The six sorts of parallel narrative

The six sorts of parallel narrative

There are six sorts of parallel narrative at the moment, plus hybrids, and we can expect more hybridization. The six drop into two main categories: films that use time jumps and films that don't. This page gives you a brief overview of each form (with the focus on structure).  Scroll down to find the sort you need. To find the sort of story material that suits each type of parallel narrative, go to Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?

For general information and reminders about handling parallel narrative go to

Parallel Narrative  

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Large cast, multiple storylines but linear (no time jumps)There are three forms

1.    Tandem narrative

2.    Multiple protagonist narrative

3.    Double journey narrative

Often these films are known as 'ensemble films' .


1. Tandem Narrative. Films in this form have equally-weighted stories running simultaneously (e.g. City of Hope,Caramel, Lantana, Traffic – practically everything of Altman’s). This is a form familiar in TV,which inherited from the stage (Shakespeare of course often uses three equally-weighted plots). These films, which usually are didactic, span a whole community . The way to stop them getting out of hand (as happens sometimes in Altman, in, say Short Cuts ) is to hold them together by a variety of devices, including a specific overarching plot that I call ‘the macro plot’,the presence of which arguably marks the difference between material we think of telemovie material and content we think of a feature film material.  The form often uses truncation, with the use of one-act, and two act storylines as well as three act storylines. Specific structural components can reduce its inherent pull towards predictability.  For common script development problems with  tandem narrative, multiple protagonist narrative and double journey narrative, see What can wrong with Ensemble Films   

For information on subject matter that works well in tandem narrative, see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?


2. Multiple Protagonist. Films in this category include American Beauty, Little Miss Sunshine, Saving Private Ryan, Galaxy Quest, Tea with Mussolini, Ordinary People, The Full Monty, All About my Mother etc). Multiple protagonist films are all either missions, reunions or physical or emotional sieges and they are all about groups, not the ‘one hero on a single journey’. Almost all films about families are multiple protagonist films, because they are emotional sieges. Multiple protagonist form when not properly structured tends to meander in circles, particularly in an inherently static form like a reunion. In successful multiple protagonist films, think of all the protagonists as being versions of the same protagonist and construct the film accordingly. For example ‘the radical student ten years on’, or ‘the soldier at war’. The backstory problems with these films are huge because they are normally about unfinished business, so in practice, you need to interweave many story strands into each scene. I have ways to prevent these problems. For more information on subject matter that works well in multiple protagonist form,  see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?


3. Double JourneysThese are films like The Departed, Brokeback Mountain, Finding Nemo, and The Lives of Others, in which there are two equally important protagonists who are journeying either towards, apart or in parallel with each other physically, emotionally or both. Because they are seen so often apart, interacting with other characters, both travellers need their own plotline and they often have a shared plotline too. Double Journey form is a kind of multiple protagonist form, but with specific plot content about the metaphorical double journey. You will need to create three plotlines. Often but not always one character is shown in more detail than the other, with the second something of a mystery.  For more information on subject matter that suits double journeys form see Which parallel narrative structure suits my script?


Parallel narrative forms that use flashbacks, time jumps, non-linearity, fractured storylines  There are three forms, each with subcategories

Flashback

1.    Consecutive stories

2.    Fractured tandem

 1. Flashback. There are six subcategories of flashback some complex, each serving a different story purpose. Sometimes films will have several kinds.

  

1.    Flashback as illustration: a simple backstory device, as when, for example, a detective asks: ‘Where were you on the night of April 5?’ and we flash back to what happened. 

2.    Regret flashback: non-chronological fragments from an unsuccessful love relationship (as in Annie Hall and And When Did You Last See Your Father?). 

3.    Bookend flashback: a scene or sequence in the present that appears at the start and the end of the film, ‘bookending’ the story (for example, Saving Private Ryan and Fight Club). 

4.    Preview flashback: the film starts on a scene or sequence midway or two-thirds through, then flashes back to the start, running through chronologically to the end (as in Michael Clayton and Goodfellas). 

5.    Life-changing incident flashback: one life-changing moment is revealed bit by bit in one flashback shown several times incrementally (for example, Catch-22). 

6.    Double narrative flashback

• type 1 ('Thwarted Dream flashback', as seen in films like Shine, Remains of the Day, and Slumdog Millionaire, where an enigmatic outsider pursues a thwarted dream)

• type 2 ('Case History Flashback' ), as seen in films like Citizen Kane, The Usual Suspects, The Life of David Gale etc – where the enigmatic outsider is either dead, close to death, and their story is told by others).  

The last two kinds have stories in both the past and the present. They can be put together much faster if you construct them as concentric circles (each circle being a different story in a different time frame), and jump on cliffhangers in specific places in the story of the past and the story of the present. Where you jump is crucial to success.  For more information on subject matter that suits flashback, see Which structure suits my script?

  2. Consecutive Stories (I used to call this family 'Sequential Narrative')This is equally-weighted, self-contained stories following one after the other joined together at the end (e.g. Pulp Fiction, The Circle, The Butterfly Effect, Run Lola Run, Amores Perros, City of God). These films split into a number of categories with different structural rules. The most interesting are those which, like Pulp Fiction, use what I call a ‘portmanteau’ or ‘bag’ structure. That is, they use one story to contain the others, like a bag or suitcase.

Sub-categories are:

1.    Stories walking into the picture: that is, stories simply happening one after the other, linking at the end (as in The Circle and Paris, je t’aime)

2.    Different perspectives: that is, different versions or points of view of the same events (as in Run Lola Run, Groundhog Day and Rashomon)

3.    Different consequences: that is, different outcomes from the same events (as in Go and Atonement)

4.    Fractured frame/portmanteau: that is, fractured versions of one of the three above, using one split-up story to act like a bookend or a portmanteau (as in, for example Pulp Fiction, City of God and The Joy Luck Club - but there are many more ).

A portmanteau is my term for one story split into two parts, with other complete stories inserted in between. It acts like a bag, containing the other stories. But there are a number of different sorts  and it's complicated - you need to check out The 21st Century Screenplay.

For more information on subject matter that suits consecutive stories form, see Which Parallel Narrative Structure suits my Script?

  3. Fractured Tandem. This is the form of films like 21 Grams, Babel, Three Burials of Melchiades Estrada, The Hours and Crash. It consists of equally-weighted stories, often in different time frames, fractured and truncated and put together again in such a way as to steal jeopardy and suspense from the ending and create it at the beginning and throughout.   This form uses special structural means to transmit the following story content

1.    unexpected, often tragic, connections between apparently or initially very disparate people, triggered by an accident or random event

2.    several equally important stories, some or all fractured, running simultaneously sometimes in the same time frame, but often in several

3.    consequences, chain reactions linked to one usually horrific event (but it probably needn't be horrific)

What's most exciting for writers about fractured tandem is that you can use its odd non-linear structure to tell or to fix up film stories that need a long set up - as in 21 Grams, for example, where the normality of each of the three protagonists is vitally important to the film’s poignancy, but is profoundly boring except with hindsight – you have to flashforward in order that the audience can have that hindsight). The conventional screenwriting wisdom here is that if you have a story with a long set-up it’s not suitable for film. I agree it’s not suitable for the linear one-hero form. It just needs fractured tandem.

The Magnificent 7 Plot Points

How many movies would you say you've viewed in your lifetime?  Hundreds, I’ll bet.  So why do you watch so many movies?  Think about that for a moment.  For me, it's to experience emotion vicariously by means of a story.  I still remember when I first saw Casablanca; it was love at first sight.  Wow, what a story!

I have two main objectives for this lecture.  First, I’ll reveal the basics of story structure, including the seven key plot points that virtually all movies have.  Second, I will show you why the best movies are really two movies in one.  My desire is to double your pleasure and double your fun while watching movies.  Along the way, we’ll review the structure of three classics—Chinatown, Star Wars, and—of course—Casablanca.

Story Structure Basics
Nearly 3000 years ago, Aristotle defined the basic parameters of drama in his immortal work, The Poetics.  And nothing has changed since.  According to Aristotle, all drama has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You’ve heard this before.  In the world of screenwriting, we have Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 (beginning, middle, and end).  In a typical 100-minute movie, the first act is about 25 minutes, the second act is about 50, and the third act is another 15 to 25. 

Now each of these three sections or acts has a primary purpose.  The beginning sets up the story.
The middle complicates it.   The end resolves it.   Put your hero in a tree, throw rocks at him, and get him out. 

But how does a story turn from beginning to middle, and from middle to end?  With turning points.  Also called plot points.  These are the twists and turns, the important events that complicate or even reverse the action, such as cliffhangers, revelations, and crises.  

The Two Main Plot Points
Although there may be dozens of turning points in a movie, there are two main turning points on which the movie turns.  I call the first major turning point the Big Event because it is a “big event” that dramatically affects the central character’s life.  In fact, it’s often the point when the central character (or protagonist) loses control of his or her life.

Often, the Big Event transports or forces our character into a new world. 

The second major turning point moves us into Act 3. This is the Crisis. Of all the crises in your story, this is the big one that forces the central character to take the last final action, or series of actions, that will resolve the conflict.  It’s often the low point of the movie where all seems lost. 

…But the Crisis is not always a low point or the darkest moment.  It is often an event that forces the protagonist to make the key decision that leads to the resolution of the story.

I know you’ve seen movies that were so bad that you’ve thought, “I can write something better than that.”  Hold that thought, and let’s look at what you would need to accomplish in terms of basic structure. 

The Magnificent 7 Plot Points
There are five additional plot points you’ll need to apply, making seven in all.  Since there will be many plot points in a movie, I call these The Magnificent 7 Plot Points.  They are:  the Back Story, the Catalyst, the Big Event (we’ve mentioned that one), the Midpoint, the Crisis, the Climax, and the Realization. 

Let’s start with the Back Story.  The Back Story is an event that generally takes place before the movie begins.  The Back Story is some past trauma that affects the character’s attitude and behavior throughout the movie. 

Sometimes, moviemakers show the Back Story as the first scene in the movie and then cut to “years later” where the present-day movie begins.  Other times, they show us a flashback of the Back Story at some point in the movie.  Usually, the back story is revealed through dialogue.  “My Dad beat me as a kid and that’s why I’m a jerk.”  That sort of thing.

When a movie begins, life is in balance. Yes, the protagonist may have a problem, but it’s a problem she’s always had—it’s her status quo. Then something kicks things out of balance and gives her a new problem or desire.  That something is the Catalyst.  The Catalyst usually happens within the first ten minutes of the movie. 

And there’s usually a clear relationship between the Catalyst and Big Event, which comes at about 25 minutes or so into the movie.

You may be familiar with the term Inciting Incident.   In Hollywood, some refer to the Catalyst as the Inciting Incident while most mean the Big Event.  To avoid confusion, I use the more descriptive terms Catalyst and Big Event. 

The Big Event ushers us into Act 2 – the middle – where the central character reacts to the big change created by the Big Event.  Usually, that first reaction fails, forcing new actions that precipitate a rising conflict.

About half way through, another major event occurs. This is the Midpoint, the fourth plot point of our Magnificent 7.  At this point, the central character often becomes fully committed or reaches some kind of point-of-no-return.  Sometimes the Midpoint is simply a major event close to the middle of the movie.

From the Midpoint on, the central character takes stronger actions, the conflict intensifies, and the pace quickens until the worst thing that could happen happens. This is the Crisis, the point when all seems lost, and/or the point when the central character faces a crucial decision.

As you know, the Climax or Showdown follows the Crisis.  This Showdown is the big battle at the end.

Although many movies end with car chases and explosions, it’s not mandatory.  But there will always be a final confrontation of some kind between the central character and the opposition.  The Showdown is the biggest scene or sequence of scenes in the movie. It’s when everything comes together.  

During or just after a screenplay’s climactic scene or sequence of scenes, the central character realizes something new about herself, or we see evidence of her growth or change. This is the movie’s moment of Realization – our seventh and final major plot point.

In summary, the Magnificent 7 Plot Points are:

Number One. The Back Story haunts the central character.

Number Two. The Catalyst gets the character moving. It’s part of the story’s setup.

Number Three. The Big Event changes the character’s life.   

Number Four. The Midpoint is the point of no return or a moment of deep motivation.

Number Five. The Crisis is the low point, or an event that forces the key decision that leads to your story’s end.

Number Six. The Climax or Showdown is the final face-off between your central character and the opposition.

Number Seven. The Realization occurs when your character and/or the audience sees that the character has changed or has realized something.

Star Wars
Now that we have a sense of how these Magnificent 7 Plot Points work, let’s put them into action!  First, we’ll apply them to two classic film—Star Wars and Chinatown…after which, we’ll explore just how one movie can actually be two movies in one.  We’ll look at a couple of comedies as examples.  And we’ll conclude with our review of Casablanca.  Are you ready?

Okay, let’s analyze the structure of Star Wars—Episode Four.  And please note how one plot point leads naturally to another to create a logical and compelling story flow.

Star Wars opens with a war amid the stars.  That’s visually perfect.  Luke Skywalker is the central character. 

His Back Story is this: His father was once a Jedi knight who was killed by Darth Vader…or so he was told.  Likewise, Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, and Han Solo all have Back Stories.  Even though Star Wars is essentially a cartoon on the screen, these Back Stories give the film a richness it would not otherwise have.

Luke Skywalker wants to become a pilot, but he’s stuck on the farm. It’s a problem he’s always had.  Life is in balance. 

For Luke, the Catalyst happens when he tinkers with R2-D2 and accidentally triggers a holographic image of Princess Leia saying, “Help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope.” Now Luke has a desire to help the beautiful Princess Leia.  He begins a search for Obi-Wan.

The Big Event is when Luke returns home and discovers that his aunt and uncle have been slaughtered. Now he joins with Obi-Wan to fight the empire. He enters a whole new world and is trained by Obi-Wan to join the fight against the Empire. 

As you can see, the Big Event is bigger in Luke’s Life than the Catalyst.  The Catalyst upsets the normal equilibrium and gets the character moving.

At the Midpoint, a tractor beam pulls him (and his friends) into the Death Star.  This is obviously the point of no return.  There’s no going back to the farm now.

The Crisis is the death of Obi-wan.  Without his mentor, all looks lost for Luke. 

The Climax or Showdown is the battle that leads to the destruction of the Death Star.

At the end we enjoy an awards ceremony—this is the Realization or acknowledgement that Luke and Han have become heroes.  Luke’s life is now at a new level of equilibrium.

See how that works?  This is fun.  Okay, let’s review Chinatown.

Chinatown
The Back story in Chinatown is supremely important.  You see, Jake Gittes used to work in Chinatown for the district attorney.  While there, he tried to keep someone from being hurt, and—in that effort—ended up making sure she was hurt.  Now Jake is sensitive about being embarrassed or looking like a fool. The past hurts.

As the movie opens, Jake now works as a detective who deals with extramarital affairs.  A woman claiming that she is Mrs. Mulwray hires him to spy on her husband.  The Catalyst, right?  Jake goes to work.  He takes some photographs of Mrs. Mulwary’s husband with a girl. These are published in the local paper, and his job is done. He celebrates at a barber shop, where he hears a dirty joke.  He’s feeling good.

Cheerfully, he returns to his office and tells his operatives the joke, but they try to stop him. He doesn’t see the beautiful high-class woman standing behind him. The tension increases as Jake tells his joke because we know he’s going to be embarrassed when he finally notices the woman. That’s the suspense.  Jake delivers the punch line and turns. Surprise! The woman informs him that her name is Mrs. Mulwray and she certainly didn’t hire him to spy on her husband.  She says, “I see you like publicity, Mr. Gittes, well you’re going to get it.”   

Is this not a big event in Jake’s life? Jake has big problems now. If this woman is the real Mrs. Mulwray, who was the first Mrs. Mulwray? Who set him up and why? And how is he going to save his reputation?  We’re all set up for Act 2 where Jake gets on the case.

The Midpoint occurs after Mr. Mulwray’s body is found.  The police question Mrs. Mulwray who is evasive and who gets Jake to cover for her.  Now he’s fully involved with the case and with her.  You could say, he’s passed a point of no return

In fact, Jake is attracted to Mrs. Mulwray, who notices that he doesn’t like to talk about Chinatown.  In the love scene, he finally confesses to her how he tried to save a woman once, and inadvertently made sure she got hurt.  This painful confession not only foreshadows the resolution of the story, it reveals the Back Story.

Later, Jake finds the necessary clue that implicates Noah Cross (Mrs. Mulwray’s rich father) as the murderer, but Noah Cross takes Jake prisoner.  That’s the Crisis.  He drives Jake to Chinatown where Mrs. Mulwray is waiting.

At the Climax, the result of Jake’s trying to help Mrs. Mulwray results in her being killed.
The Realization is summed up in one unforgettable line: “Forget it, Jake.  It’s Chinatown.”  Once again, Jake feels like a fool.

Two Movies in One
Now that we have reviewed how a story generally works, let’s expand on that.  Let’s delve deeper into the wonderful world of movies.  As mentioned earlier, great movies are generally two movies in one. 

These two are the action story or spine of the story, and the relationship story, or heart of the story.  

The Action Story is usually driven by a tangible and conscious outside goal.

The Relationship (or Emotional) Story usually derives from a relationship, and is generally driven by an unconscious inner need. The Relationship Story often resolves in the growth of the central character.

Each story—the Action Story and the Relationship Story—has its own turning points and structure.  One story is the main plot; the other the main subplot.  In the best movies, the two plots are intertwined synergistically.

Such is the case with Chinatown. The action plot is driven by Jake’s goal to solve the case.  The relationship subplot is the love story—Jake and Evelyn.

Do these principles apply to comedies as well?  Yes.  After all, comedy is drama in disguise. And Twins serves as a fun example.

Vincent (played by Danny DeVito) has a conscious, measurable goal of 5 million dollars.  That’s what he wants.  There is a strong opposition to this goal—a really bad guy wants the same money.  Vincent’s goal drives the Action Story.

Vincent also has an inner need of which he himself is unaware.  He needs the love of a family and to connect with his twin brother (played by Arnold Swartzeneggar).  So the relationship story, in this case, is about two brothers.

What opposes or blocks Vincent’s need?  In other words, what keeps him from the love of his family—it’s his flaw.  He’s greedy and selfish.  Where does this flaw come from?  The Back Story.  What is Vincent’s Back Story?  His mother abandoned him, and so he learned early that people are out to get him, so he’d better get them first.  The resultant greed and selfishness is his flaw.   Ah, ha—so the Back Story often gives rise to a character flaw that affects the character’s actions and attitudes in the story.

Vincent can never have what he really needs inside until he abandons his flaw.  (And that’s true for many movies.)  And that’s what the Relationship Story is most often about—learning to sacrifice the flaw for the relationship or for a higher value. 

In Vincent’s case, the Crisis is an event that forces Vincent to choose between his goal (the 5 million dollars) and his need (the life of his brother).  Fortunately, in the end, Vincent gets both a family and the money.  Don’t you love those Hollywood endings?

The Action Story is what keeps us interested, but the relationship is what touches us emotionally. Although there are exceptions, the Relationship (or Emotional) Story is what the movie is really about.

Well, if the movie is really about a relationship, why worry about the action plot at all?

Romance Needs Action
Just for fun, let’s do a little role play to illustrate.  I’ll be a budding screenwriter, and you can be the professional script consultant.

I tell you that I have a script idea about a woman who goes on vacation to a foreign country and falls in love.  "It's going to be a beautiful love story," I say.

"Sounds interesting," you kindly respond, "but it’s not compelling enough.  What is your character's goal?" 

“Happiness,” I respond.  "Everyone identifies with happiness."

 “Ah, but happiness is not a goal. It’s too vague and abstract.”

That gets me thinking.  “Well . . . romance is her goal. That’s it.”

You wisely respond: “That feels more like an inner need than an outside goal.  It should be part of your Relationship Plot. You need an action track for this Relationship Story to roll on.”

I’m flustered now and say, “Well, vacationing is her goal. She consciously wants to have a good vacation. She deserves it.”

It appears as though I have a complete story now, but then you say, "Technically, vacationing is a goal, but it does not stir my heart, nor does it set up strong opportunities for conflict. Something specific has to happen.”

And that’s when I realize you’re looking for a plot point.  “I know!” I say triumphantly. “What if her sister is kidnapped and she has to save her?”

You smile supportively.  "Good, now you have a strong Big Event.  And if this woman needs romance, what if you made her a romance writer?  That would help express her inner need and add a bit of irony."

Now we are in a flow.  I say, "And this romance writer goes to South America to rescue her sister, but she falls in love with her…ah…travel agent." 

Again you help me out: “Travel agent doesn’t ring my bell, Dave.  Maybe he should be an adventurer, or some kind of romantic figure that could team up with her.”

And by now you’ve figured out that we’re talking about Romancing the Stone.  Can you imagine Romancing the Stone without the action plot? 

Casablanca
Casablanca is considered the best movie ever made and the best screenplay ever written.  So if you haven’t seen Casablanca, you’re in for a treat.   

The Relationship Story is about Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman) and Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart).  It’s the love story.  And, in this movie, it’s the main plot.

The Action Story is about how Ilsa and her husband Victor Laslow finally escape from Casablanca (with Rick’s aid) to help the Allies win World War II.  It’s the main subplot.

Does Rick have a flaw?  Yes, he is a bitter and cynical isolationist.  “I stick my neck out for nobody.”  How did he get that way?  His Back Story.  He once loved Ilsa in Paris, but she left him.  Disappeared without a trace.  What is Rick’s unconscious inner need?  To put aside his own bitter feelings and help Ilsa and Laslow escape.  In other words, become a patriot. 

As the movie opens, the city of Casablanca is portrayed as a huge prison, complete with searchlights and guards (the police) making sure no one escapes.  That’s the opening image system.  The place is corrupt and life is cheap.  When Prefect of Police Louie can’t find a criminal, he simply “rounds up the usual suspects.”  (By the way, that foreshadows a wonderful moment at the very end.)

Rick runs a saloon and casino.  Before we are ten minutes into the movie, a man named Ugarte (played by Peter Lorre) asks Rick to hide two stolen Letters of Transit.  Think of these as free passes out of prison.  That event is the Catalyst. 

Later, Ilsa enters Rick’s place and recognizes the piano player.  She says, “Play it, Sam.”  Sam recognizes her and tells her that she’s bad luck to Rick, but plays “As Time Goes By” anyway. Then Rick enters and tells Sam, “I thought I told you never to play that—“  And then he sees Ilsa.  His angry look and the entire scene imply that there’s a lot of history between these two people.  This is the Big Event.  It’s so big that no one dares leave the movie theater for popcorn again until the movie’s over.

That night, Rick drinks…and recalls how Ilsa loved and left him in Paris.  This is a flashback to the Back Story.

After the flashback, in present time, Ilsa comes to Rick to tell him what happened in Paris, but he is so drunk and abusive, she leaves.  The next day, Rick tries to make up, but Ilsa tells him she is married to famous Nazi-fighter Victor Lazlow, and she was married to him even in Paris.  SLAP!  This is the Midpoint for the Relationship Story.  And it deepens Rick’s bitterness. 

A moment later, Ilsa learns that Rick has two letters of transit.  This is the Midpoint for the Action Story.  Ilsa must get the letters of transit from Rick. It’s the only way she and her husband, Victor Laslow, can escape from the Nazis.

One night, Rick returns to his room, and Ilsa is waiting for him. She pleads with him for the Letters of Transit, but he will not give them to her.  He’s getting even with her.  Finally, she pulls a gun on him. He says, “Go ahead and shoot, you’ll be doing me a favor.” But can Ilsa shoot him? 

She can’t, and Rick realizes that she must still love him. They have their moment together.  She says she can never leave him again. This is a wonderful, romantic moment, and it doesn’t feel like the Crisis at all.  But it is.  Let’s see why. 

Ilsa says, “I don’t know what’s right any longer. You have to decide for both of us, for all of us.”

Please allow me to translate this: “Rick, there are three key people in this movie and only two Letters of Transit.  You have to decide who gets the Letters of Transit.  I am just the love interest.  That’s why I don’t know what’s right any longer.  But you are the central character and the person who has to be the most active character in the final act.  Therefore, you must make the crisis decision as to who leaves Casablanca for both of us, for all of us.”

Rick says, “All right, I will.”  So this romantic moment forces Rick to make the Crisis decision. 

At the airport, we have the Showdown.  Rick shoots the Nazi major and makes sure that Ilsa and her husband escape.  As the police arrive, Rick expects to be arrested by Louie, but Louie is inspired by Rick.  Louise says to the police, “Major Strasser has been shot.”  Then he exchanges glances with Rick.  Will he arrest Rick?  He says, “Round up the usual suspects.”

A moment later, Louie observes, “Well, Rick, you’re not only a sentimentalist, you’ve become a patriot.”  This is the moment of Realization.  Rick has reformed, overcome his flaw.  He’s no longer an isolationist.  He sacrifices what he loves most (Ilsa) and gets involved in the fight.  In other words, he sacrifices his flaw for two things: a higher value and Ilsa (the relationship)—“We’ll always have Paris.”

You see, the movie plays at another level.  Rick is a symbol of America that does not want to get involved in the war, but that makes the sacrifice and eventually does. 

As you can see, film is a powerful medium when the foundations of story structure are artfully and effectively applied.  I am referring to Aristotle’s beginning, middle, and end; the Magnificent 7 Plot points; and the Two-movies-in-one Principle that we have discussed today.

Assignment
I would like to conclude this lecture with an assignment.  Identify a movie you truly love and answer these two questions.

Number One:  What are the Magnificent 7 Plot Points of that movie? 

Number Two:  What are the two stories that combine to make that movie enjoyable? 

As you analyze your favorite film, you will likely come to a new appreciation of its basic structure, and perhaps better understand why it resonates with you. 

Thank you for your attention and have a great time at the movies.