What I Learned From Watching Mike Leigh’s "Naked"

by Jose Ordoñez Jr.

I recently came across a post from someone asking for ideas for a film script. If you’re this person, and know that I am talking about you, DM me, we should talk. Running out of creative juice is detrimental to the aspiring artist. Although I believe there are 1001 reasons for this, I believe some filmmakers are not watching as many films as they should. The secret to being an effective filmmaker is to digest as much material as you can. Whether it’s from real life or other works, I can assure you that movies are reimagined and not imagined. The prolific filmmaker must be an obvious film lover.

I wanted to start a section in this blog where we talk about movies that have given me a certain perspective on filmmaking. Whether it’s about writing, directing, or acting, I wanted to share with you some of the things I learned by watching important works. In order to minimize the options available, I wanted to restrict this section to movies in the much-appreciated Criterion Collection. Seriously, every film nerd loves Criterion.

Today’s movie is Mike Leigh’s Naked.

“Mike Leigh is a genius at crafting characters and letting things unfold.”

Photo Credit Criterion - www.criterion.com

Naked follows Johnny, a slick Mancunian who is on-the-run, as he berates passerbyers in a bleak London night. From encountering a Schottish mentally-ill man who keeps on yelling “Maggie!” as he looks for his homeless girlfriend, seducing an obviously abused restaurant server who insists on having Johnny eat beans, to befriending the knowledge-thirsty security guard who has the world’s most pointless and irritating job, this movie knows the richness that lies within character. Naked is a movie I recommend to anyone who can watch its first scene without turning the TV off. However controversial the movie may be, and however unlikable some of these characters are (someone needs to punch Jeremy in his frat-boy face), Mike Leigh is a genius at crafting characters and letting things unfold. Here are four big takeaways from watching this movie:

1. Writing is about throwing characters in situations

Mike Leigh’s philosophy on writing is disturbingly simple yet equally unconventional. He crafts his characters, hires his cast, and formulates a situation. Once he knows where the scene takes place, he lets his actors loose and watches the film unfold. He does this during rehearsal and before writing. The man has gotten the whole pre-production process all mixed up! And yet there is something so effective and drawing to his process that makes his “kitchen sink realism” films so recognizable.

2. Who cares about the message?

This one may be hard to swallow, but I believe writing should not be too controlled. Many artists worry about the moral and the message of the story. We’re scared that what a character says or feels is outside our own real-world ideology. Mike Leigh just shows you what this character believes by the actions he performs at that time. What you do with that information is not up to him. That’s for a responsible audience to process and cope with. That’s a relieving thought. 

3. It’s okay to give commentary on the “big” topics

Johnny is a conspiracy theorist who is pessimistic about the end of the millenium. He talks about God, the Bible, prophecy, evolution and time perception. He praises The Odyssey and memorizes scripture in his down-time. I have been advised to stay away from big topics as they can be hard to digest cinematically. At the very least it makes you look pretentious. This movie does not care what you think. The way Leigh weighs in on the topic through the character of Johnny actually makes you think and learn, all while it ridicules intellectualism. It’s awesome.

“maybe these movies are not for the average person looking for an escape in the theater. i love them.”

4. Not all Characters need transformation

I’m going to host a Save the Cat burning party after releasing this blog. Who’s with me? Although the works of Campbell and Snyder are still relevant to screenwriting, I prefer to read authors like McKee who merely explain the principles of storytelling so the artist can bend and break. This is perhaps the biggest takeaway from watching Naked. I know a lot of people who after  the journey, the talks, the interventions, and the consequences of their mistakes, still do not learn their lesson. These people are real and common. Why are we avoiding the pessimistic stories of the “unresurrected Christs” of this world who never come out of their darkest hour? Maybe these movies are not for the average person looking for an escape in the theater. I love them.

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Also, if you have any recommendations as to what movies I should review next, just email me using the contact form above.