Michael Mann's Collateral
LABEL: SELF-CREATED ANTAGONIST; SEEK COOPERATION; PURSUIT OF DREAM; MANAGING CRISIS WHEN TRUTH IS KNOWN;
STROKE OF GENIUS
SELF-CREATED ANTAGONIST
EVERYDAY LIFE Although Max is a very nice guy, he doesn't have the courage to pursue what he wants, neither the girl in the cab nor the career that he desires.
OPPORTUNITY Max meets Vincent, who is interested in connecting with other people and believes in the power of action.
NEW SITUATION
CHANGE OF PLAN: Vincent starts to manage Max after the truth is revealed. PROGRESS: VINCENT HELPS MAX BECOMING STRONGER IN HIS LIFE BY MANAGING HIM IN THE CRISIS. BEFORE THE POINT OF NO RETURN, VINCENT HELPS AND TEACHES MAX WITH ALL SORTS OF THINGS IN HIS LIFE: HOW TO TALK HIMSELF OUT OF A TICKET, HOW TO STAND UP FOR HIMSELF BEFORE HIS BOSS, HOW TO FIGHT WITH ROBBERS, HOW TO IMPROVISE, HOW TO HANDLE HIS MOTHER.
POINT OF NO RETURN: Max throws Vincent's briefcase out to the highway. Then they emotionally connect when they talk about their parents. At the same time, the police has realized that something is up.
HIGHER STAKES: VINCENT FORCES MAX TO DO THE THINGS UNIMAGINABLE FOR HIM BEFORE: TO GET THE LIST, AND FIGHT WITH VINCENT FOR THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.
Page 0Airplane landing. Vincent exchanges luggage with a stranger.
Page 2Max is a crossword puzzle player cabbie who likes to keep his cab clean.
Page 3Whenever he is bored of his life, he would look at the picture on the sunshield.
Page 5After giving a stranger direction to the airport, Max gives a ride to an attractive female attorney, who argues driving route with him. They connect and she gives Max her card. (INTRODUCING MAX'S DREAM AND VALUE)
Page 13Vincent comes out of the building and hires Max's cab. Max can tell the exact number of minutes of arrival. Vincent chats with Max about his opinion of the city, his tendency to connect with others and convinces him to hire the cab all night. (VINCENT IS THE OPPORTUNITY. INTRODUCING VINCENT'S VALUE. The contrast between his killing nature and his humanity toward others is dramatic and attractive.)
Page 19A corpse falls on Max's cab and he freaks out. Max knows Vincent's true intention.
Page 22Detective Fanning comes to find his lead, who has just shot by Vincent and disappeared.(CHANGE OF PLAN FOR THE POLICE)
Page 24Max doesn't know what to do in the situation and Vincent tries to manage his psychology and makes sense the situation for him. Telling him that a dead guy is not a big deal and on top of that, he was a bad guy. (CHANGE OF PLAN FOR BOTH MAX AND VINCENT: MAX DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND VINCENT NEED TO MANAGE MAX)
Page 27Max is stopped by the police because of the smash of the windshield. When the police notice the blood on the windshield and ask him to pop the trunk, they are called to another more important duty. (VINCENT HELPS MAX TO TALK HIMSELF OUT OF A TICKET.)
Page 30When the dispatch manager harasses Max about the break of the windshield, Vincent claims himself as an attorney and scares the manager away. Vincent teaches Max how to stand up for himself. (VINCENT HELPS MAX TO STAND UP FOR HIMSELF.)
Page 34As Vincent goes upstairs to kill a guy; Max is cuffs on the wheel and tries to get attention from the by-passers. Then a bunch of hooligans comes to rob his wallet and Vincent's briefcase, only to be killed by Vincent. (VINCENT HELPS MAX TO DEAL WITH ROBBERS.)
Page 37Detective Fanning investigates the crime scene, but his partner doesn't take it seriously. He also provides background for similar cases and dangerous prospect for Max.
Page 40Vincent takes Max to a jazz club and he talks about the theme of improvisation. The owner of the club talks to them about meeting Miles Davis when he was young.Vincent has a great chemistry with the owner because of his confidenceuntil he tells him why he is in the club. When the owner failed to answer the improvisation of Miles Davis' life, Vincent kills him. (VINCENT SHOWS MAX THE SPIRIT OF IMPROVISATION AND HOW TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE QUICKLY.)
Page 46Max is devastated and the manager calls him again about his mother. Vincent insists on going to see Max's mother (so that he might be able to use his mother as leverage). In the hospital elevator, Vincent and Detective Fanning meet.
Page 48Vincent brought Max's mother flower and she is very happy. Max feels betrayed. Vincent and his mother hit right off. (VINCENT SHOWS MAX HOW TO HANDLE HIS MOTHER.)
Page 52Max grabs Vincent's briefcase and throws it away onto the highway.(PHYSICAL POINT OF NO RETURN FOR MAX AND VINCENT)
Page 54Detective Fanning discovers that one of the key witnesses is dead and all the people dead tonight is done by the same guy. His partner is woken up by him and they realize there is something up.(POINT OF NO RETURN FOR THE CRIME INVESTIGATION)
Page 56Max and Vincent talk about their parents. They connect and Max is comfortable enough to share his dream with Vincent.(EMOTIONAL POINT OF NO RETURN FOR THE BUDDIES)
Page 59Vincent uses his mother to force Max to get the rest of the hit list for him.
Page 61 The police are watching the front entrance of the club and thinks Max is Vincent. Fanning talks to them about his case and realizes that Vincent has been killing witnesses of an important trial.(RISE OF THE ANTAGONIST)
Page 64Felix talks to Max about how mad he is about losing the list using the metaphor of Santa Clause. At the last minute, Max is able to use the confidence he learnt from Vincent to bluff his way out and gets the list. Max gets so comfortable that he even offers a discount for Vincent. (MAX IS FORCED TO DO A JOB FOR VINCENT WITH WHAT HE HAS LEARNT FROM VINCENT)
Page 74With the list, Vincent knows who to kill next. And the police are going to protect the only remaining witness, which means that the police and Vincent are going to the same night club. Vincent encourages Max calling the female attorney if they make it out alive tonight. They see a wolf on the street. Max feels alive because of Vincent's kidnap.
Page 78The police and Vincent arrive at the same dance club. The detective and Felix's people are also there. After Vincent has seen the target, he hits the bodyguards one by one and saves Max from Felix's people in the process.(SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE POLICE AND VINCENT) Before the witness is executed by Vincent, Detective Fanning brings Max out of the club, only to be shot by Vincent, which devastated Max because he is the only one who believes in him.(EVERYTHING IS LOST FOR MAX AS NOBODY IS GOING TO SAVE HIM ANYMORE)
Page 86They get into an argument about whether they should have killed Fanning. And Vincent tells Max that he has been fooling himself and in fact, he has been executing witnesses. They then start to push each other's buttons: Max says that Vincent is a sociopath , while Vincent says Max will never be able to do what he wants to do. Vincent gives Max a wake up call and telling him that driving cab is just a waste of time.(EPIPHANY: MAX NOT ONLY LEARNS THE TRUTH BEHIND ALL OF THE MURDERS, BUT ALSO GETS A WAKE UP CALL FROM VINCENT)
Page 90Max goes crazy and crashes the cab. Vincent is scared. Vincent runs away before the police gets to the site. After Max has seen the photo of Annie on Vincent's computer, he subdues the cop and runs to protect the girl. He even robs a cell phone from a guy.
Page 96Max calls Annie asking her to escape, but she doesn't know what is going on. Meanwhile, Vincent has arrived at Annie's desk. After he has seen the communication on the telephone panel, Vincent uses an axe to cut off all the power .
Page 100Max uses his gun to break the window and get into the building.
Page 105Finally, Max and Vincent meet. Max shoots Vincent and takes Annie away.
Page 106 Chasing on the metro. When they show down, Max hits Vincent miraculously.
Page 110Vincent becomes the dead guy who nobody will notice on the subway.
Page 112Max and Annie survive.
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