Film Structure Analysis #5 - Back to the Future (1985)

in #film • 6 years ago (edited)

Bttf 1.jpg

This is a classic, must see, etc. etc.
Zemeckis has such a tightly constructed story here.
Every moment is packed with one, two, three story points, plants, character points, tone, motif.
And at the same time, all that aside, it’s just fun to watch.

So much energy and humor and vibe all strung perfectly across a core foundation, a screenwriting structure and story pace that hits so sharp.

What is the story? Marty goes back in time, messes up his family path, then must fix his family path, and then must get back home to a world as good as or better than he left it.

1 Steemit.jpg

So we have time travel and family, and we can see this clearly when we look at the act breaks.

Written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, directed by Zemeckis.

The story starts with Doc’s place, Marty, and Marty’s ability to play guitar (plant). We see the school, more guitar, talk with Jennifer as we setup the clock tower (plant), meet a mean Biff, and sit with the family for a meal. Here we have a huge plant: if Dad hadn’t been hit by Grandpa’s car then he would’t have met Mom and none of the kids would exist.

We then head off to the mall to meet Doc Brown, and we’re introduced to the time travel DeLorean with the 88 miles per hour threshold. Due to an emergency and mistake, Marty ends up in the machine and travels back in time instead of Doc.

That is the story setup, kickoff, whatever you want to call it: the main character is getting thrown into taking on the problem.
This is how you get a core question like, “Can Marty get back to the present safely?”
Survival.

BTTF 2.png

The second act runs us through the farm, Lyon Estates, town square and the diner, we meet Dad and Biff, we’re hit by a car as we realize Dad is a Peeping Tom, we’re taken in by the driver, and we… meet our Mom. Uh-oh. Marty has now caused the second story problem without realizing it; he has changed his parents’ history.

We get to “Young Doc,” explain the time travel situation, and come up with a plan to get home, but after going to the school Marty and Doc realize the family history has been altered. Mom now likes Marty… instead of Dad… and this means Marty will soon be erased.

And here we have a midpoint realization redefining our goals: first get Dad to the dance (ticking clock) and somehow get Mom to fall in love with him, then get ourselves back to the present.

BTTF 3.png

Cafeteria, alien scare, diner, chase, Doc’s lightning plan (ticking clock), and we’re interrupted by Mom who basically asks Marty to the dance.

BTTF 4.png

We shake her off and focus on the romance plan with Dad, who seems less than skilled, confident, or powerful.

But there’s no more time.
Here comes the lightning strike and the dance and the plan.
Biff, and PUNCH!, and start to disappear (probably not my only spelling error in the breakdown above), play the GUITAR!, and THE PARENTS KISS!

BTTF 5.jpg

Give us a moment to rock ’n’ roll and say goodbye. We’ve solved the secondary issue of family and are now off to refocus on our original core question of getting back home.

This will be the start of Act 3, which means the second act didn’t change our core goal or question, it just added to it in a sense. It was and is always about getting back to the present, which at this point starts to feel like the future; the title of the film is the core goal.

So rush to the clock tower, fight the cables, and success! 1985.
Oh wait, we have to save Doc at the mall! He’s alive!
Get home: it’s better than you left it, with a new Biff, and a happy, successful family. A bonus bonus bonus happy ending.

Plus it never hurts to offer one last energy pump in conclusion as Doc flies in with the DeLorean, snags some trash for fuel, highlights a fresh emergency, and scoops us up on way to the future, ending with one of the best cinema lines ever:

“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.”

#movies #cinema #education #entertainment
6 years ago in #film by
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     6 years ago 

    Well written sir 😍😍😍

    Posted using Partiko Android

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     6 years ago 

    Thanks for saying so. Appreciated.
    Be well.

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