Analyzing Plot Structure
Prompt
Choose a story – novel, myth, film, short story, etc. That does not tell its story chronologically and analyze its plot. (5 elements)
Then write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) where you answer the following questions.
- What effect does this plot choice have on the story as a whole?
- How do these structural choices impact the way we understand the characters and the surrounding setting?
Response
Plot Chart Analysis
Exposition
The film introduces three timelines. There is the land timeline, where shows soldiers stranded on the beach of Dunkirk, waiting for evacuation. The "sea" timeline is about a civilian boat heading towards Dunkirk to assist in the evacuation. The "air" timeline is about a British pilot providing air cover. The different timelines set up the various arenas of conflict and create the backdrop for the drama.
Rising Action
Each timeline has its own set of challenges - I guess you can technically say there are three mini plot structures - which all build towards on overarching structure. On the land timeline, soldiers struggle with enemy attacks and waiting for rescue. On the sea, the civilian boat faces the dangerous journey and rescues a shell-shocked soldier. In the air, the pilot engages in multiple dogfights.
Climax
The timelines start converging. The civilian boat arrives at Dunkirk, some get destroyed, the air cover intensifies, and the soldiers get a glimmer of hope for evacuation. The stakes are at their highest as each timeline reaches its most critical moment.
Falling Action
Rescues are made. However there sacrifices/consequences. The pilot is running out of fuel, the civilian boat manages to take on several soldiers, and some soldiers are finally evacuated.
Resolution
The film ends with a sense of bittersweet victory. The civilian boat returns home and are hailed as heroes; the pilot lands his plane but is captured; and the evacuated soldiers, while safe, ponder the larger war ahead.
Questions
I’ve chosen Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, and is known for its unique 3 consecutive timelines.
This structure disrupts a linear, chronological sequence, which keeps the audience engaged and maintains an elevated level of suspense. Sometimes, the transitions between timelines was jarring, going from a relatively quiet scene to the middle of a dogfight. However, the broken form of narrative/plot structure created a sense of urgency and suspense - you could say that while watching the movie, I was sort of on the edge of my seat the entire time. You wouldn't necessarily be able “predict” what would be the next scene and this also led to some confusion for me while watching for the first time. I guess this method of story telling could mimic some of the emotions felt by the actual soldiers that were in the movie.
This structure of having 3 different timelines sort of lets the audience appreciate the scale of the effort at Dunkirk. Most of the time, stories will focus on one or a few specific characters (oftentimes the protagonists) throughout the plot, but by using 3 different timelines, which all are scaled differently, it allows the audience to understand the teamwork, cooperation, and luck that was on the Allies side. The movie doesn't also seem to have a specific set of protagonists either, which allows the audience to be able to make form generalized viewpoints about what went down at Dunkirk. This choice deepens the audience’s understanding of the scale of human effort involved in the Dunkirk evacuation - showing that the event was not just a single mission, but a collective effort that required coordination, sacrifice, and courage from all fronts.