Anna
Beneath Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world's most feared government assassins.
The film underperformed commercially against its mid-range budget of $34.0M, earning $31.6M globally (-7% loss).
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%)
Anna (2019) demonstrates strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Luc Besson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 59 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.4, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Anna Poliatova
Alex Tchenkov
Lenny Miller
Olga
Vassiliev
Maude
Main Cast & Characters
Anna Poliatova
Played by Sasha Luss
A Russian woman who becomes a KGB assassin while secretly plotting her escape to freedom.
Alex Tchenkov
Played by Luke Evans
A KGB handler who recruits and controls Anna, developing genuine feelings for her.
Lenny Miller
Played by Cillian Murphy
A CIA agent who attempts to flip Anna to work for the Americans.
Olga
Played by Helen Mirren
Anna's ruthless KGB superior who trains and monitors her operations.
Vassiliev
Played by Eric Godon
A high-ranking KGB officer and Olga's superior in the organization.
Maude
Played by Lera Abova
Anna's girlfriend in Paris who becomes entangled in her secret life.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Anna works in a Moscow doll market, trapped in poverty and an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Petyr, showing her constrained life before transformation.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
At 59 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Anna discovers she's trapped - the KGB will never let her go, and her five-year promise of freedom was a lie. Her false victory as a successful operative reveals itself as continued imprisonment., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 88 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Anna's double-agent status is exposed and she faces execution from the KGB, representing the death of her hope for freedom and the complete collapse of her carefully constructed plans., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 95 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Anna executes her master plan, manipulating both intelligence agencies, eliminating her KGB handler, and negotiating her freedom by offering valuable intelligence to the CIA., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Anna's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Anna against these established plot points, we can identify how Luc Besson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Anna within the action genre.
Luc Besson's Structural Approach
Among the 12 Luc Besson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Anna takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Luc Besson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Luc Besson analyses, see The Fifth Element, The Family and Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Anna works in a Moscow doll market, trapped in poverty and an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Petyr, showing her constrained life before transformation.
Theme
Alex (KGB recruiter) tells Anna that everyone wears masks and plays roles - the central theme of identity, deception, and who we choose to become.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Anna's trapped existence in Moscow, her abusive relationship, her hidden intelligence, and the Cold War espionage world of the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Resistance
Anna undergoes brutal KGB training, learning assassination techniques and espionage skills while debating whether she can truly become a killer and leave her old life behind.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
Anna executes spectacular assassinations while building her cover as a successful model, navigating between KGB handlers, CIA attention, and her own growing desire for true freedom.
Midpoint
Anna discovers she's trapped - the KGB will never let her go, and her five-year promise of freedom was a lie. Her false victory as a successful operative reveals itself as continued imprisonment.
Opposition
Pressure intensifies from all sides: KGB handler Alex demands more, CIA agent Miller closes in, and Anna realizes she must play an even deadlier game to achieve real freedom.
Collapse
Anna's double-agent status is exposed and she faces execution from the KGB, representing the death of her hope for freedom and the complete collapse of her carefully constructed plans.
Crisis
Anna sits in the darkness of her cell facing death, forced to confront whether she'll remain a pawn forever or find a way to become the player controlling her own destiny.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Anna executes her master plan, manipulating both intelligence agencies, eliminating her KGB handler, and negotiating her freedom by offering valuable intelligence to the CIA.