Write On: 'Golda' Writer and Producer Nicholas Martin

The new film Golda – starring a bewitching Helen Mirren as Golda
Meir, the Iron Lady of Israel, was written and produced by
Nicholas Martin. Martin is best known for writing the 2016 film
Florence Foster Jenkins. With two amazing biopics about strong,
defiant women, we talk about how to find the moment that defines
a character and how to focus the story on a short period of time
instead of a cradle-to-grave saga. For Florence Foster Jenkins,
it’s her journey to Carnegie Hall and for Golda Meir, it’s the
18-day Yom Kippur War. To Martin’s surprise, that focus on the
war turned the film Golda into a thriller. 

“The structure was dictated by the phases of the war,” says
Martin. “So, it was really a thriller and a war film rather than
a personal drama about a woman’s struggle to command a nation at
war. That’s what gave it its thriller shape.” 

To pinpoint that moment, Martin turned to a quote from Winston
Churchill. 

“He famously said at the beginning of the Second World War, when
he became Prime Minister, ‘All of my mistakes have brought me to
this point.’ … And then I thought I think this is the same for
Golda… We’ve got such a thumping narrative of the Yom Kippur War,
such a clear beginning, middle and end and she’s under so much
pressure, I think if we cut away from this it would dilute the
tension and it would be mixing genres in a way. So, it seems that
just sticking to this one story which is complicated enough,
let’s try and keep it simple, tell this one story well,” says
Martin.   

Listen to this episode to find out more about Martin’s research
process, how learning to use a spreadsheet upped Martin’s
structure game, and hear why Meryl Streep threatened to never
speak to Martin again while making Florence Foster Jenkins.