Mank 2020

Here is a rephrased version of the section:

In 1940, Orson Welles (Tom Burke), the youthful maestro, was entrusted by RKO Pictures with an extraordinary creative freedom - total control over his cinematic project. Welles seized this opportunity to collaborate with the esteemed writer Herman J Mankiewicz, affectionately known as “Mank” (Gary Oldman). The latter, already beset by a broken leg, retreated to North Verde Ranch in Victorville, California, where he was tasked with penning a screenplay within 90 days. Assisting Mank were his loyal secretary Rita Alexander (Lily Collins) and housekeeper Fraulein Freida (Monika Gossmann). Producer John Houseman (Sam Troughton), aware of Mank’s struggles with addiction, discreetly provided him with a cache of nightcaps, further underscoring the pressures on this talented scribe. As Welles himself phoned in to direct the creative trajectory, demanding an unprecedented 60-day turnaround, Rita meticulously documented Mank’s ideas and progress as he lay bedridden.

Flashback to 1930 at Paramount Studios, where a young Charles Lederer (Joseph Cross) arrived, commissioned by Mank to gather his creative team. This gathering of minds included George Kaufman (Adam Shapiro), Sid Perelman (Jack Romano), Charles MacArthur (John Churchill), Shelly Metcalf (Jamie McShane), and Mank’s brother Joseph (Tom Pelphrey). As they engaged in a friendly wager, the group pitched their film concept to David O Selznick (Toby Leonard Moore) and director Josef Von Sternberg (Paul Fox), which eerily echoed the tale of “Frankenstein”. However, their enthusiasm was met with indifference by the pair. Later, Charles extended an invitation to Mank to visit his aunt, marking a poignant turning point in this cinematic odyssey.

As Mank stumbles onto the film set, reeling from a night of revelry, he’s greeted by the unlikely duo of Irving Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer, two powerful figures at the helm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The producer, recognizing Mank as the wordsmith behind some of their most successful Lon Chaney films, ushers him into the fold. A chance encounter with Marion Davies, Charles’s aunt and a stunning starlet in her own right, sets the stage for a series of introductions that would shake the very foundations of Hollywood. There’s William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate turned mogul, who sees the silver screen as the key to his future dominance; and Marion herself, whose illicit affair with Hearst is just one aspect of her complex web of relationships.

In a poignant respite from the glamour of Tinseltown, Rita receives news that sends her reeling: her husband, serving in the British Army, has been reported missing after his ship was sunk off the Norwegian coast. As she navigates the crushing uncertainty of war, Mank is busy navigating his own demons, indulging in drink and self-absorption to the point where he becomes passed out drunk on their living room floor. Rita’s despair gives way to concern as she summons Houseman and a doctor to tend to her husband’s struggling wordsmith. As Mank stirs back to life, Houseman’s blunt assessment of his work serves as a wake-up call: the script, though promising, lacks coherence. It’s a critique that resonates with Rita, who begins to unravel the threads of reality from those of fantasy as she learns that some of the characters are inspired by people Mank knows all too well. Even Joe, ever the voice of caution, reaches out to offer his concerns about the script’s potential fallout – but Mank remains defiant, driven solely by his artistic vision.

As the curtain rises on a new era at MGM Studios in 1934, Mank and Houseman find themselves at the mercy of Louis B. Mayer, the studio head who will stop at nothing to ensure the survival of his beloved MGM. A chance meeting with a would-be filmmaker, summarily rejected for pitching a salacious project, serves as a stark reminder of the cutthroat nature of the industry – an environment where only the strongest survive. As Mank and Houseman navigate this treacherous landscape, they must confront their own creative demons and the harsh realities of making it in Hollywood.

As the sun dips into the Pacific Ocean, casting a warm glow over the majestic Hearst Castle, Mank and Sara (Sara Moffett) find themselves amidst a gathering of esteemed guests at the San Simeon Assembly Room. The atmosphere is alive with discussion, as the attendees delve into the complexities of politics, specifically the rising threat of Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, Mank appears to be an outlier in his sympathetic ear towards writer Upton Sinclair (Bill Nye), who is deemed a socialist by Mayer and Irving. As Marion steps outside for some fresh air, Mank follows, allowing them to continue their conversation on politics and Marion’s humble beginnings in Brooklyn. This chance encounter also provides Mank with an opportunity to express his dissatisfaction with Mayer.

Cut to the present, where Houseman makes a visit to the ranch to remind Mank that he is running perilously short of time to complete the script. Welles checks in, eager to know about the progress on the film since the wrap-up of “Heart of Darkness”. Mank, however, resorts to making excuses for his slow pace. The tranquil atmosphere is disrupted when Rita discovers Frieda’s late-night concoctions, which have been fueling Mank’s nocturnal exploits. When Rita confronts Frieda about her motives, she reveals that Mank played a pivotal role in securing her and her family’s safe passage out of Hitler’s Germany.

As the scene shifts to 1934, Sinclair is running a spirited campaign against Frank Merriam for governor of California. Joe implores Mank to lend his support to the establishment of the Screen Writers Guild, but Mank remains lukewarm towards the proposition. His meeting with Irving at MGM only serves to heighten the sense of unease, as he is reminded of his obligation to donate to Merriam’s campaign fund. En route from the meeting, Mank catches a glimpse of Sinclair rallying against MGM, his words echoing through the streets.

Fast-forward to the present, where Houseman is astonished by the sheer volume of Mank’s work, having penned an impressive 200 pages in just 13 days with the aid of a support device. The script has won over even the most skeptical of critics, earning praise for its heartfelt portrayal of a sled. However, this triumph is tempered by the knowledge that Mank’s contract obliges him to surrender credit for the film. Houseman also reveals that he has come to realize that the protagonist of Mank’s script bears an uncanny resemblance to none other than Hearst himself.

Here’s a rephrased version of the section:

As the sun-kissed beaches of 1934 fade away, the sound of radio propaganda lingers, this time in the form of a well-known actress (her wholesome demeanor belied by her sly manipulation) touting the virtues of Merriam. Mank and Sara are privy to the insincere pitch, their keen ears picking up on the familiar tones that betray the speaker’s true intentions. Meanwhile, back at MGM, Mank’s team is tasked with crafting deceitful smear campaigns against Sinclair - a task that sits uneasily with Mank’s conscience.

Later, as the eve of the election wears on and the atmosphere at the Trocadero Nightclub grows electric, the patrons await the outcome with bated breath. When Mayer finally announces Merriam’s victory, the response is thunderous applause. However, the jubilation is short-lived, as Mank receives a distressed call from Shelly, whose inebriation masks a deeper anguish. Shelly’s girlfriend Eve (Leven Rambin) eventually fills Mank in on the details - Shelly has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and is now armed to the teeth.

As Mank tracks down his troubled friend to the office, the atmosphere turns tense. Shelly hands over the bullets instead of the gun, a subtle yet ominous gesture that foreshadows the darkness to come. Cut back to Eve’s concerned face as she warns Mank about Shelly’s arsenal - a whole box of ammunition is at their disposal.

Fast-forward to the present, where Joe’s visits become increasingly frequent and urgent. His script concerns are palpable, fueled by his growing unease over the thinly veiled references to Hearst’s infamous nickname for Marion’s anatomy in the film. When Marion herself drops by, her request to tweak the script to appease Hearst is met with Mank’s firm refusal. Her apologetic tone hints at a deeper understanding - that the very existence of the film hangs precariously in the balance.

As Welles’ words echo through the phone lines, Mank is faced with the harsh reality: Mayer’s attempts to strong-arm RKO into shelving the film have created a formidable obstacle. The fate of the movie hangs in the balance, as the stakes are raised and the tension builds.

In 1936, Mank attends the funeral of Irving Thalberg, only to encounter an old acquaintance offering him a job at another studio. However, Mank insists that he had already been invited previously and was rebuffed, revealing his frustration with the industry’s closed doors. The following year, he crashes a lavish party at Hearst Castle, indulging in excessive revelry as he attempts to pitch his magnum opus to the assembled crowd. His words are laced with venomous criticism aimed at powerful figures like William Randolph Hearst and Louis B. Mayer, not to mention Marion Davies. As his intoxication reaches its peak, Mank’s tirade culminates in a spectacular display of vomiting, prompting the guests to flee in disarray. Mayer seethes with indignation at Mank’s behavior, but Hearst approaches him with an air of calm benevolence. He crafts an allegory around an organ grinder and his monkey, drawing parallels between Mank and the former, who relies on the latter to dance for coins. Hearst dispatches Mank with a gentle yet firm hand.

In the aftermath, Sara confronts Mank about his boorish behavior and dishonesty, reminding him of the debts he owes her and the fact that Joseph L. Mankiewicz could potentially restore his old job at Paramount if only he were to apologize to Mayer. She also demands that Mank cease referring to her as “Poor Sara.” Welles later visits Mank, proffering a buyout from the studio. However, Mank is adamant about receiving credit for the film, insisting that it is the crowning achievement of his literary career. Welles’s ire boils over, and he smashes Mank’s cache of nightcaps in a fit of rage; yet Mank sees this as an opportunity to enrich the script. Following Welles’s departure, Rita receives another message affirming her husband’s survival, and she throws her arms around Mank in gratitude.

Fast-forward to 1942: at the Academy Awards ceremony, Orson Welles’s masterpiece “Citizen Kane” wins its sole award for Best Original Screenplay. Both Mank and Welles share the honor, but neither bothers to collect their prize in person. A radio broadcast featuring the real Orson Welles surfaces, in which he taunts Mank with a sarcastic message: “Kiss my half.” Mank is depicted accepting his award on his front porch, proudly asserting that he received no assistance from Welles whatsoever. When asked by a reporter why Welles shares credit for the film, Mank winks and says, “That’s the magic of the movies.”

As Herman Mankiewicz’s life came full circle, the once-celebrated screenwriter succumbed to the cruel whims of fate, ultimately meeting his demise at the tender age of 55 due to the devastating consequences of his long-standing battle with alcoholism. This tragic turn of events marked a stark departure from the creative highs he had once known, as Mankiewicz would never again contribute to the cinematic landscape on a major scale. In his final years, it seemed that Mankiewicz had become increasingly consumed by feelings of desperation and entrapment, likening himself to a trapped rat whose every attempt at freedom was met with self-sabotage. As if haunted by the ghosts of his own creative potential, Mankiewicz’s words to a close friend eerily foreshadowed the inevitable path he would take, forever trapped in a cycle of self-destruction that would ultimately seal his fate.