Blow
A boy named George Jung grows up in a struggling family in the 1950's. His mother nags at her husband as he is trying to make a living for the family. It is finally revealed that George's father cannot make a living and the family goes bankrupt. George does not want the same thing to happen to him, and his friend Tuna, in the 1960's, suggests that he deal marijuana. He is a big hit in California in the 1960's, yet he goes to jail, where he finds out about the wonders of cocaine. As a result, when released, he gets rich by bringing cocaine to America. However, he soon pays the price.
Working with a moderate budget of $53.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $83.3M in global revenue (+57% profit margin).
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%)
Blow (2001) showcases carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Ted Demme's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
George Jung
Mirtha Jung
Diego Delgado
Derek Foreal
Ermine Jung
Fred Jung
Pablo Escobar
Main Cast & Characters
George Jung
Played by Johnny Depp
A charismatic drug smuggler who rises to become one of America's biggest cocaine traffickers in the 1970s-80s, ultimately losing everything he values.
Mirtha Jung
Played by Penélope Cruz
George's volatile and drug-addicted wife who shares his lavish lifestyle but becomes increasingly unstable and manipulative.
Diego Delgado
Played by Jordi Mollà
A charming cellmate who introduces George to the Colombian cocaine trade and becomes his business partner.
Derek Foreal
Played by Paul Reubens
George's loyal best friend and partner in marijuana smuggling who shares his early adventures in California.
Ermine Jung
Played by Rachel Griffiths
George's loving but disappointed mother who struggles with her son's criminal lifestyle and its consequences.
Fred Jung
Played by Ray Liotta
George's hardworking father who taught him that money isn't everything, though George learns this lesson too late.
Pablo Escobar
Played by Cliff Curtis
The notorious Colombian drug lord who becomes George's supplier and business associate in the cocaine empire.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Young George watches his mother humiliate his father over money, establishing the core wound that will drive his pursuit of wealth. His father tells him "money isn't real," but George sees the pain poverty causes.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when George is arrested for the first time after a drug deal goes wrong. He's sent to prison, disrupting his carefree California lifestyle and introducing him to the dangerous world of serious drug trafficking.. At 12% 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 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to George is released from prison and actively chooses to enter the cocaine business with Diego. They travel to Colombia and meet Pablo Escobar, making George the primary American distributor for the Medellín Cartel. This is his irreversible decision to enter the major leagues., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: George has everything - millions of dollars, a beautiful wife, a daughter he adores. He tells himself he'll do "one last deal" and retire. But the stakes are raised when he realizes he's in too deep, and his excessive lifestyle with Mirtha is spiraling out of control., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 92 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, George is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison. The "whiff of death" - his old life is dead, his relationship with his daughter is dead, and he will likely die in prison. His mother refuses to bring Kristina to see him, cutting off his last connection to what he loves most., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 98 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. George makes one final attempt to reconnect with Kristina, now grown. He's released briefly and tries to rebuild their relationship, but it's too late. The realization: money can't buy back time or love. He finally understands what his father meant about what's real., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Blow'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 Blow against these established plot points, we can identify how Ted Demme utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Blow within the crime genre.
Ted Demme's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Ted Demme films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Blow takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Ted Demme filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds. For more Ted Demme analyses, see Life, The Ref and Beautiful Girls.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Young George watches his mother humiliate his father over money, establishing the core wound that will drive his pursuit of wealth. His father tells him "money isn't real," but George sees the pain poverty causes.
Theme
George's father tells him: "Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on." The central theme about the ephemeral nature of success and the cost of chasing money.
Worldbuilding
George grows up in 1950s Massachusetts in a working-class family. He vows never to be poor like his parents. He moves to California in the late 1960s, discovers the beach lifestyle, and begins selling marijuana with his friend Tuna, finding easy money and beautiful women.
Disruption
George is arrested for the first time after a drug deal goes wrong. He's sent to prison, disrupting his carefree California lifestyle and introducing him to the dangerous world of serious drug trafficking.
Resistance
In prison, George meets Diego Delgado, who introduces him to the Colombian cocaine trade. Diego becomes George's mentor, teaching him about the massive profit potential of cocaine. George debates whether to escalate from marijuana to cocaine, ultimately choosing the bigger opportunity.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
George is released from prison and actively chooses to enter the cocaine business with Diego. They travel to Colombia and meet Pablo Escobar, making George the primary American distributor for the Medellín Cartel. This is his irreversible decision to enter the major leagues.
Mirror World
George meets Mirtha, a beautiful party girl who embodies the glamorous lifestyle he's always wanted. She represents both the promise of his success and the thematic mirror showing him what unchecked hedonism looks like. Their relationship will teach him what truly matters.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - George lives the high life as America's premiere cocaine dealer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Massive wealth, parties, excess, beautiful women. He marries Mirtha, they have a daughter (Kristina), and the money flows endlessly. This is what the audience came to see.
Midpoint
False victory: George has everything - millions of dollars, a beautiful wife, a daughter he adores. He tells himself he'll do "one last deal" and retire. But the stakes are raised when he realizes he's in too deep, and his excessive lifestyle with Mirtha is spiraling out of control.
Opposition
Everything falls apart: Diego betrays him and cuts him out. Mirtha's drug addiction worsens. The feds close in. George is arrested again. Mirtha divorces him and won't let him see Kristina. He loses his money, his connections, and his family. His flaws - greed, pride, inability to quit - destroy everything.
Collapse
George is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison. The "whiff of death" - his old life is dead, his relationship with his daughter is dead, and he will likely die in prison. His mother refuses to bring Kristina to see him, cutting off his last connection to what he loves most.
Crisis
George sits in prison processing his loss. He realizes that all the money meant nothing - he lost his daughter, the only thing that truly mattered. He reflects on his father's wisdom and recognizes he chose the wrong path. The dark night where he accepts responsibility.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
George makes one final attempt to reconnect with Kristina, now grown. He's released briefly and tries to rebuild their relationship, but it's too late. The realization: money can't buy back time or love. He finally understands what his father meant about what's real.
Synthesis
George returns to prison to serve his sentence. Kristina promises to visit on his birthday but never comes. He waits in the visiting room, alone. The final confrontation isn't with enemies but with the consequences of his choices and the emptiness of his victory.
Transformation
George imagines Kristina visiting him in prison with her children, a fantasy that will never happen. The closing image mirrors the opening - a man destroyed by the pursuit of money, just like his father, but worse. The transformation is tragic: he learned the lesson too late.