Screenwriting With the VOTE Method: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

The musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is based on the career of the groundbreaking British rock group Queen and its charismatic yet troubled lead singer, Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek). The script for Rhapsody, written by Anthony McCarten and based on a story by McCarten and co-writer Peter Morgan, traces the group's ascent from London pub regulars to the heights of musical stardom. 

In this post, we'll look at how McCarten created strong characters by examining the story through the lens of the VOTE Method. The point of this analysis is not to criticize the film or the real-life people depicted in it, but to show aspiring writers how they can create memorable characters in their own stories by applying the VOTE Method to contemporary films.

In this case, we'll look at how McCarten approached writing the character of Freddie Mercury, as well as that of Mercury's companion and manager, Paul Prenter (Allen Leech), who the script casts as the antagonist.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Freddie Mercury (protagonist)
Victory: Freddie's Victory is to be a rich and famous singer.

Obstacles: Many of Freddie's Obstacles come from his background: he's not a native Englishman (his co-workers target him with the slur “Paki”), his parents are conservative members of the Zoroastrian religion, and his noticeable overbite make him the target of teasing, even from his eventual bandmates, which exacerbate his shyness.

His internal issues at dealing with his sexuality also hinder him from pursuing his Victory, as well as hindering his relationship to his girlfriend, Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). Later in the film, he must also deal with the Obstacle of his failing health as he reunites with his bandmates in time for the Live Aid concert.

Tactics: Freddie's main set of Tactics include combating his shyness by going “over the top” in nearly every aspect of his personal and professional life, from including “the operatic section” in the title song, to his reckless sexual behavior, to throwing lavish parties with all the “freaks” he can find to show up.

Energy: Freddie gets his Energy from his desire to live up to his father's expectations, which he summarizes by his saying of “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds,” which Freddie eventually fulfills when he agrees to do the Live Aid show.

Paul Prenter (antagonist)

Victory: Paul's Victory is to have an intimate relationship with Freddie.

Obstacles: Paul's Obstacles come from everyone else around Freddie: his bandmates, Mary, band manager John Reid (Aiden Gillen). In his mind, they all stand between him and Freddie.

Tactics: Paul's Tactics include convincing Freddie to go solo, to fire Reid, and to ignore the calls from Mary about taking part in Live Aid. He also keeps Freddie isolated from his friends and surrounded by "party guests" to keep him distracted.

Energy: Paul gets his Energy from his upbringing as (in his words), “a queer, Irish kid from Belfast”, an outsider on every front, so he craves the love and respect he believes he can get as Freddie's lover, both from Freddie and those who admire him.

In this case, Paul is not a direct Obstacle to Freddie accomplishing his Victory. However, he does stand in the way of Freddie's happiness by isolating him from the people who helped him achieve his Victory in the initial stages.

Paul wants Freddie to succeed, but on his terms and not Freddie's. Their conflict comes from them both wanting the same Victory (Freddie's success), but employing different Tactics to achieve it.

As a previous post about adapting true stories pointed out, a screenwriter's task in this situation is not to tell a TRUE story. Instead, it's to tell a GOOD story. British screenwriter McCarten (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour) has a wealth of experience with turning true stories into strong scripts. As to how close the film version of Mercury matches the real deal, that argument is for music historians to make.

As screenwriters, your task is to take the elements of the true story, including character traits, timing of events, and personality conflicts, and turn those into powerful characters and a compelling story. As a film, Bohemian Rhapsody accomplishes this task.

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