On Writing - The Power of Weakness (Glengarry Glen Ross)
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
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On Writing - The Power of Weakness (Glengarry Glen Ross)
Writing tips, tricks and analysis.
There is a power in weakness. The power to grow, perhaps. A power to learn from one's mistakes... Perhaps. To create and nurture interesting conflict. Yes, most certainly.
In this video essay about Glengarry Glen Ross, I show you how a character's weakness can help you form more powerful conflict in your stories. This will also, by leveraging this simple literary tool, help your write better characters with interesting motivations.
I also show you what separates a beta male from an alpha male, a working stiff from an apex predator, and what it takes to be successful in the world of business and a better salesman all in the same video. What a great value!
Start on the journey of self improvement today!
I think this is one of your best videos. Do you plan on doing more of this kind?
Yeah, I am going to do a video about Rocky next as a reaction to a video from a youtube JustWrite who claimed that Rocky was structureless. I am going to prove that assumption wrong and show the differences in Dramatic structure to basic structure.
Strat-Edgy Productions that's great! I hope you keep up with the movie videos
Blake's motivational tactic (if you can call it motivational) turned out to be totally counterproductive. It resulted in 2 employees deciding to steal the leads and sell them to a competitor.
i dont believe fear as a good motivator --->>>-GUSTAVO FRING
He wasn't trying to motivate them to sell, he was trying to motivate the weakest salesmen TO LEAVE. Regularly culling the weakest sales performers is a tried and true tactic of bottom-of-the-barrel sales "teams".
@@brianmaiden1185 and ironically they're left with roma, who was never even told about blake's visit, and aaronow, the weakest salesman there.
@@-..-_-..- good point but I still think Shelley Levine is easily the worst… at least aarnow is somewhat human and that is a big step to getting sales, he just needs to learn how to be a closer.
@@Limitless_Pokemon well yeah but at least levine has some drive, aaronow spends the entire movie moping around (justifiably ofc, they're in a dogshit situation) and being so gullible that he didnt realize he was being tricked into robbing the office until moss explicitly told him (even if he later backed out). then in the back half of the movie he spends the entire time acting so comically guilty and fucking weird that roma doesnt even know how to have a conversation with him. hell, one of the first things he does in the movie is get a client's name wrong. and the entire movie alan arkin has this brilliantly hapless, almost confused look on his face. he's not even very good in normal conversation, like when he's "just talking" with moss, he spends most of the time just repeating what moss says back to him without even changing the words. he's just kinda dumb?? at least levine is a bit more worldly and *used to be* a good salesman. of course, aaronow is a better person, haha, he definitely still has a soul whereas levine is this weird sales demon that can't switch off and is constantly trying to manipulate everyone around him
"To Err Is Human.
To Blow Up The World Is Lame"
New motto for the end of 2017 hahaha
"When a man gets used to abuse, he becomes immune to motivation."
Oh my gosh dude. You just answered an over 30 year question for my life with that. It makes so much sense.
agreeeeed!
There’s a lot of truth to that! But I think back to my Army service. Specifically basic training. We were abused constantly, but it seemed like we were forced to be motivated whether we felt it or not. Same thing throughout the entirety of my enlistment. Maybe it was group pressure to measure up that kept us motivated. I don’t know.🤷♂️
@@Mostopinionatedmanofalltimeisn’t the abuse of basic training meant to motivate the group to act as one, not to motivate an individual?
@@moon_wobble7782 Yes, I’d say that’s true.
the look in Shelly's face at Alex Baldwin is awesome. Acting at its best. No words but u just know what he is thinking and feeling.
Absolutely! That look is the best "line" in this great film.
I love that moment when Blake goes "You see this watch?" and exposes the weakest, most unmanly wrist you could imagine on a fella that size. Great casting.
The watch is also comically huge and gaudy. If he’d worn something more discreet, you might not have even noticed how small Baldwin’s wrists are.
But consider: the leads WERE weak.
Management even knew that there were insane people in there who cannot be sold anything. Management gave the better of the worst lead to the better salesman and the weaker of the weak leads to the worse ones, creating a self-reinforcing loop with teh worse salesmen selling less and the better one selling more.
Levene says that he remembers trying to sell those people years earlier, but they're broke deadbeats.
Exactly. The company doesn't need the salesmen, and so they have no incentive to help them. Might as well let them scramble and scrap to see what happens. Maybe one will survive and make them money. They don't care. These guys are playing a losing game.
@@davidandersson7642 fuck
*this*, management isn't innocent here. williamson gives levine two leads, one of them he had already given levine before, and the other williamson already knew was crazy people with no money. when levine asks "why?" and williamson says "because i don't like you", it's not just about turning levine in. it's also about williamson setting levine up to fail from the beginning.
Blake says as much - he thinks the good leads would be wasted on anyone in the office not named Roma. If Mitch and Murray were interested in having a thriving office, they'd give the other salesmen the Glengarry leads and let Roma work his magic with the bad ones. But they're not, so they don't.
Alec - ALEC - Baldwin!!
For those interested, the movie used to exemplify what Strat is talking about is Glengarry Glen Ross.
AlucardNoir thank you
The ending of the movie caught me off guard. I was actually surprised when I learned who did what because there was a subtle hint towards the beginning that I completely missed. But this was a good movie nonetheless, and the writing is fantastic because the characters are clearly their own people with motivations and weaknesses.
The analysis is well done and interesting. I enjoy the film for the sheer artistry of the performances....right down to the final tune, "Blue Skies". It's production made with 100% conviction and dedication to the author's concept. Everyone in the film brought their A game.
Supposedly, the actors were all such fans of one another's performances that they'd come in to watch each other on their days off. Jack Lemmon even said it was the best ensemble he'd ever worked with, which is quite something coming from someone who'd made as many great movies as he had.
"Blue Skies" featuring the great Mr Wayne Shorter. FIFY :)
Really interesting analysis. I had begun to notice in the famous Blake scene that every time Blake comes at Moss it’s to rub his material success into Moss’s face. I hadn’t made the same connection to his attack on Shelly and Aaronow but you’re right: he only spends a few seconds on Aaronow and tells him if you think this is abuse how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? He hits Shelly with themes of being past his prime and no longer a real salesman, which is such a big part of Shelly “The Machine” Levene’s identity.
I hadn’t caught before the juxtaposition of Roma as universal truth guru the night before and then desperate BS artist in the morning when he knows Lingk is trying to back out of the deal.
One of the greatest play ever written and screened.
Thank you for your analysis.
"Want is a thing that characters believe they need, but is actually harmful to their success." So true.
Man, I can't explain this unless you are a fellow sales guy. This is the way it is. Only difference is that risk of getting sued by young secretary. So, the bad language, names, etc.. have become more appropriate, but still get tossed around in private. It is all mental health.
*The Dude:* _"When will you find these guys? I mean, do you have any promising leads?"_
*Policeman:* _"Leads, yeah. I'll just check with the boys down at the Crime Lab. They've assigned four more detectives to the case...got us working in shifts!"_
@Brian Maiden. That scene was hilarious. Also, when The Dude got bonked in the head when he said the he wasn't listening to the cop's question.
What movie is this that Strat is commenting on? I just started a sales job and I need to see this movie. I know he probably said it, but I don't see the movie in the description.
EDIT: is it Glengarry Glen Ross?
Kevin Hicks It is, in fact, Glengarry Glen Ross. Great film
irametdolorem I've seen "death of a salesman" great play man!
Rockett800 thanks my friend!
This movie actually lead me to quit my sales job, so don't go into it thinking it will make you like your job more, it could do the exact opposite. My guess is you will like it if you are the Al Pachino/Alec Baldwin type (apex pred.). But, if you identify with any of the other characters, it may lead you down a different path.
I think The Sound of Music'.
LOL!!! Adam Baldwin?!?!?! Like, seriously dude?!?!
how much you care about that is unbearable
@@charmicarmicat2981 No, Eric's right to be perplexed. This is a great video but you gotta put some respect on Alec Baldwin's name. And you DEFINITELY should call him by the right one.
This is why characters like Rey in Star Wars are uninteresting. She has no weaknesses. There is no conflict within her.
Nerv ClaX she has three weaknesses actually. One is that she is desparate for parental figures like Han and Luke, And the other two is the lack of wisdom and patience. All three of which almost got her and others killed in the Last Jedi.
That’s just you choosing not to see that she _does_ have conflict. She spends the last two movies figuring out what she wants and who she is. She has to cope with her abandonment and the crushing reality that it happened for no good reason. She has all this raw strength and is being discouraged and punished for its use. She sees good in Kylo yet utterly fails to sway him. Everything she thought the Jedi were is shattered when she meets Luke. She loses a father figure and a personal hero when Han dies. Bro, Luke had less conflict than Rey did. Hell, Luke didn’t even shed a tear when his Aunt and Uncle burned alive.
sixstringpsycho Just a thought about Luke not shedding a tear for his Aunt & Uncle: I think when someone close to you dies suddenly and unexpectedly the initial response is a period of shock where it doesn't seem real, maybe so the 'survivor' can maintain composure and get to safety if the threat persists.
If someone has been degrading slowly and eventually succumbs, the response is different, there's less shock because the outcome was already expected. The grieving process may have even started before the person has died. I thought Luke just standing and staring seemed realistic, he's looking at it but not really processing it.
Opens UA-cam, new Strat-Edgy video at the top of my recommended list. A sign today will be a good day.
While we love acknowledging Al Pacino’s acting prowess, can we take a second to appreciate Jonathan Pryce? He’s played a feeble loser here, a Pope, a Bond Villain, and Prince Phillip to name but a few!
You are going to make an amazing father one day.
VoiceOfTheEmperor He's like forty something and has a kid already if I remember correctly.
i think he has a son
Bwahahaha no he won't.
His kids gonna ask a question but receive a well thought out and concise answer.
Kids don't have the attention for this so it will be wasted.
Have fun 😆
lol, I am not 40 something. Ouch, that shit hurt a little.
My son is 18. I started early.
see im his favorite i never called him 40 something
By far, this channel is the most in depth and invested channel Ive ever seen. Everything is done with great care and purpose. Because of that I watch and rewatch this channel. Probably seen all of these vids at least three times if not more. Quality, is always far more important than quantity.
Brilliant analysis. One of my all time favorite movies!!
Wow, that was a surprisingly amazing analysis. Thank you so much!
Hey Strat, I love this analysis and I want your opinion-maybe this can by a separate video even: with the rise in popularity of online analysis of popular media, esp. film and games, I find that most analyses of characters examine flaws or weaknesses to get real in views on some ironic appeal. Maybe we just love examining the flaws of these characters that we otherwise idolize, because it helps us feel more equal to them. Well, can you examine, maybe in a video, or even just me me your thoughts here on, what makes a character truly strong or charming or "like-able"?
Blake is played by Alec Baldwin. At 2:06 you accidentally call him Adam Baldwin (another actor not related to the Baldwin brothers).
Lol
This movie is about bunch of soulless unredeemable characters screwing everything in sight including themselves but what great quotable lines - Patel? ABC, Put that coffee down!
"How the hell have I never seen this film before?" he said clicking the download button so hard he nearly broke his mouse.
Zippy Leroux: Yeah, it’s a classic play for more intellectual types, who can peel back the complex layers of human experience. A real actor’s piece.
One of the best film criticisms, of one of the best movies, I've seen. Well done.
Aaronow, somehow, is one of the survivors, stuck in his own personal hell.
"You are a shithead Williamson" hahah love the delivery of that line
I loved Williamson's indifference to the insults and emotional blustering.
"...a green glowing rock that killed the man of steel."
BULLSHIT. It was Doomsday.
Damn, this guy is excellent at analysis. I wish he'll analyse Xenoblade Chronicles sometime or its sequel, that'd be awesome.
12:26 Hey fella, you don't interrupt a Pacino rant! :D
Go to lunch!
Movie is *Glengarry Glen Ross*
Did you forget to mention the name of the film? Or indeed give any introduction at all, that I might have some idea of the point you'll be making and have some reason to watch?
or you could just listen to the video in the background which is only 14 minutes long (less at faster speeds)
tho i agree with having the name of the movie/show he is talking about in the description.
the point of the video tho is obvious from the title.
How weakness affects writing.
The name of the film isn’t as important as an introduction. I never would have finished the video if I hadn’t seen other Strat-Edgy works and known going in that it would be worth my time to finish.
Constructive criticism for the day: a title isn’t an introduction. I imagine most viewers had no idea where you were going with this and got bored with your noir narrative summarizing an old movie. Would suggest that you should have started your intro with some snarky criticism of one of the end of the world tropefests you refer to later in the video. Also, some humor would go a long way towards making your work more appealing to wider audiences.
Still, you make a great point as always.
This is a premium analysis
You should read about "The 48 Laws of Power"
Adam Baldwin was phenomenal as Glen Gary.
ADAM Baldwin?
2:03 _Blake, played by _*_Adam_*_ Baldwin..._ - Amen!
Indifference. That describes Roma's entire consideration of the office burglary, since he had absolutely nothing to do with it. He was focused on getting a customer to sign on the line which is dotted! (But we did appreciate Roma's compliments to Shelley, who had helped him providing "the old stuff" -- the salesman deception.)
Human characters are more interesting than binary turds of virtue. Someone tell Disney.
Great essay. I always wondered if Blake was full of BS and what we saw of him was his full-time job: traveling around getting hired by firms like Premier to 'motivate' their staff by presenting himself as the ultimate hotshot.
I didn't get it then the ending was beautiful
had seen this move and never understood it or why people liked it. found it confusing and, like you said, i didnt care about the characters. but this was so helpful. i might rewatch for the interactions
Videos like this are the reason you are one of the few people I support on Paetreon.
Adam Baldwin??? I don't think so. I think we found your weakness, the power of recall.
So the man that Roma closed from the bar is a gay.? That’s what I thought.
@2:06 -- This video is 5 years old, and I don't see any comments mentioning that he calls Alec Baldwin "Adam."
To break in and steal the leads.stole the phones broke Glass. But did not damage Williamson Office door?
Ever sold cars and sat in on a sales meeting? This is light compared to life, but well done.
Mitch and Murray would approve this breakdown
Interesting critique, well done and food for thought.
‘Social lubricant’ is one of the greatest capitalistic terms i’ve heard
I've heard of pets being referred to as such.
Love this old movie, great video!
Who told you that you could work with men?
Great cast. Great script. Great soundtrack. Great movie!
It's not gullibility they're looking for it's loneliness.
Alec Baldwin
Roma sure had Kevin Spacey's number
That's Alec Baldwin, not Adam Baldwin.
What RPG is this?
truly adam baldwin's best role
Lol
LOVE this movie...no mystery why some of the actors referred to it not as Glengarry but Death of a fuckin Salesman spoofing the title of a different film. The " colorful " dialogue aside, I think Moss had a point, why did Mitch and Murray ( allegedly ) waste their time sending Blake down to talk to " a bunch of bums " ? Did they also believe the leads they gave everyone were weak and that by threatening everyone's jobs the " bunch of bums " would bust their balls to earn enough to win the Glengarry leads ? Then what ? Only 2 would still have a job unless Blake was bluffing , awfully small office. That part is a big mystery unless it was only meant to frighten everyone into shaping up for the company line. Movie doesn't answer some of the questions raised but then most movies leave a certain amount for the audience to figure out. Williamson was the PERFECT model of a supervisor who doesn't know shit, only how to pass along orders and make life more difficult for those who do know what they're doing. I would say a lot of us have known a few of those wooden heads. One of Kevin Spacey's best performances in my view.
Have you finished NieR?
Why is this in the category gaming?
For me, this Mamet masterpiece, is a psychological study in personalities and life perspectives from each balcony each character displays.
While I've read some sales folk have been shown this film, perhaps it should be shown to university juniors as a project or mid term examination. For each student to understand and get into the psychological fabric of each character.
Everything is here. Motivations, B.F. Skinner's behaviorisims, Atkinson's ideas on motivation and other schools of personality.
What is each character's base motivation and what humanistic strategy of coping comes into play in this arena of paradigm collisions?
David Mamet may not have had classical schools of personality thought in mind when he wrote this exacting play but he must have observed these kinds of people in his life.
Nice analysis of this intriguing film/play ... have watched multiple times, simply for the dynamic acting by this super talented cast. Pacino is unbeatable; showed his dedication to the art in "Dog Day Afternoon," in "Serpico" in "The Godfather," and my favorite "The Merchant of Venice," and here he stands out again as the most dynamic actor--well cast as Richard Roma. Only the great Jack Lemmon came as close to making his character come across as authentic.
but you say nowhere what the name is
Actually, in The Death of Superman, Superman puts himself in front of a large Tacheon cannon focused at earth and sacrifices himself
Not killed by Kryptonite
I first saw this the evening before I was to start a new job in advertising sales. Woof. I wasn't sure whether seeing it helped motivate me or simply terrify me more than I already was. Then the iconic 'put that coffee down' scene was part of a sales presentation at said job. That decided it. Terror.
Came here after watching your DeusEx Mankind Divided video, and I have zero regrets. Great job here!
"A debilitating case of 'Who gives a fuck'" ROFLOL!!!!
this is a remarkably cogent analysis of this film's/play's character traits/dynamics. thank you.
I have worked with dozens of sales people over the years, and in every team you have a quorum of certain types of character, this film gets it so perfectly accurate.
One of the best films of all time.
What I don't get is what exactly they were going to do with the permium leads. Just let them sit there and no give them to anyone? I mean if everyone in the office is considered too incompetant to use them, then why aren't they giving them to people at a different office? What's the point of letting them just sit around?
What movie is this?
Blow up the world sounds unique always.. Ya thats the reason I tend to mostly prefer these type of unique films. They bring something inventive & out of the norm when reality sucks anyways.
Enjoyed your Morrowind video... went digging. Coffee is for closers only. +1
Masterful analysis.
2:00 anybody know what movie reference that he makes?
There Will Be Blood starring Daniel Day Lewis.
they dont give out Webbys anymore but ...
Good analysis!
Impressive video, most impressive. Indeed you are powerful.
this is genius, this movie is genius even if you are the best of the best apex then goods will punish you its ultimate tragedy
great review.
actually one if my top 3 movies of all time.
Very much enjoyed this analysis. Well done!
Blake is played by Alec Baldwin, not Adam Baldwin.
Nice video,
I know where you got the title but does the video relate to the Power of Nightmares in any way?
Enjoyed in none the less.
Brilliant
💗💗
No idea why I'm watching this, but I'm watching it.
Unbelievable movie. Could not make it now.
That is one hell of a Philly accent you've got there.
The oilman never cared for his son
Okay, maybe I missed it in the beggining f the video but which film is this?