by Blake Snyder
Set-Up: Told, “You are my savior, man, my own personal Jesus Christ” by a visitor, Keanu goes to a club where he meets Carrie-Anne. At Minute 10, she introduces herself saying: “I know why you don’t sleep, why night after night you sit at your computer.”
Catalyst: Next day at Keanu’s workplace, right at Minute 13, a package arrives. Inside: a phone. On it: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne).
Debate: Should Keanu believe in the unseen world Laurence is telling him about? “They’re coming for you, Neo,” he is told, and indeed, here comes Hugo to arrest him. But what is Keanu to do? In a series of refusals to believe, Keanu drags his feet.
Break into Two: At Minute 25, after being de-bugged by Carrie-Anne and assorted hip-haircut-ed buddies, Keanu meets Laurence, and wow, his sunglasses are cool! “Do you believe in fate, Neo?” he is asked. Another thing to track in these movies: the hero who surrenders his sense of control to an unseen power in order to become great. SH tales are about faith. At Minute 29, Keanu is offered two pills. He chooses and begins his descent into the rabbit hole. At Minute 32, he wakes unplugged from the system and reborn, the painful and scary part of the “curse” of being special. “Welcome to the real world,” Laurence tells him.
B Story: The B story is the “love story” between Carrie-Anne and Keanu. He and she are specially bonded. How? We’ll see.
Fun and Games: On Laurence’s off-world ship, The Nebuchadnezzar, debate is introduced about whether Keanu is The One. The “Mascots” hope he is. We also see Keanu’s training begin, a common “Fun and Games” activity as the hero learns his fighting skills. Keanu is also told the truth: The world he knows as reality is really a Matrix of illusion, designed to imprison humankind. Only The One can save the slaves. And yet Keanu still resists. We also see another common SH dilemma: Is Keanu “too old” to be trained?
Midpoint: At Minute 59, Keanu’s training ends as he is told he can eventually dodge bullets. And A and B stories cross when we learn Carrie-Anne has a special reason to be rooting for Keanu to be The One. We also learn Joe is a traitor who will swap out his friends to Hugo for the pleasures of being sent back into the Matrix as a movie star. When Keanu visits the Oracle (Gloria Foster) — complete with a waiting room full of other potential “Ones” (and a film clip of rabbits on the TV from B movie, Night of the Lepus) — he gets a “false defeat” from the soothsayer. Keanu is not The One.
Bad Guys Close In: The seeds of Joe’s backstabbing come to fruition as the double-cross is set in motion, and the greasing of the skids that rockets us toward the finale begins to accelerate at a breakneck pace. “Mascot” Mouse is killed after ogling the “Woman in Red.” And in a shootout with the agents, Laurence is captured by the bad guys and Joe is revealed as the Judas. Keanu and Carrie-Anne are trapped out in the world, their lives in the hands of Joe who — back on The Nebuchadnezzar — begins to unplug them.
All Is Lost: One by one, Joe kills the crew. A miracle saves Keanu when he is about to be unplugged. Maybe the Oracle is wrong; maybe he really is The One. Besting Joe, Carrie-Anne and Keanu are brought back aboard The Nebuchadnezzar, but their “father” and mentor, Laurence, has been taken prisoner by Hugo and tortured. What is Keanu going to do?
Dark Night of the Soul: In a perfect DNOTS moment, and a “whiff of death,” the crew must decide whether to let Laurence die.
Break into Three: A and B stories cross as both Keanu and Carrie-Anne boldly choose to rescue their leader. As they lock in to the Matrix and the “false world” that Keanu has only just begun to master, they arm themselves with all kinds of cool hardware.
Finale: Carrie-Anne and Keanu burst into the building where Laurence is being kept. Bullets and bodies fly in the marble lobby, as Carrie-Anne and Keanu defy the laws of physics. Meanwhile, Hugo tortures Laurence and reveals his revulsion for the human race. Eventually, the two rescue Laurence — and Keanu dodges bullets on the rooftop. Keanu is “beginning to believe.” In a final battle, Keanu not only defeats Hugo, he also has a vision of the Matrix. His faith in an unseen world is rewarded. He even experiences a crucifixion when he dies and is brought back to life by Carrie-Anne, who reveals the Oracle told her she would know The One because she was in love with him. With metal monsters eating at the hull of The Nebuchadnezzar, Keanu is revived by Carrie-Anne’s kiss and finishes off Hugo — at least for now.
Final Image: Back in the artificial world of The Matrix, an eyes-opened Keanu knows the battle for humankind is on. He flies into space proving he has mastered his new powers. The last image bookends the first: a computer screen and a phone call, as Keanu warns those listening that things have changed. Transmission ended. Transformation just beginning.
GLADIATOR (2000)
By now I’m sure you’re asking, what is this Ridley Scott fixation? Well, including another fave, Thelma & Louise, El Rid is the master of storytelling for film in every genre. And when it comes to Superhero tales, none fits the “People’s Superhero” better than the Ridmeister’s “sand and sandal” saga, Gladiator.
With nods to Ben-Hur, Spartacus, and The Fall of the Roman Empire, in its simplest form this is the story of two “brothers” who, though not related by blood, are each vying for the love of a father. One man is a superior being called to service against his will, the other a jealous Nemesis — who may be one of the best examples of evil in movies. The bravura turn by Joaquin Phoenix, whose creation as the Nemesis occurs right before our eyes when he strangles his Emperor father (Richard Harris), horrifies us — and yet we understand, and maybe even sympathize! His headaches suffered during the story are the price of “super genius” to manipulate the world, and in direct contrast to the “chosen one” (Russell Crowe, Best Actor Oscar®) who, when first asked to rule, refuses.
The litmus test of greatness is knowing the price paid for being so, and taking on the task anyway. Though reluctant in the beginning, Russell puts things right in an epic showdown that proves the qualities of “strength and honor” can defeat even the most powerful forces.
SH Type: People’s Superhero
SH Cousins: Gunga Din, Ben-Hur, High Plains Drifter, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Mask of Zorro, Whale Rider, The Patriot, Casino Royale
GLADIATOR
Screenplay by David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson Story by David Franzoni
Opening Image: A man’s hand, with a wedding ring, touches a field of wheat. General Maximus (Russell Crowe) dreams of home. He smiles at a bird, a “Save the Cat” trifecta that includes his faithful dog and the respect of his soldiers. It is 180 AD. We are in Germania, edge of the Roman Empire. Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) mounts a final campaign. An update of the “sand and sandal” epic, we’re surprised to see snow and The Black Forest. As usual, director Ridley Scott is visually fresh throughout.
Theme Stated: At Minute 4, an aide comments on their barbaric foe to Russell: “People should know when they’re conquered.” This is about the true meaning of “strength and honor” and not giving up.
Set-Up: Russell is fearless and a brilliant strategist, whose men will do anything for him. After the battle, Marcus lauds Russell, but is stopped by the arrival of son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and daughter Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who are incestuous and power mad. (The family that slays together, stays together.) Connie once loved Russell and is now a widow with a son. The emperor is to name his successor.
Catalyst: In a surprise, the emperor asks Russell to succeed him and make Rome a republic. But before Russell can agree, Joaquin strangles his father, furious that he was not chosen. The Nemesis has outmaneuvered the Superhero, and set their struggle in motion.
Debate: What should Russell do? He is told that the emperor is dead and Joaquin is Rome’s new leader — and is asked to swear allegiance.
Break into Two: Russell chooses “strength and honor” over loyalty to Joaquin and knows the emperor’s death was murder. For this, he is arrested and sentenced to be
executed, as are his wife and child. Russell escapes in one of those really cool hero-avoids-execution beats and races to save his family — but is too late. He finds them dead and his farm burned. Wounded, he falls unconscious, then wakes in the “upside-down version of the world.” He is sold as a slave — and doomed to die as a gladiator.
B Story: The “funhouse-mirror” reflection of the “normal world” of Act One: In place of a highly trained legion of soldiers, Russell now leads a group of misfit fighters; instead of the emperor, he now has Proximo (Oliver Reed), a moth-eaten impresario, consigned to the backwaters of the empire. Oliver has put “strength and honor” on hold, but as a former slave freed by the emperor, Oliver identifies with Russell’s plight. Oliver and these misfits will teach Russell lessons in not giving up — and vice versa.
Fun and Games: Shades of Spartacus and Ben-Hur as Russell begins his long trek back from “death.” No longer caring if he lives because his family is gone, he has to find a new reason to survive. His skills return when he fights for the best cause of all: service to others, including Juba (Djimon Hounsou), an Ethiopian who also misses his family. Russell is singled out as leader and the gladiators bond.
Midpoint: At 1 Hour 8 Minutes, Russell has beaten all challengers; there’s no one’s left to fight. Meanwhile, Joaquin has taken over Rome, and seems to have won the love of the people. He and a remorseful Connie rule, but the cost of killing her father weighs on her. The new emperor wants games in the Coliseum, little knowing that by calling up the best gladiators in the empire, he draws Russell closer. A and B stories cross as Russell and Oliver head to Rome. Russell is fueled by a new mission: revenge.
Bad Guys Close In: Oliver’s gladiators look doomed in the first bout in the amazing CGI-rendered Coliseum. Disguised for fear of being seen, Russell returns to form as a commander and saves his men and wins the crowd — the key to survival, according to his new mentor. After the victory, Joaquin wants to know who this masked man is and Russell reveals himself — and his name Gladiator — to all, including Connie. Now the pressure is on as Joaquin realizes the threat and plots to kill Russell, while Connie sees Russell’s “strength and honor” are what Rome and the people really need.
All Is Lost: The “whiff of death” includes Russell being challenged by an undefeated gladiator. Fighting him, and a series of hungry tigers secreted under the surface of the Coliseum, Russell eventually triumphs and asks the mob whether or not he should kill his helpless victim. He becomes “Maximus the Merciful” when he defies Joaquin and lets the man live. “You simply won’t die,” Joaquin taunts, describing how Russell’s wife and son suffered as they were murdered.
Dark Night of the Soul: Wanting to be reunited with his wife and son, even in death, has been Russell’s quest from the start. He is given religious statues representing them and longs to be together.
Break into Three: Plotting to escape from captivity, raise an army, and return to conquer Rome, Russell allies with Connie and some renegade senators in a conspiracy against Joaquin. But before the plan can be launched, Joaquin discovers it. (This is a typical reversal in many Act Threes: a plan is scuttled, causing the hero to dig down and find a new way.) This will be Russell’s final test.
Finale: A and B stories cross again as Oliver re-discovers his soul and reclaims “strength and honor” when he sacrifices himself to help Russell escape. Yet the plotters are killed and Russell is captured. Back in full command, the crazed and jealous Joaquin stabs a “crucified” Russell, rendering him unable to fight, then brings him into the Coliseum to kill him in front of the crowd. But the duel turns when, with his last ounce of strength, Russell kills Joaquin.
Final Image: In a dream sequence bookend, Russell reunites with his family in the afterlife — his journey over, his earthly duty complete.
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
We come to the end with one of my favorite movies, co-written by my favorite screenwriter, Alvin Sargent. Why? Because while others of Sargent’s stripe are lauded and studied (e.g., the great Robert Towne), Sargent — much like the “Comic Book Superhero” does in this film — continues to suit up and show up … and quietly save the day every time.
I get flack about which Spider-Man is the best so far, but I think 2 beats them all. Not only is director Sam Raimi firing on all cylinders, but the dilemma faced by Tobey Maguire deals with the problem of superpowers that’s relevant to us humans. In a world where thinking only of our own wants and needs seems vastly smarter than “doing good,” it is a quandary we too wrestle with.
What this movie is “about” is that selflessness and service to others are the greatest powers we have. That choice brings out “the hero in all of us” and proves it isn’t the web-flinging or the adulation, but what we give back that counts most. S-M:2 even shows how big studio fare can still have merit. Here we are at a summer “popcorn” flick, marketed all over the world, and yet within it is a lesson as powerful as any in storytelling: What is our purpose on earth — and how can we do a better job?
$10 plus parking and a Coke? I’m there. Forever.
Thanks, Hollywood!
SH Type: Comic Book Superhero
SH Cousins: Batman, The Fantastic Four, The Incredibles, X-Men, Blade, The Hulk, Tank Girl, Catwoman, The Crow, Hellboy
SPIDER-MAN 2
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent
Story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Michael Chabon
Opening Image: Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), late for work, ogles Mary Jane, aka MJ (Kirsten Dunst), who adorns a billboard. Tobey’s human vs. Superhero dilemma is seen through his relationship with Kirsten. Can he have her and be Spider-Man?
Theme Stated: Blowing a pizza delivery, Tobey is told by his boss, “To you Parker, a promise means nothing.” Holding true to what we promise — and putting others before self — is the theme.
Set-Up: Tobey is in multi-tasking hell. He works for The Daily Bugle, run by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), who pesters him for photos of Spider-Man. He’s a gifted student but behind in his studies — and his rent. Home for his birthday, he learns Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is being evicted. Yet Tobey can do nothing. The bright spot is Kirsten, whose attitude suggests she has a crush on him, too. Tobey can’t tell her who he is — or why he can’t see her — but promises he will come see the play she’s starring in.
Catalyst: At Minute 18, Tobey is introduced to Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), who’s created a new form of energy. The doc likes Tobey and introduces wife “Rosie” (Donna Murphy). Alfred has found a way to have a “normal” life and still have a mission.
Debate: Can Tobey balance his life? Getting ready for Kirsten’s play, Tobey opens his closet; there are two suits hanging there, his every-day clothes and Spider-Man’s outfit. On his way, at Minute 25, Tobey is involved in a police pursuit and arrives at the theater late. Waiting for the show to let out, Tobey sees Kirsten kiss John Jameson (Daniel Gillies). Tobey is heartbroken. Angry, he takes to the sky as Spidey, only to be brought down by arachtile dysfunction. Seems his web-slinging skills are ebbing.
Break into Two: Tobey attends the demonstration of Alfred’s experimental power source. As Alfred dons a robotic six-limbed contraption and seals it to his spinal chord, one of the coolest bad guys ever is about to be created. At Minute 38, when the public experiment goes awry, Spider-Man appears but can’t pull the plug in time; Alfred’s beloved wife is killed and he is knocked unconscious. Later, trying to remove his robot arms, Alfred’s artificial limbs come alive, killing the surgeons. “Doc Ock” is born.
B Story: The “internal story” is seen through Tobey’s battle with the mad Doc Ock. Alfred’s life — without his wife — is now out of balance. Love gone, he crosses to the dark side. As metaphor for what Tobey’s life might look like, Alfred’s is a cautionary tale.
Fun and Games: We also get a brand new creature found in the “upside-down world” of Act Two: an eight-limbed criminal running amok in the city and Spider-Man’s Nemesis. “Doctor Octopus,” as
Jameson calls him, is on a new mission, his serpent-head arms urging him to re-do the experiment on his own. Ock and Spider-Man battle when Ock tries to rob a bank to finance his mad dreams.
Midpoint: With Spider-Man blamed for the robbery and his powers failing, Tobey hits a mid-point bottom and a “false defeat.” Assigned to cover a society event for his boss’ son, the real low comes when Tobey learns Kirsten and John are engaged. The next day, Tobey goes to a doctor to get help for his lagging powers, and told he doesn’t have to be a Superhero if he doesn’t want to. At 1 Hour 2 Minutes, he declares: “I’m Spider-Man no more.” A and B stories cross as, prompted by his stalemate with Doc Ock, Tobey will be a “civilian” and wear only his every-day clothes for a while.
Bad Guys Close In: Tobey tries to be “normal.” He gives up crime fighting, keeps his promise to see Kirsten’s play (The Importance of Being Earnest), and catches up on his homework. But we know it won’t last. Crime keeps happening — and duty pulls at Tobey.
All Is Lost: Finally, when a fire breaks out at an apartment building, Tobey dashes in to save a little girl. But the “whiff of death” of this “false victory” (and the perfect opposite of the midpoint low) is that one person didn’t get out — and died.
Dark Night of the Soul: Tobey tells Aunt May about his part in the death of his Uncle Ben, but she tells him: “There’s a hero in all of us, even though we have to give up the things we want most, even our dreams.” Called back by the “promise” of duty, Tobey tries willpower to be Spider-Man again. Atop a building, he says: “Strong focus on what I want” and leaps — only to fall to the ground and hurt his back. His attempt at “self-will” fails.
