This has got to be the MOST IN DEPTH breakdown of a movie/screenplay I have ever read! Thanks Scott!!

My goodness, this is Gold. Wow!

This answers a lot of questions I had about The Usual Suspects. Love it. When this first came out I resisted it, seeing it as gruesome and an unwelcome turn in storytelling. But once I began seeing it as a modern day monster movie (there's even a reference to that in the voice over), it changed my perspective and appreciation. Love the way you're mixing up the daily offerings. The choices present a story in and of themselves.

This is such a great article. Love the idea of switching protagonists. Never heard it put this way before but it makes so much sense. Seems like writers have a hard time putting themselves in their characters' shoes sometimes, which in turn results in dull characters. I'm definitely gonna try this. Thanks!

One of my favorite posts on this site. The Michael Clayton of story analysis, if that make sense. I will revisit this post many times.

I'm a little late, but I love this movie and can't resist rambling about it. Probably my favorite character entrance ever. "Do you spook easily?" - Implying something scary before we even hear Leceter's name. Crawford mentions the serial killer profiles and the psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. - A psychiatrist serial killer? Interesting. "Hannibal the Cannibal" - VERY interesting. Then the warning and the rules. "Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head." - Now we know he's dangerous even when he is behind bars. "Never forget what he is..." to Chilton, "...a monster." - Fantastic scene transition, more information. The tone eases up for a bit as we move away from Crawford's office with Buffalo Bill newspaper clippings to Chilton's more polished office and his flirting. The tone starts to darken again as Chilton rattles off the rules while they go down the stairs to less pleasant surroundings. Chilton shows her the picture and tells her the reason for the rules. We find out exactly what Lecter is capable of doing. The script does not indicate that we get a good look at the picture, a good idea followed by the movie. Our imagination is better than any picture here. I believe Red Dragon shows a brief surveillance video clip of the attack, which as I recall, did not work as well. "His pulse rate never got over eighty-five, even when he ate her tongue." - Is there a better way to reveal his character? Then the anteroom with all kinds of restraints and weapons to crank up the feeling of danger. Barney has placed a chair before his cell, which shows us where he is and how far she has to walk. Of course it's the last cell, so the tension of the walk will be longer. I'm guessing Hitchcock would approve. The script pulls an alleged no-no and calls for a moving shot, which works great in the movie. It has her footsteps ECHO, shadowy occupants, and the obviously insane Miggs. Then we finally get to Lecter. Instead of the raging psychopath we are expecting, he is polite and refined. The movie wisely replaces the net with protective glass. Lecter quickly shows us his tremendous abilities by learning a shocking amount of information using his sense of smell and brief observation. The rest of the movie is pretty good too.