Here's a plot-point mash-up using Snyder and Campbell. I decided to analyze this from a Rom-Com perspective. My "A story" will be their relationship, the "B story" their careers. Opening Image/Hero's World: Silent movie industry, meet George an uber-successful/charming movie star. Theme Stated: "I don't get helped, I give the help around here." Catalyst/Call to Adventure: George and Peppy's dancing meet-cute on set, exerts star-power so she won't be fired. Debate/Refusal of Call: George and Peppy both realize their chemistry, nearly act on it when... Break into Act II/Meet with Mentor: Chauffeur interrupts an almost-kiss, reminds George of his wife, Doris. B Story/Crossing Threshold: Kinograph Studios introduces George to "talkies." George rejects the new technology. George's relationship with Doris deteriorates, while his daydreams of Peppy flourish. Fun & Games/Tests, Allies & Enemies: George breaks with Kinograph vows to make his own silent film. Peppy's career builds and builds with talkies. George fights with Doris. George and Peppy meet again--he's happy for her, she's truly happy to see him again. Midpoint/Approach: George is happy, so happy(!) creating/paying for his own film. He casually observes that his film and Peppy's first leading-role film debut on same date. Bad Guys Close In: Peppy inadvertently offends George in a restaurant; she's mortified that she hurt George. The stock market crashes--George is financially ruined. His film is a bust, his career is ruined. Doris leaves him and Peppy comes to his house--with another man. His love life is ruined. All is Lost/Ordeal: George auctions all his possessions. He wallows in his faults, self-destructive anger. Madness sets in, George lights reels of film on fire. He is rescued--Peppy takes him to her home. Dark Night of the Soul/Reward: George is happy to be with Peppy. Then he realizes that Peppy bought all of his auctioned items by proxy. Again, he's ashamed--he used to be someone that didn't need help. Break into Act III/Road Back: George leaves Peppy's home. Peppy finds out George has left and why. George returns to burned out apartment. Peppy drives like a madwoman to his apartment. George finds his boxed handgun, puts it in his mouth. Finale/Resurrection: Peppy slams into apartment gate, startles George. She bolts into his apartment, gun goes off accidentally--Peppy declares her motives/love, then has a brilliant idea... Final Image/Return with Elixir: George and Peppy's obvious chemistry as they tap-dance together at Kinograph Studios, a callback to their meet-cute. Together, they're a hit--no more silence.

Interesting analysis, Traci, looking at the story with the Protagonist-Attractor relationship as the A plot. It really makes clear the nature of George's psychological journey, something we will discuss more thoroughly starting Thursday. Let me take a crack at it with George's career as the A plot, zeroing in on four major plot points: The Opening, end of Act One, end of Act Two, the Final Struggle. The Opening: PP. 1-5 establishing George as a successful movie star, the top of his game. Act One end: PP. 14-16 wherein the emergence of talkies radically transforms George's world, cut loose from the studio, vowing to make a new silent picture movie. Act Two end: PP. 30-32 in which George in a drunken rage destroys his old films and almost dies in a fire. Final Struggle: PP. 38-41 where George almost commits suicide, saved at the last second by Peppy. Once again, even from the barest outline of the story, we see this is a tale about a character confronting the question that lies at the heart of most every story: Who am I? As long as George is a movie star, he is his own man. As Traci has pointed out, a theme is, he gives help, doesn't need help. When everything is taken away from George -- including his movie star identity! -- he is left to confront the vacuum that exists within. He is no artist. He is a broken man. What will he do with that? In an interesting twist on convention, it's not Man Saves Girl, but Girl Saves Man. The Denouement - their Dance Routine - visualizes George expressing something of his authentic talent, some measure of being an artist. When he speaks words at the end, that is a sign he is moving into this 'new' world. Curious what others see in the structure of this story.

Hi both. I had similar act breaks to Scott, and enjoyed looking at the film from the relationship angle in Traci's breakdown. I thought it would be a useful exercise to use the plot points Traci used from Snyder and Campbell, but from the career angle. This is what I hastily came up with. Opening Image/Hero’s World: George is a star of silent movies, hugely successful but narcissistic, arrogant and dismissive of those who contribute to his success. He’s even dismissive of his wife. He’s very charismatic but not a very nice person, and when you really look at it, he’s alone. Theme Stated: “I don’t get helped, I give the help around here.” Catalyst/Call to Adventure: The talkies are threatening George’s stardom… Debate/Refusal of Call: George initially thinks the talkies are stupid (based on the bad acting of his ex-co-star), but then realises he has to take action and make his own movie. Break into Act II/Meet with Mentor: George meets and falls for Peppy, someone sweet and lovely who likes him for what he is, but is so caught up in himself that he doesn’t realise the message he sends her by cooing over the gift for his wife. B Story/Crossing Threshold: Peppy’s career takes off. Fun & Games/Tests, Allies & Enemies: George makes his own silent film as Peppy makes a talkie. His flops, hers is fabulous. Midpoint/Approach: George realises he’s not famous any more. Bad Guys Close In: Lost without his fame, George gradually sinks deeper into alcoholism and poverty, pawning and auctioning his possessions, sending his chauffeur away after failing to pay him for a year. All is Lost/Ordeal: He finally realises what an arse he’s been and ends up setting his home on fire. He’s almost killed. He’s rescued from the fire by his dog (the one relationship he’s kept) and then from the hospital by Peppy. Dark Night of the Soul/Reward: George is happy to be with Peppy. Then he realises he’s been her charity case all along. The tables have been turned and he’s humiliated. Break into Act III/Road Back: George leaves Peppy’s home at rock bottom. Finale/Resurrection: Peppy races to his home as he reaches the point of suicide. Final Image/Return with Elixir: She gets there in time and saves him by showing him his remaining talent and how he can still be a star after all.

Scott's comment, "He is no artist. He is a broken man," made me wonder, is George "The Artist?" Or is it Peppy? Or does The Artist hat switch heads throughout the film...? Maybe during Act 1 George is The Artist, by decree; while Peppy works to become one. Then, during Act 2, Peppy is The Artist because of her willingness to adapt to the changing world AND she learns from her flippant, full-of-herself mistake (insulting George in restaurant) and stays grounded, i.e. a pleasure to work with. Meanwhile, George loses his Artist status by living in his conceited bubble, alienating all around him. Act 3, George's bubble breaks around him, allowing Peppy to awaken his real Artistic talent. Together, they are The Artist? #ScriptAnalysisFun ;)

It is fun, isn't it :-) For me, George's journey is about him defining himself as The Artist to the point that when he no longer has that identity he is nothing - no point living. He has sacrificed everything for his Art. And he doesn't learn... but that's for tomorrow!