I recently watched a video about Christopher Nola's "Batman Begins", and how structure is important in moving a conflict driven story "scene after scene". According to the video, the movie was divided in 4 Acts based on irrevocable choices.
Act 1) Bruce's training (why, where, when) Act 2) Return to Gotham - taken down a crime mob as "Batman" Act 3) Explores the antagonists and their plot Act 4) The final fight with his old master.
Talking to other writers we couldn't agree more that "story & structure" work side by side. Any thoughts?
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I love Batman Begins (2005) to bits. My fave Batman movie of all time. Ditto for Casino Royale (2006). Both are fantastic origin stories with flawed protagonists.
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@Ramus I completely agree story and structure work in unison. You mentioned the third act Batman Begins, drops in on the antagonist and his camp. Parallel plot lines are a cool structure for ramping up suspense, warning the audience of impending jeopardy. The Dark Knight is another Nolan work that is pretty mind blowing. Who could forget Keith Ledger “What doesn’t kill you, simply makes you stranger.”
Hi Kay Luke, here is the link for the video, I think it was well explained why he divided into 4 Acts. But yes, usually we learn "3 Act stories" however it is not mathematical. The commentator compares "Batman Begins" with other movies with poor developed structure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-PfEE5kveE
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I think rules for “how many acts” has now partially been blown out of the water, particularly in non linear or tandem narrative. Sometimes the writing process for a particular film may be very complicated indeed yet the audience “Feel” it in much simpler waves.
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Structure should not be approached flippantly. Films are kinetic, moving so fast the audience doesn’t have time to stop mid-story and discuss what just happened. Three-act structure uses familiar narrative cues so the audience can enjoy and be drawn into a movie without the need for a master’s in film studies. Batman Begins definitely followed this structure, even if a clickbait video said otherwise.
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Four acts is dividing act two into two, splitting at the midpoint—another approach to storytelling. You can think/write in roughly 25 page sections. I find it helpful and more accommodating. Ramus, perhaps search Adam Skelter should you be interested in 4 Act Story Structure. Watch Skelter’s video essays, ART OF STORY: ANATOMY OF CHAOS. Book transcript of essay series: The Lost Art of Story. ;) Best to you!
No doubt the structure is important, and Nolan knows how to handle it, but you have to keep in mind that sometimes the story itself exceeds the same structure
@Juhani Good tip from @Beth to check over Adam Skelter. Another writer you may be interested in is Scott Myers. You can download free e books and pdfs from gointothestory.blcklst.com. Quote “It is perhaps the most single fundamental truth about writing in general and screenwriting in particular I know. There is no right way to write. No single formula. No one system. No mystical process that guarantees success. Think about it. Why should there be? Stories are organic. Living, breathing, malleable entities. They are not widgets.” I also studied under other gurus who dispel the three act structure as being the holy grail. Off course its been an extremely successful guideline for hundreds of years (or longer going back to ancient greeks) and probably will be for the next thousand but not every writers path. PARTICULARLY with Non Linear or Tandem Narrative, interrelated stories, flashback driven etc sequences may be totally out of order. I do not have my desktop on me now but if you want I can mail you some photos of Linda Aronson’s blackboard. The sequences are so juxtaposed, they like Einstein formulas. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarrantino) was a script considered to be “Out of the Box” yet the film is now considered to be a Classic.
@Ramus Above post addressed to yourself, was reading everyone’s comments and had to remember so many names!
@Ramus @Beth (Four act structure topic). Also check out Lee Goldberg, another USA writer who has done successful projects in four acts. I first heard about him studying Diagnosis Murder.
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Thank you Beth Fox Heisinger Debbie Croysdale and everybody else commenting and/or sharing their POV.
The 4-act structure in Batman Begins really highlights how storytelling can be layered yet so engaging. The way the movie balances Bruce’s backstory, his transformation, and the escalating conflicts is such a masterclass in pacing. It’s fascinating how each act has its own mini-arc, keeping the tension alive while building toward that epic finale. I’ve always appreciated finding inspiration in well-crafted stories, and it’s similar to how I approach other things I enjoy—like casino bonus blog where I’ve found a cool way to unwind after a long day of brainstorming ideas. A little balance goes a long way!