
I mean, Indy pretty much seduced a teenager, and by her second scene, Marion is joking & flirting with Indy!
Indy's a cross between a pulp story, comic strip & movie serial.
I thought Koepp & Spielberg hit just the right note.
Y'know, sometimes it's not about how 'good' the text is as literature lying flat on the page, but about giving a particular actor material that suits their talents. And I honestly can't see Karen Allan performing Darabont's Marion.

Just my .02cents worth.

You're wasted here, PE!
You need to go to work for Spielberg as his career manager.
It'll all be successes for him from there!
He can live down the humiliation of producing a popular, 500million dollar grossing blockbuster. With you behind the throne, he won't be making these sorts of mistakes ever again!

Go to it, man! Your destiny awaits...
 

Peacock's-Eye

New member
Agent Spalko said:
You're wasted here, PE!
You need to go to work for Spielberg as his career manager.
It'll all be successes for him from there!
He can live down the humiliation of producing a popular, 500million dollar grossing blockbuster. With you behind the throne, he won't be making these sorts of mistakes ever again!

Go to it, man! Your destiny awaits...

Uh, all I did was agree with Spielberg.
He doesn't need my advice.
Nor does George Lucas.
Those guys are successful geniuses who will be remembered along with the likes of John Ford & Walt Disney.
I like the Darabont script - I'm not telling the guy how to write.
But I enjoy the Koepp script more.

Just my opinion, 2c, nuthin' more.

The sarcasm you've cut n pasted was a reaction to all the armchair quarter-backing that's going on here. Also, just an opinion.
 

agentsands77

New member
Peacock's-Eye said:
I think Darabont took the material far too seriously.
It might have been nice for the final film to have things taken more in that direction, rather than the extremely lightweight KINGDOM. And honestly, given the humor and zaniness in CITY OF THE GODS, I don't really think this is a legitimate criticism.

Peacock's-Eye said:
I don't want a weepy melodrama for an Indy movie.
CITY OF THE GODS is hardly "weepy melodrama." :rolleyes:
 
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Peacock's-Eye

New member
agentsands77 said:
It might have been nice for the final film to have things taken more in that direction, rather than the extremely lightweight KINGDOM. And honestly, given the humor and zaniness in CITY OF THE GODS, I don't really think this is a legitimate criticism.
CITY OF THE GODS is hardly "weepy melodrama." :rolleyes:

Just my impression. But as I also said earlier, she talks exactly like she does in Raiders, as if she hasn't grown. Pgs 51-52 are a good example, I don't feel like Marian has had any kind of journey between the two films. And I have a hard time imagining KA hitting the right tone to make it work.

And I kinda meant the opening when I said "too seriously". It just doesn't feel fun on the page - it's big, but there's a gloomy feeling to it, IMO.
 

agentsands77

New member
Peacock's-Eye said:
Just my impression. But as I also said earlier, she talks exactly like she does in Raiders, as if she hasn't grown.
She's changed about as much as Jones has, if you ask me. And I like how their relationship is extra bitter this time out, as if in a nod to how things with Jones have gone sour more than once in her life. And she's much stronger now than she was before. Much more certain.

Peacock's-Eye said:
And I have a hard time imagining KA hitting the right tone to make it work.
It's hard to say. She was mighty rusty in KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, but it's hard to tell whether that was just because of the material and direction, or just her regardless of her surroundings. I'd certainly rather have seen them try for this, though, if they were going to bother to bring Marion back.

Peacock's-Eye said:
And I kinda meant the opening when I said "too seriously". It just doesn't feel fun on the page - it's big, but there's a gloomy feeling to it, IMO.
Which was appropriate. Indy's tired and worn out at the beginning of CITY OF THE GODS. He's not the willing adventurer anymore.
 

misnomer

New member
im 65 pages in, and wow. the big difference is that this actually feels like an Indiana Jones movie. The plane duel would have been one of the best action set-pieces ever. Drunk Indy singing feels a little off though- it would have been fine if lc hadnt been so light.
 

Peacock's-Eye

New member
agentsands77 said:
Which was appropriate. Indy's tired and worn out at the beginning of CITY OF THE GODS. He's not the willing adventurer anymore.

That's the thing I can't accept in that script. In my mind, Indy's the type of person who would die at the age of 80 in some exotic country on one last adventure. I don't see Indy as a solitary figure - he always has a companion, even if they're not the most trustworthy people (Satipo, Mac). I get the feeling that Darabont's Indy could live the rest of his life like alone with his flute & a packed lunch. Yes, that gives Indy a journey - but I like Koepp's journey better: Indy goes from thinking that he's going to lose everything, to gaining everything. He also learns that he's not just a relic from a more romantic time - out there, somewhere, there is an advanced civilization that also prizes discovery & knowledge above all else. The things Indy prizes are universally important. I find that idea potent & deeply moving.

Like any other fan, I have my own preconceptions, and one of those is that Indy is a character who is driven by a thirst for discovery, adventure & companionship. That's what I get from the other movies.
 

James

Well-known member
Peacock's-Eye said:
Just my impression. But as I also said earlier, she talks exactly like she does in Raiders, as if she hasn't grown. Pgs 51-52 are a good example, I don't feel like Marian has had any kind of journey between the two films.

I agree. She could've used more development in KOTCS, but at least it felt like the character had undergone some changes in the intervening years. Darabont basically has her trying to act and talk exactly the same as she did in Raiders. This doesn't make her seem tough. It makes her seem like a cliche. Worse, she's married a blatant knockoff of Belloq, and apparently has no clue as to his true nature. But it doesn't matter, because she suddenly flips back to Indy when its convenient for her to do so.

As for Indy, the same story arc is still present in KOTCS. He's weary, disillusioned, and has everything taken from him at the start of the film. We don't need to be hit over the head with all this in the form of dialogue- it's right there in Harrison Ford's performance. I preferred KOTCS in this respect, because he literally has nothing to come home to at the start of the adventure. Not even Henry Sr. in a forgettable cameo.

Even though Koepp's script hasn't leaked, it was used by James Rollins as the basis of his novelization. And when reading it, you get a sense that the script probably fleshed out the story far better than what ended up onscreen.
 
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