| From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood | | | | china]: Johnston arrives.Warning: the soldiers |
| blockbusters and sitcoms at Hero's Journey is the | | | | barricading the way.Mentor and Hero meeting: the |
| template upon which the vast majority of successful | | | | Emperor and Johnston shake hands.Forced to the |
| stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. | | | | Trials: now we start.Trial and Transformation 1:Outer |
| In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have | | | | Cave: the first lesson; are you a gentleman.Middle |
| deconstructed are based on this | | | | Cave: having lunch; I'm angry.Transformation: |
| template.Understanding this template is a priority for | | | | Johnston given the hats.Trial and Transformation |
| story or screenwriters.The Hero's Journey:a) | | | | 2:Outer Cave: Johnston gives the bike.Middle Cave: |
| Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the | | | | Mother dies.Inner Cave: Trying to get out of the |
| audience has regarding what a story is and how it | | | | Forbidden City; the door is blocked.Transformation: |
| should be told.b) Gives the writer more structural | | | | Throwing the mice at the door.Trial and |
| elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, | | | | Transformation 3:Outer Cave: Rescued from the |
| mid point and so on.c) Interpreted metaphorically, | | | | Roof.Middle Cave: Transformation: needing |
| laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of | | | | glasses.Resistance to the Transformation / Inner |
| varied stories to be created.and more...EXAMPLE: The | | | | Cave: the Emperor cannot have glasses.Pushing the |
| Last Emperor, Academy Award Winner Best Film, | | | | Transformation / Inner Cave: Johnston threatens the |
| 1987 - Hero's Journey [basic deconstruction]FADE IN: | | | | eunuchs.Trial and Transformation 4:Outer Cave: |
| images of China; context: Manchuria.Going on a | | | | Emperor gets a wife.Middle Cave: I want a modern |
| journey: the train.Meeting the hero: the emperor gets | | | | wife.Inner Cave: wedding night.Mid Point: I wanted |
| off the train.Meeting the Mentor: the governor gets | | | | reforms.Transformation: cutting off his hair.Asking for |
| off the train.Creatures of the World: the | | | | an inventory.The threesome.The burning of the |
| communists.Rules of this World: no talking, obey the | | | | stores.Expelling the Eunuchs.When did your friendship |
| guards.Hero's status: people recognise him.Warning / | | | | with the Japanese begin?New Self: dressed in the |
| danger of the Journey: the Emperor tries to kill | | | | tennis gear.Forced out of the World of the |
| himself.Pushed to the Call: open the door.New World: | | | | Transformation: the Japanese arrive.Resistance: I |
| Old China.Call to Adventure: the boy prince is to be | | | | always thought I hated it here and now I'm afraid to |
| transferred immediately to the Forbidden City.Leaving | | | | leave.New Self: becoming a playboy.Meeting the |
| the Old World and Old Self: I give you my | | | | Oracle: wife #2 is nothing outside the city, she wants |
| son.Refusal of the Call: the boy prince cries.Creatures | | | | a divorce.Foreshadow of the Atonement: the |
| of the New World: the various types in the Forbidden | | | | Japanese keep tabs on the Emperor.Antagonism: the |
| City; the half moon hats.Meeting the Mentor: the boy | | | | Japanese have taken the city.Resisting the Sword: no |
| meets the old Empress Dowiger.Pushed to the First | | | | one divorces me.Seizing the Sword: wife #2 escapes; |
| Threshold: the Empress decides that he will be the | | | | freedom.Meeting the Shape Shifter: Eastern Jewel |
| new Emperor.Goodbye / Death to the Old World / | | | | arrives.Near Death Experience: our ancestor's graves |
| Old Self: the Empress dies.First Threshold from afar: | | | | have been decimated and the Empress has been |
| the Emperor on the throne.Threshold Marker: the | | | | hacked to death.Goodbye to the Old Self / Mentor: |
| yellow curtain.Outer Cave: the soldiers and eunuchs | | | | saying goodbye to Johnston.Reward: becoming an |
| kow-towing.Middle Cave: the cricket and the old | | | | Emperor again.Atonement with the Father: the |
| man.Refusing the Inner Cave: can we go home | | | | general arrives; the Emperor is a puppet.Apotheosis: |
| today; not yet.Inner Cave: being bathed, he can do | | | | still using other people as servants; put in the cell with |
| anything he wants.Resisting the Transformation: | | | | the other collaborators.Ultimate Boon: the arms have |
| running to the wet nurse and crying, "I want to go | | | | been taken away; the Emperor stands up for a free |
| home."Pushed to the Belly of the Whale: saved from | | | | China.Denial / Disgust: the Empress is pregnant by the |
| slitting his wrists; you are a criminal you must be | | | | chauffeur; you still think I'm your servant don't you; |
| judged.Belly of the Whale: meeting his brother and | | | | walking to the far side; stop pretending; I let it |
| mother; I have never met any other children; playing | | | | happen; they killed the baby and the chauffeur.Magic |
| with his little brother.Foreshadow of the Physical | | | | Flight: the Empress is taken away; pursuing her.Shape |
| Separation: breast feeding from the wet | | | | Shifter Revealed: Eastern Jewel is having an affair |
| nurse.Physical Separation: you're not the Emperor | | | | with the Japanese man.Rescue from Without: |
| anymore. There's a new emperor; watching the car | | | | watching the film.Crossing the Return Threshold: the |
| arrive.Physical Separation: the wet nurse is forced to | | | | Empress returns.Master of the Two Worlds: the |
| leave.Resisting the Trials and Transformation: running | | | | Emperor is a gardener now; leave me alone; you only |
| after the Governor.World of the Transformation: all | | | | want me because I'm useful to you.Inner Challenge |
| the prisoners lined up.Transformation Mentor [in the | | | | Resolved: the Emperor graduates; is free.Resisting |
| camp]: the governor.Rules: you will write the story of | | | | the Freedom to Live: trying to save the governor |
| your life and confessing.New Self: new | | | | from the Maoists.Freedom to Live: going back to the |
| clothes.Meeting the Transformation Mentor [in old | | | | Forbidden City. |