Troperiffic Tuesday!: Chekhov’s Gun

Chick 1 says:

Welcome back to Troperiffic Tuesday!  This week we’re looking at one of the basic tenets of storytelling, Chekhov’s Gun.  The trope is based on a principle espoused by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.  Chekhov said it a variety of ways but it comes down to this, “If you have a gun on stage, it better go off before the end of the play.”

Chekhov’s Gun falls under the Law of Conservation of Detail which teaches writers to make every word, every bit of dialogue count.  If it doesn’t drive the story, don’t waste your precious time with it.  In movies you only have 90-120 minutes to tell a story, on TV only 22-43 minutes so every detail has to count.  Don’t introduce any element that distracts from the story.

The trope isn’t limited to guns or weapons.  In fact it’s created a variety of subgenres like Chekhov’s Skills and Chekhov’s Joke.  Chekhov’s Gun can also create Foreshadowing.  The opposite of Chekhov’s Gun is the Red Herring, an item or character introduced to fool the audience into thinking the story is going one way when it’s really going another. 

Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are masters of Conservation of Detail and as a result, masters at using Chekhov’s Gun.  In both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz,  there are dozens of details that come back into play later in the movie like the swan that Sgt Angel chases through out Hot Fuzz.  The swan is a symbol of Angel’s frustration with his new quiet country life but it’s the swan that actually deals the final blow to the bad guy.

J.K. Rowling uses this trope almost to a fault.  By the 3rd or 4th  Harry Potter book/movie, the audience began to expect that whatever spell the trio learned in class would be crucial to defeating Voldemort at the  end.  What was great about this method is that learning the spells served several purposes.  First, it added to feel of the young wizards being at school but with a whimsical element.  Second, while the kids were studying they were also often passing on exposition to the audience while they were chatting.  And finally, Rowling was setting them up with the skills they’d need for the big finale.

Other Chekhov’s Guns include the Omega-13 in Galaxy Quest, Marion’s drinking skills in Raiders, and Tony’s first chest piece in Iron Man.  Slumdog Millionaire was one long set of Chekhov’s Guns as each episode of  Jamal’s life gives him what he needs for the game show. 

 And don’t forget ”No capes!” in The Incredibles.  Here’s proof that a good fashion designer can save your life!

Posted on by Chick 1 in Tropes 8,690 Comments

8,690 Responses to Troperiffic Tuesday!: Chekhov’s Gun

  1. seo tools Search engine Software

    9 . What Your Parents Taught You About SEO Tools Search Engine Software seo tools Search engine Software

  2. seo tools london

    10 Facts About Rank Tracker Powersuite That Will Instantly Make You Feel Good Mood seo tools london

  3. adidas gazelle bold pink

    An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do think that you should write more about this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but typically people do not speak about these topics. To the next! Many thanks!

  4. みんなに一言 面白い

    Exterior engine ID (for all engines besides the base six) now appeared forward of the front-wheel opening.

  5. スニーカー 蒸れ 対策

    Santo decides to look over some books within the Professor’s library to see if he can find a clue; whereas he is reading, Blue Demon sees Lina leave, and he follows her, but is grabbed by three werewolves in the forest.

  6. 松井証券 出金方法

    Judge leads the American League (and MLB) in house runs (62) and RBIs (133), and his batting common is a respectable .311, which is at the moment fourth within the American League.

  7. Full-Stack Digital Marketing Agency

    Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t disappoint me just as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, however I really thought you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

  8. private adhd psychiatrist Near Me

    Buzzwords De-Buzzed: 10 Alternative Methods To Deliver Private Psychiatrists private adhd psychiatrist Near Me

  9. マスクしない国

    Boydell & Brewer. Copeland, David A (January 1, 2000).

  10. Randal Montalbano

    After looking into a few of the blog articles on your blog, I really like your way of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my website too and tell me what you think.

  11. html できること

    The sooner you start to handle and make the most of your money, and the younger you are, the better and faster it’s to ‘bounce again’ from monetary catastrophes.

  12. 火災保険 家の修理

    If you are not willing to make any kind of funding available in the market as a result of risks involved in it then you must by no means attempt to power your self.

  13. Sliemalocalcouncil Security Rating

    I was able to find good advice from your blog articles.

  14. hot girls Kolkata

    Hello there, I think your blog could be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent blog!

  15. Pg slot

    Your style is so unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.

  16. Best Seo Software Uk

    You’ll Never Guess This Best SEO Software UK’s Tricks Best Seo Software Uk

  17. Seo software and Tools

    The 10 Scariest Things About SEO Software And Tools Seo software and Tools

  18. bedtime stories

    Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it ;) I will revisit yet again since I book-marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.

  19. เครดิตฟรี

    A motivating discussion is worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people don’t talk about such issues. To the next! Best wishes!

  20. local car Locksmiths

    What You Can Use A Weekly Car Locksmith Project Can Change Your Life
    local car Locksmiths

  21. เว็บตรง

    I absolutely love your blog.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you build this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own site and would like to find out where you got this from or what the theme is named. Appreciate it.

  22. car boot mobility Scooters

    20 Great Tweets From All Time About Boot Scooters car boot mobility Scooters

  23. links

    10 Things You’ve Learned In Kindergarden Which Will Help You With SEO Applications links

  24. แทงบอล

    Hi there! This article couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I am going to send this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  25. backlinks

    10 Startups That Are Set To Revolutionize The SEO Software And
    Tools Industry For The Better backlinks

  26. 豪ドル円の株価は

    The above examples illustrate the need to look at the value of a bicycle because the higher of either it’s “whole” value, or as a sum of its components.

  27. composite door installer birmingham

    The Top Reasons People Succeed In The Window Repair Birmingham Industry
    composite door installer birmingham

  28. Lesley

    What’s The Job Market For Smart Robot Professionals Like?

    smart robot (Lesley)

  29. Replacement Glass Panels For Upvc Windows

    The Infrequently Known Benefits To Replacement Door Panel Upvc Replacement Glass Panels For Upvc Windows

  30. Chesterfield Couch leather

    What’s The Job Market For Chesterfield Couch Leather Professionals?
    Chesterfield Couch leather

  31. deals on power tools

    10 Tell-Tale Signs You Need To Know Before You Buy Power Tool Deals Uk deals on power tools

  32. Maximo

    The 10 Most Terrifying Things About SEO Software And Tools seo software and tools; Maximo,

  33. robot vacuum Reviews

    See What Robot Vacuum Reviews Tricks The Celebs Are Using
    robot vacuum Reviews

  34. swimming.s-server.kr

    15 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Software For SEO Seo traffic
    software (swimming.s-server.kr)

  35. Best Robot Floor Cleaner

    The Best Robot Floor Cleaner Tricks To Transform Your Life Best Robot Floor Cleaner

  36. pubhis.w3devpro.Com

    The No. One Question That Everyone Working In Robot Vacuum Cleaner Should Be Able Answer robotic vacuum cleaner, pubhis.w3devpro.Com,

  37. xianxi guishi

    Your style is really unique compared to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this site.

  38. spare car Key price

    Five Killer Quora Answers To Spare Car Key Price spare car Key price

  39. car accident injury lawyers near me

    Why Auto Accident Isn’t A Topic That People Are
    Interested In. car accident injury lawyers near me

  40. Seo Ranking Software

    Five Killer Quora Answers To SEO Ranking Software Seo Ranking Software

Add a Comment