Witness for the Prosecution, Billy Wilder’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s legal thriller stage play, remains a fun and engaging piece of popcorn entertainment over 60 years later. A delightful cat-and-mouse between a lawyer, his client, accused of murder, and the client’s wife, it keeps you guessing until the end. Many lessons can be taken from this film, but today we’ll focus on its engaging scene work.
Giving Them the Business
The idea of business comes from the theater. Stage business consists of “incidental activity performed by the actor for dramatic effect.” For theater, this would come from the director or actor rather than the script. But in film, writers have more control and can use business to shape their scenes.
Throughout this film, characters constantly get captivating bits of scene work. Sir Wilfred’s pursuit of a cigar and light. His hectoring nurse who tries to get him to go to bed. The witness who keeps toying with the microphone.
Each of these elements add character and interesting business. These scenes would otherwise be limited to just the recitation of the facts of the case. They also make for a more human story – rarely are we one hundred percent focused on the task at hand. There’s always some mundane concern weighing on us as well. You can go through the whole film and find more examples throughout of the actions characters pursue that seem completely unrelated to the central plot.
Many films have been set in courtrooms, but how many feature attorneys swigging booze under the nose of their nurse? That simple action fleshes out the character, gives the scene structure and a running gag, and makes it more memorable than a hundred other courtroom films.
Applying To Your Own Work
Introducing business to your scenes can come late in the process. They’re incidental add-ons, filigrees around the central focus of the plot. But finding these interesting pursuits and actions can enliven your scenes and give depth to characters. On your next draft, try to find something interesting for one character to do in each scene that’s unrelated to the plot. More often than not, it’s going to be an improvement.