The reverse flashback technique allows for exploring the origins of a situation by gradually moving backward into the past, enriching the understanding of the present through a quasi-archaeological approach.
The Flashback as a System of Deepening
A flashback is the occurrence of a past event, starting from the present. It can be short or even very long. Some films are entirely one long flashback, beginning with an initial scene in the present. This is a highly interesting narrative modality because it places the viewer in the position of memory, making the memory feel present, as the narration of a film is experienced in the present in the vast majority of cases.
The “walking down the stairs backward” technique is a system of reverse flashback, where the story is told in descending order. This technique can be used multiple times within the same film. On one hand, the story moves forward in the present, while on the other, it moves backward in time. The film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2009) by David Fincher was more or less built on this concept. However, the story itself was about a character who grows younger; the story mirrored the principle of the reverse flashback.
The appeal of this technique is that the further back in time we go, the more meaning and depth the characters gain. What initially seemed relatively superficial, because it was at the beginning of the film (when we didn’t yet know them), gains substance, not through the adventures they experience in the present, but through what we discover as we delve into their past.
The Pyramid That Reveals Itself and Nourishes the Present
It’s as if the present were the tip of a pyramid, and we are digging to discover that the small stone we’re standing on, which seems insignificant, is actually the tip of a massive pyramid buried in the sand, of which we were unaware. In fact, the Egyptian pyramids were like this: they only became visible because they were excavated from their immense sandy encasement. It’s a kind of fascinating archaeology.
However, with this technique, one must still ensure that these events, discovered deeper and deeper in the past, have an impact on the present. Otherwise, it can be somewhat demotivating for the viewer. Alternatively, one must succeed in a very delicate balancing act: telling a story backward rather than forward. This is somewhat what Christopher Nolan attempted in *Interstellar* (2014). This leads to a form that can be very complex and corresponds to a certain style of highly cerebral films.
In any case, this technique, which places the viewer in the position of an archaeologist and allows for a progressive understanding of causes and stakes, can make a film very dense and create a desire to rewatch it. The pleasure is no longer just about experiencing the twists and turns of a present adventure but about unfolding layer after layer of meaning—the meaning of life itself. It’s a approach akin to genealogy.
Genealogy in Screenwriting
This “walking down the stairs backward” technique can be applied to all types of subjects, including the most abstract. It can be a genealogy of people, families, words, places, nations, or even nature. What is exciting for the viewer in this approach is the process of understanding toward increasing complexity. It’s a kind of philosophical journey that allows us to experience discovery and gradually reach the certainty that the world is far more complex than we initially perceived.
Living through our emotions, through our discoveries, and feeling increasingly grounded is a very gratifying sensation. It can even be deeply enriching on a personal level, far beyond the narration and the story experienced by the characters.
