Black Robe
In the 17th century a Jesuit priest nicknamed Black Robe by the natives and his young companion are escorted through the wilderness of Quebec by a family of Algonquin Indians to find a distant mission in the dead of winter. Underneath the imposing and magnificent mountains, the Jesuit experiences a spiritual journey while his young companion falls in love with their Algonquin guide's beautiful daughter. Dread and death follows them upriver, however, as they face an Iroquois war party. Based on historical fiction novel.
The film disappointed at the box office against its tight budget of $11.0M, earning $8.2M globally (-25% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the adventure 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%)
Black Robe (1991) demonstrates carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Bruce Beresford's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 41 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Father Laforgue
Daniel
Annuka
Chomina
Neehatin
Father Bourque
Main Cast & Characters
Father Laforgue
Played by Lothaire Bluteau
A young Jesuit priest traveling through the Canadian wilderness to convert the Huron Indians, whose faith and resolve are tested by the harsh journey.
Daniel
Played by Aden Young
A young French translator who falls in love with an Algonquin woman and becomes torn between European and Native cultures.
Annuka
Played by Sandrine Holt
The daughter of Chomina, a passionate young Algonquin woman who falls in love with Daniel and bridges two worlds.
Chomina
Played by August Schellenberg
An Algonquin leader and guide who leads Laforgue through the wilderness while maintaining his own spiritual beliefs.
Neehatin
Played by Tantoo Cardinal
Chomina's wife, a traditionalist Algonquin woman who is deeply suspicious of the Christian missionary and his intentions.
Father Bourque
Played by Frank Wilson
An older Jesuit missionary at the Huron mission, weakened by illness and maintaining his faith despite hardship.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Father Laforgue arrives at the French colonial settlement in New France, a Jesuit priest committed to his mission but isolated from both French fur traders and the indigenous Algonquin people.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Champlain asks Chomina to guide Laforgue on a dangerous winter journey upriver to the Huron mission. The request puts Chomina in a difficult position, as the natives fear Laforgue as a demon, but Champlain threatens to withhold guns needed for survival.. 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 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The expedition departs into the wilderness. Laforgue, Daniel, Chomina, Annuka, and several Algonquin warriors leave the settlement and enter the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness. There is no turning back from this journey., moving from reaction to action.
At 51 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The party is captured by hostile Iroquois warriors. They are bound, tortured, and face imminent death. This false defeat raises the stakes enormously—the mission may end in failure and death. The game has changed from a difficult journey to a fight for survival., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 76 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Chomina, who has been wounded and ill, dies in the snow. The noble guide who enabled the journey perishes, and Laforgue performs last rites as Chomina questions whether the priest's heaven exists. A literal death and the death of Laforgue's certainty., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Laforgue tends to the sick and dying Hurons. When they ask for baptism—not from true conversion but from desperation—he faces a crisis of conscience. He chooses to baptize them, accepting that his role is to offer comfort rather than impose absolute truth. The Hurons accept Christianity, but the cost is visible., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Black Robe's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Black Robe against these established plot points, we can identify how Bruce Beresford utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Black Robe within the adventure genre.
Bruce Beresford's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Bruce Beresford films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Black Robe represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Bruce Beresford filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom. For more Bruce Beresford analyses, see Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer and The Contract.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Father Laforgue arrives at the French colonial settlement in New France, a Jesuit priest committed to his mission but isolated from both French fur traders and the indigenous Algonquin people.
Theme
Champlain tells Laforgue that the natives have their own beliefs and customs. "You may find they do not want what you have to give them." The clash between faith, culture, and civilization is established.
Worldbuilding
The French settlement is introduced with its fur trade operations. Laforgue's rigid devotion contrasts with the pragmatic traders. The Algonquin leader Chomina arrives with his people, and we see the cultural divide. Daniel, a young Frenchman, becomes attracted to Chomina's daughter Annuka.
Disruption
Champlain asks Chomina to guide Laforgue on a dangerous winter journey upriver to the Huron mission. The request puts Chomina in a difficult position, as the natives fear Laforgue as a demon, but Champlain threatens to withhold guns needed for survival.
Resistance
Chomina debates whether to undertake the journey. The Algonquin fear Laforgue's "dark magic." Daniel volunteers to join the expedition to be near Annuka. Preparations are made despite the ominous warnings from shamans and elders about the Black Robe's cursed nature.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The expedition departs into the wilderness. Laforgue, Daniel, Chomina, Annuka, and several Algonquin warriors leave the settlement and enter the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness. There is no turning back from this journey.
Premise
The journey upriver unfolds with mounting tensions. Laforgue condemns Daniel and Annuka's relationship. Cultural misunderstandings multiply. The group encounters other tribes and witnesses native rituals that horrify Laforgue. Dreams and visions plague the travelers. The physical and spiritual journey tests everyone.
Midpoint
The party is captured by hostile Iroquois warriors. They are bound, tortured, and face imminent death. This false defeat raises the stakes enormously—the mission may end in failure and death. The game has changed from a difficult journey to a fight for survival.
Opposition
The group endures brutal captivity and torture by the Iroquois. Chomina's son is killed. Through cunning, some escape, but they are traumatized and scattered. Laforgue becomes separated and must continue alone. His certainty begins to crack as he experiences the cruelty and suffering of this New World. Winter deepens.
Collapse
Chomina, who has been wounded and ill, dies in the snow. The noble guide who enabled the journey perishes, and Laforgue performs last rites as Chomina questions whether the priest's heaven exists. A literal death and the death of Laforgue's certainty.
Crisis
Laforgue, now alone and broken, struggles through the frozen wilderness. He is lost, starving, and spiritually shattered. He confronts the possibility that his mission is folly, that he has brought only death and suffering. Dark night of the soul in the literal winter darkness.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Laforgue tends to the sick and dying Hurons. When they ask for baptism—not from true conversion but from desperation—he faces a crisis of conscience. He chooses to baptize them, accepting that his role is to offer comfort rather than impose absolute truth. The Hurons accept Christianity, but the cost is visible.
Transformation
A title card reveals that within fifteen years, the Huron nation was destroyed by disease and war. Laforgue's transformed, more compassionate faith could not save them. The closing image shows the priest among the Hurons, his mission accomplished but at a devastating cost—civilization and faith brought extinction.