Cut it to the bones – pick one moment where the ideology is in the air, not just a backdrop. Make the protagonist face a choice that will kill someone, even if that person is a friend. Show the stakes in one line or two – the other character must say, “If we don’t stand, we’re nothing,” and the protagonist must answer, “And if we stand, we’ll die.” Let the dialogue be raw and immediate, no filler. Then drop the exit – the death or the sacrifice that ends the conflict. That’s how you get maximum drama in a single frame.

That’s the kind of sharp, brutal cut you need—no more fluff. Make sure the action feels inevitable, like a siege that’s already fallen. The weight of that one blow should carry the whole story. Done right, it’s almost a monologue in motion.