From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at http://www.clickok.co.uk
The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon - understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
The Hero's Journey:
· Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
· Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
· Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.
The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.
Hero's Journey: Chinetown (1974) deconstructed
FADE IN: the hero - occupation, character etc.
Call to Adventure: Mrs Mulwray (Ida Sessions) thinks her husband is having an affair.
Refusal of the Call : "let sleeping dogs lie; you're better off not knowing." "...this type of investigation can be hard on your wallet."
Pushed to meet the Mentor: "I have to know." "Money is no object."
Reputation of the Mentor: Jake and his operatives have heard of Hollis.
Meeting the Mentor: Hollis makes a presentation; the Shepherd barges in with the sheep..."you steal the water...where am I supposed to take them..."
Mentor's previous Journey: "I won't make the same mistake again..."
Mentor guides the Hero: in the dry rock bed; the presentation; on the beach. Mentor's nature: Hollis' reaction to the Mexican boy and horse.
Hero's Capabilities: intelligent; the stopwatch.
Magical Gift: Applecore; the picture with the girl.
Hero's Inner Challenge: "..listen pal I make an honest living...;" he's not a real private detective.
Warning before entering the First Threshold: Faye Dunaway and her lawyer listen while Jake tells a joke.
Pushed to the First Threshold: Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Faye Dunaway as Mrs Mulwray..."I see you like publicity, well you're going to get it."
Threshold Guardian: Hollis' secretary.
First Threshold : in Hollis' office.
Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: the address in the book.
Meeting Allies: Yelburton (the Shape Shifter).
Meeting Enemies: Mulvihill
Threshold Guardian to the Inner Cave: the Chinese doorman at Mulwray's house.
Romantic Challenge's character: the white car.
Magic Gift: the ring in the water.
Inner Cave: meeting Faye Dunaway; insisting on the journey; doing something noble; becoming a real private investigator.
Journey to the World of the Transformation: driving to the reservoir.
Threshold Guardian: the policeman.
Wolves Clothing: getting in a Yelburton.
Obstacle to the Mentor: Lou's assistant.
Meeting the Mentor: Lou.
Hero and Mentor's back story: "you still arresting chinamen for spitting in the laundry."
Guided toward the Physical Separation: "you want to speak to Hollis, well, there he is."
Physical Separation: Hollis is dragged out of the reservoir.
Road of Trials:
Transformation 1: Lou questions an indecisive Faye Dunaway; Jake helps her out; she'll send him a cheque and make it official that she hired him.
Transformation 2: going to the morgue and then the river; speaking to the Mexican boy.
Warning against Transformation 3: Jake is shot at.
Pushed Away from Trial 3: the river almost takes Jake.
Transformation 3: Claude and Mulvihill cut Jake.
The New Self: Jake with the bandage on his face.
The Ideal: "I want the big boys that are making the pay offs... sue the shit out of them..."
Warning against the Ideal: "sue people like that! They're liable to be having dinner with the judge.."
Resisting the Oracle: Ida Sessions calls but Jake doesn't know who she is.
Meeting the Oracle: Ida Sessions on the phone. Oracle guides Hero toward the Sword: "just look in the obituary column."
Hero and Romantic Challenge development / Pushed Away from the Sword: Jake meets Faye Dunaway in the restaurant; she doesn't tell him what she knows.
Pushing Toward the Sword: Jake tells Faye Dunaway that he knows someone is dumping water in the middle of a drought.
Pushing toward the Sword: [Yelburton's secretary] Cross and Mulwray were partners. Jake confronts Yelburton.
Pushing Toward the Sword: Faye Dunnaway is Noah Cross' daughter; in Jake's office.
Pushing Toward the Sword [new clothes]: meeting Noah Cross.
Seizing the Sword: in the library; most of the land has been sold in the last few months.
Near Death Experience : beaten and knocked unconscious in the orange groves.
Reward [Inner Challenge Conquered] : Jake knows that LA is being conned into building the dam. They're buying up land near the orange groves. He's a real Private Investigator.
Threshold Guardian: the old people's rest home.
Atonement with the Father : the owners of the land are the members of the rest home; beating up Mulvihill.
Reward [Romantic Challenge] : Jake and Mrs Mulwray go to bed.
Apotheosis : Mrs Mulwray has the girl hostage; s he's Mrs Mulwray's sister.
Ultimate Boon : Cleaning off the Old Self: the shower; new clothes.
Refusal : "if Ida Sessions wants to see me, she can call me in my office."
Rescue from Without : Ida Sessions at this address; Lou is waiting at Ida's house.
Crossing the Return Threshold : Jake goes back to Mrs Mulwray's house; he finds the salt water.
Master of Two Worlds : Jake finds and confronts Mrs Mulwray; she is her daughter and her sister.
Obstacle to the Final Confrontation: Lou tries to arrest Jake.
Magic Flight: Jake runs from Lou et al.
Antagonist reveals himself: Cross comes to his daughter's house; Jake shows him the glasses.
Final Confrontation: Mrs Mulwray dies; Cross owns the police; Jake taken out o Chinatown.
Learn more...
The Complete 188 stage Hero's Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
Kal Bishop
**********************************
You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.clickok.co.uk/
