Assassins
Robert Rath is a seasoned hitman who just wants out of the business with no back talk. But, as things go, it ain't so easy. A younger, peppier assassin named Bain is having a field day trying to kill said older assassin. Rath teams up with a computer hacker named Electra to defeat the obsessed Bain.
The film underperformed commercially against its mid-range budget of $50.0M, earning $30.3M globally (-39% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the action genre.
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%)
Assassins (1995) reveals meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Richard Donner's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 12 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Robert Rath
Miguel Bain
Electra
Main Cast & Characters
Robert Rath
Played by Sylvester Stallone
A weary veteran assassin seeking to retire after one last job, haunted by his profession and longing for human connection.
Miguel Bain
Played by Antonio Banderas
A ruthless young assassin obsessed with becoming number one by eliminating Rath, willing to break all codes of conduct.
Electra
Played by Julianne Moore
A skilled surveillance expert and hacker who becomes entangled in the assassins' conflict and forms a connection with Rath.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Robert Rath, a weary veteran assassin, executes a target in a hotel room with cold precision, establishing his lonely, emotionless existence as the world's best killer who wants out.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Miguel Bain intercepts and completes one of Rath's assignments, killing the target first and announcing his presence as a competitor, threatening Rath's position and forcing him to confront the reality that he's being replaced.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Rath commits to the four-person contract and travels to Seattle to execute the assignment, actively choosing to enter the deadly game with Bain rather than simply walking away, crossing the point of no return., moving from reaction to action.
At 66 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Bain successfully kills one of the contract targets before Rath can reach them, and Rath realizes he's not just competing for money - Bain is trying to kill him and prove himself superior, raising the stakes from professional to survival., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 99 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Bain corners Rath and Electra, seemingly killing Rath in a devastating confrontation that forces him to fake his own death; Rath loses his identity as the world's greatest assassin and must face the symbolic death of who he was., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 106 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Rath synthesizes his assassin skills with his newfound humanity: he chooses to protect Electra not as a job but as a moral imperative, understanding that redemption comes through sacrifice, not escape, and prepares for a final confrontation with Bain., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Assassins's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Assassins against these established plot points, we can identify how Richard Donner utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Assassins within the action genre.
Richard Donner's Structural Approach
Among the 16 Richard Donner films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Assassins represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Richard Donner filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Richard Donner analyses, see Superman, Lethal Weapon 2 and Maverick.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Robert Rath, a weary veteran assassin, executes a target in a hotel room with cold precision, establishing his lonely, emotionless existence as the world's best killer who wants out.
Theme
A character observes that "There's always someone younger and faster coming up behind you," foreshadowing the film's exploration of legacy, obsolescence, and whether redemption is possible for those who have lived by violence.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the shadowy world of contract killers: Rath's meticulous methods, his anonymous employer, the isolation of his profession, and the emergence of Miguel Bain, a ruthless younger assassin who steals Rath's kills.
Disruption
Miguel Bain intercepts and completes one of Rath's assignments, killing the target first and announcing his presence as a competitor, threatening Rath's position and forcing him to confront the reality that he's being replaced.
Resistance
Rath debates whether to retire or prove himself, investigates Bain's identity, and accepts "one last job" - a four-target contract that promises enough money to disappear forever, despite knowing it puts him in direct competition with Bain.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Rath commits to the four-person contract and travels to Seattle to execute the assignment, actively choosing to enter the deadly game with Bain rather than simply walking away, crossing the point of no return.
Mirror World
Rath encounters Electra, a surveillance expert and hacker, who represents the possibility of human connection and a life beyond killing; she becomes the thematic mirror showing what he could become if he chooses differently.
Premise
The cat-and-mouse game between Rath and Bain escalates: they compete for targets, Rath protects Electra from becoming collateral damage, and the professional rivalry becomes personal as Bain's psychotic nature is revealed and Rath questions his own humanity.
Midpoint
Bain successfully kills one of the contract targets before Rath can reach them, and Rath realizes he's not just competing for money - Bain is trying to kill him and prove himself superior, raising the stakes from professional to survival.
Opposition
Bain closes in relentlessly, Electra is drawn deeper into danger, and Rath discovers their employer has betrayed them both; his growing feelings for Electra conflict with his assassin instincts, and his attempts to protect her expose his vulnerability.
Collapse
Bain corners Rath and Electra, seemingly killing Rath in a devastating confrontation that forces him to fake his own death; Rath loses his identity as the world's greatest assassin and must face the symbolic death of who he was.
Crisis
Rath, wounded and presumed dead, confronts the darkness of his life choices and the realization that he's become the very thing he despises; he must decide whether to disappear or protect Electra from the consequences of his world.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Rath synthesizes his assassin skills with his newfound humanity: he chooses to protect Electra not as a job but as a moral imperative, understanding that redemption comes through sacrifice, not escape, and prepares for a final confrontation with Bain.
Synthesis
The finale: Rath confronts both Bain and their employer, using his skills not for money but to save Electra and end the cycle of violence; the showdown reveals the true puppet master and forces Rath to defeat Bain while choosing mercy over murder.
Transformation
Rath, having defeated Bain and survived, walks away from the assassin life with Electra, transformed from an isolated killer into someone capable of connection and choosing life over death, the mirror opposite of his opening isolation.