1917
April 1917, the Western Front. Two British soldiers are sent to deliver an urgent message to an isolated regiment. If the message is not received in time the regiment will walk into a trap and be massacred. To get to the regiment they will need to cross through enemy territory. Time is of the essence and the journey will be fraught with danger.
Despite a substantial budget of $100.0M, 1917 became a financial success, earning $446.1M worldwide—a 346% return.
3 Oscars. 135 wins & 200 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
1917 (2019) demonstrates carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Sam Mendes's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 59 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.1, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Lance Corporal William Schofield
Lance Corporal Tom Blake
General Erinmore
Captain Smith
Colonel Mackenzie
French Woman
Main Cast & Characters
Lance Corporal William Schofield
Played by George MacKay
A quiet, dutiful British soldier tasked with delivering a critical message across enemy territory to prevent a deadly ambush.
Lance Corporal Tom Blake
Played by Dean-Charles Chapman
An optimistic and driven soldier racing to save his brother's battalion, partnered with Schofield on the mission.
General Erinmore
Played by Colin Firth
The commanding officer who assigns Blake and Schofield their mission to prevent the attack.
Captain Smith
Played by Mark Strong
A weary, cynical officer who provides guidance and warnings to Schofield during his journey.
Colonel Mackenzie
Played by Benedict Cumberbatch
The stubborn, glory-seeking commander of the 2nd Battalion who must be convinced to call off the attack.
French Woman
Played by Claire Duburcq
A frightened French woman hiding with a baby in the ruins of a town, representing innocence amid devastation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Schofield and Blake rest peacefully under a tree in the temporary safety of the British trenches, representing their ordinary world before the mission.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Schofield and Blake leave the relative safety of the trenches and cross into No Man's Land, entering the devastated wasteland between the lines. Their ordinary world of trench safety is shattered.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Schofield pulls Blake from the collapsed bunker and they emerge into the completely devastated landscape beyond the German trenches—a truly alien world of destruction. They actively choose to continue the mission despite nearly dying., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Blake dies in Schofield's arms after being stabbed by the German pilot they saved. This false defeat transforms the mission from a shared duty into a personal promise. The stakes become deeply personal and the fun is over., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 79 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Schofield is shot by a German sniper in Écoust and falls into the river, unconscious and seemingly dead. He plunges over a waterfall in the darkness—a literal brush with death and the lowest point of his journey., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Hearing the song and seeing the massed battalion, Schofield realizes dawn is breaking and the attack is imminent. He gains renewed resolve, combining his soldier's skills with his personal promise to Blake. He begins his final sprint., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
1917's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping 1917 against these established plot points, we can identify how Sam Mendes utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish 1917 within the action genre.
Sam Mendes's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Sam Mendes films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.5, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. 1917 takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Sam Mendes filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Sam Mendes analyses, see Revolutionary Road, American Beauty and Empire of Light.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Schofield and Blake rest peacefully under a tree in the temporary safety of the British trenches, representing their ordinary world before the mission.
Theme
General Erinmore tells them "I hope you're not expecting a medal" and explains the brutal math of sacrifice: trading 1,600 lives to save them from walking into a trap. The theme of individual sacrifice for the greater good is stated.
Worldbuilding
The setup establishes the World War I trench environment, the relationship between Schofield and Blake, the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, and the stakes: Colonel Mackenzie's battalion (including Blake's brother) will walk into a trap at dawn unless warned.
Disruption
Schofield and Blake leave the relative safety of the trenches and cross into No Man's Land, entering the devastated wasteland between the lines. Their ordinary world of trench safety is shattered.
Resistance
The soldiers navigate No Man's Land and the abandoned German trenches, receiving warnings about booby traps and hazards. They debate their chances, discover the danger of the German withdrawal, and narrowly survive a bunker collapse after a rat triggers a tripwire.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Schofield pulls Blake from the collapsed bunker and they emerge into the completely devastated landscape beyond the German trenches—a truly alien world of destruction. They actively choose to continue the mission despite nearly dying.
Mirror World
The soldiers encounter a German pilot after shooting down his plane. This enemy soldier, suffering and human, represents the film's thematic mirror: all soldiers are victims of the war, regardless of which side they fight for.
Premise
The journey through the devastated landscape: the cherry orchard, the German pilot encounter, Blake's death, meeting the British unit in the farmhouse, and Schofield's determination to continue alone. The promise of the premise—a real-time mission across enemy territory—is fully realized.
Midpoint
Blake dies in Schofield's arms after being stabbed by the German pilot they saved. This false defeat transforms the mission from a shared duty into a personal promise. The stakes become deeply personal and the fun is over.
Opposition
Schofield continues alone through increasing dangers: the destroyed French town under German occupation, being shot and falling into the river, the nighttime flare-lit chase through Écoust, and the discovery that the bridges are destroyed, forcing a dangerous detour.
Collapse
Schofield is shot by a German sniper in Écoust and falls into the river, unconscious and seemingly dead. He plunges over a waterfall in the darkness—a literal brush with death and the lowest point of his journey.
Crisis
Schofield regains consciousness in the river at night, pulls himself to shore, and hears a soldier singing "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger" to gathered troops. The song of a soul traveling through hardship mirrors his journey and emotional state.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Hearing the song and seeing the massed battalion, Schofield realizes dawn is breaking and the attack is imminent. He gains renewed resolve, combining his soldier's skills with his personal promise to Blake. He begins his final sprint.
Synthesis
Schofield's desperate run along the front line as the attack begins, pushing through the advancing troops, reaching Colonel Mackenzie, convincing him to call off the attack, and finally delivering Blake's personal effects and message to his brother.
Transformation
Schofield sits beneath a tree—mirroring the opening image—but he is transformed. He looks at photos of his family, no longer the detached soldier from the beginning but someone who understands the weight of sacrifice and the value of each life saved.