AN ANALYSIS OF -

NIGHTHAWKS BY EDWARD HOPPER

QUESTIONS

1. Describe Nighthawks in at least 100 words (this will assist you with the description required for question 9).

2. Theorise what the term ‘nighthawk’ could mean?

3. When was Nighthawks painted? How did this time in history possibly influence the artist, Edward Hopper?

4. Do you notice anything unusual both inside and outside of the café? List.

5. How is Nighthawks Noir or dark?

6. How does Nighthawks remind you of both Gattaca and Blade Runner?

7. How has Nighthawks influenced Popular Culture?

8. Give each of the 4 characters a name or title of your own choice.

9. How does Nighthawks make you feel? Explain your answer.

10. Write a script complete with description and dialogue for the scene pictured in Nighthawks.

Exterior – shopfronts & street - night

The not too distant future. It is almost curfew and most people have retreated indoors fearing that they may encounter the merciless Fingermen who plod the wet cobblestoned streets under gaslight.

Interior – café – night

The café’s fluorescent light illuminates the surrounding streets. Shadows climb the walls of nearby shop fronts. It’s brightness almost gives it an other worldly appearance in contrast to the uninviting deserted streets outside. A single pane of glass wraps itself around the entire café. Its curvature is striking to any beholder who passes by. Seated around a triangular bar are three customers and the café attendant who goes busily about his work. A man accompanied by a mysterious woman in red, sit silently. The man, with a distinctive hawkish nose, smokes his cigarette while the red headed woman holds a half eaten sandwich. Nearby a sinister looking man sits alone and is hunched over the bar. He has ordered nothing since arriving. The café attendant seems nervous as he fidgets beneath the bar.

Nighthawk: (breaking the silence) you keep a clean café fella.

Café Attendant: you know what they say, cleanliness is next to godliness.

Sinister Man: God? There is no God.

How to write a script – the basics

1. Don’t forget to state is the scene interior (Int.) or exterior (Ext.) and is it day time or night time

2. Writing a short (50-100) scene setting paragraph that describes the surrounds (interiors or exteriors) that precedes the action that is about to take place

3. Don’t just write dialogue or what the characters are saying. Instead concentrate on describing how they are saying it. For example, JACK: [realizing] I died too... The word ‘realizing’ in square or round brackets describes how Jack is speaking his dialogue. Actors need to know this so that they can add levels of feeling or emotion to their words

4. Don’t forget to clearly space your script. Remember that an actor will be reading your script and their dialogue needs to be clearly defined so they do not confuse their words with other actors/ characters. So spacing and structure is important

5. If you are still confused about how to write a script then scour the internet where there are literally millions of scripts for you to read and get ideas from. Why not check out websites that are totally dedicated to script writing such as dailyscript.com or simply type into your search engine, how to write a script.