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McGuffin ?
- Thread starter Yig
- Start date
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
McGuffin (aka: MacGuffin or maguffin) is a term for a plot enabling device, i.e. a device or plot element in a movie that is deliberately placed to catch the viewer’s attention and/or drive the logic of the plot, but which actually serves no further purpose - it won’t pop up again later, it won’t explain the ending, it won’t actually do anything except possibly distract you while you try to figure out its significance. More specifically, it is usually a mysterious package or superweapon or something that everyone in the story is chasing.
Possibly coined by Alfred Hitchcock. The perfect example is the “government secrets” that motivate the action in “North By Northwest” (1959). Another typical McGuffin is the Maltese Falcon. It gets the characters together, pits them against each other, but turns out to be worthless.
Also used by Quentin Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction” in the form of the suitcase with the mysterious glowing contents.
Possibly coined by Alfred Hitchcock. The perfect example is the “government secrets” that motivate the action in “North By Northwest” (1959). Another typical McGuffin is the Maltese Falcon. It gets the characters together, pits them against each other, but turns out to be worthless.
Also used by Quentin Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction” in the form of the suitcase with the mysterious glowing contents.
dravot
First Post
I'm looking around for an explanation of where the term 'McGuffin' came from, but the basic explanation above is correct. A slightly better one that I found says:
‘ A device or plot element that catches the viewer’s attention or drives the plot. It is generally something that every character is concerned with.’ The McGuffin is essentially something that the entire story is built around and yet has no real relevance.'
Think of the Maltese Falcon as the ultimate McGuffin. People were backstabbing, plotting and maneuvering to gain access to it, but ultimately it didn't exist (or rather, the statue they were seeking was an imitation), but it existed to tell the story of these people and the lengths they'd go to go get the McGuffin.
Some people need to think that the McGuffin is valuable, but it doesn't really need to be.
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?McGuffin says that Alfred Hitchcock has the first recorded use of the term, in a lecture he gave at Columbia in 1939.
‘ A device or plot element that catches the viewer’s attention or drives the plot. It is generally something that every character is concerned with.’ The McGuffin is essentially something that the entire story is built around and yet has no real relevance.'
Think of the Maltese Falcon as the ultimate McGuffin. People were backstabbing, plotting and maneuvering to gain access to it, but ultimately it didn't exist (or rather, the statue they were seeking was an imitation), but it existed to tell the story of these people and the lengths they'd go to go get the McGuffin.
Some people need to think that the McGuffin is valuable, but it doesn't really need to be.
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?McGuffin says that Alfred Hitchcock has the first recorded use of the term, in a lecture he gave at Columbia in 1939.
seankreynolds
Adventurer
Yig, I'd like you to meet Google.com.
Google.com, Yig.
Google.com, Yig.
