Book Review: Story by Robert McKee

Review written by Mei Sze (Macy) Phung

For the aspiring screenwriters out there, Story by the legendary Robert McKee is like the Holy Grail for the screenwriting craft. Robert McKee's Story seminar has been the true ultimate class for filmmakers and screenwriters, presented to sold-out auditoriums all over the world. At the time of publishing of the 1997 book, there were a record number of 35,000 graduates. McKee emphasizes the power of genuine story over cliches. It covers basic definitions such as beat, scene, scene sequence, act climax, and film climax, and dives deeper into the secrets of powerful storytelling that can move people in meaningful ways.

Robert McKee emphasizes that writing a script is not about being a master of words, but rather a master of expression of a writer's humanity. Intelligent words can only go so far, but true expression will make a movie profound.

The book is filled with examples from numerous acclaimed movies from the past. McKee expands on these examples in a way that drives his point clear to the readers. The book is packed with examples and scenarios so that it makes it easier to apply the masterful knowledge that is being taught by McKee.

Each part in the book and table of contents is clearly organized, labeled, and fluid, which makes it simple yet effective and practical to grasp the content in a holistic manner, where the reader can diver deeper into the specifics. In screenwriting, there is the phenomenon of the script as whole, and then there are the subsequent smaller parts like acts, sequences, scenes, and beats. For the amateur screenwriter who doesn't yet know these terms, McKee explains all of these in an excellent and clear style.

Most important is that his book aims to resolve the story problem of today. There are no hard rules to screenwriting, rather there are principles and guidelines. Also, McKee emphasizes that so often we see remakes or duplicates, but what moviegoers and audiences truly seek is originality. At the heart of a profound, moving story is originality.