Story Structure: Chinatown (1974) Deconstructed

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/

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Kal Bishop

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