Comedy of Power
A character study. Jeanne Charmant-Killman is an investigative magistrate, tough minded, swift moving, taking on a group of political fixers who pay bribes and skim large sums for personal use. She breaks them one at a time. Meanwhile, her work takes its toll: relations with her husband are strained, and the group under investigation strikes back by tampering with the brakes of her car and placing a mole in her office. Can she stand up to the pressure, and what's her reward?
The film earned $9.0M at the global box office.
1 win & 5 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%)
Comedy of Power (2006) reveals carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Claude Chabrol's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 50 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jeanne Charmant-Killman is introduced as a meticulous investigating magistrate in her office, reviewing files with precision and authority. She is established as a dedicated professional in the French judicial system.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Jeanne discovers evidence linking a major French industrialist to illegal arms deals and corruption involving high-level government officials. The scope of the case suddenly expands far beyond routine corporate fraud.. 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 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Jeanne makes the deliberate choice to formally charge the industrialist despite institutional pressure. She commits to pursuing the investigation wherever it leads, crossing the point of no return., moving from reaction to action.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat False victory: Jeanne successfully indicts multiple high-profile defendants. She receives public acclaim and media attention. She appears to be winning, but the victory masks the personal and professional costs mounting beneath the surface., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The case collapses due to procedural technicalities and political intervention. Key charges are dismissed, witnesses recant, and Jeanne faces the death of her crusade. Her marriage ends, and she confronts the futility of fighting systemic corruption., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Jeanne gains clarity about the true nature of her quest. She recognizes her own intoxication with power and understands that her pursuit was as much about her ego as justice. She finds a new, more humble understanding of her role., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Comedy of Power's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Comedy of Power against these established plot points, we can identify how Claude Chabrol utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Comedy of Power within the drama genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jeanne Charmant-Killman is introduced as a meticulous investigating magistrate in her office, reviewing files with precision and authority. She is established as a dedicated professional in the French judicial system.
Theme
A colleague warns Jeanne about the intoxication of power, noting that investigating the powerful can consume those who pursue it. The theme is stated: power corrupts both the corrupt and those who hunt them.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Jeanne's world: her meticulous work methods, her relationship with her assistant, the complex French judicial bureaucracy, her personal life with husband Philippe, and the initial investigation into corporate irregularities.
Disruption
Jeanne discovers evidence linking a major French industrialist to illegal arms deals and corruption involving high-level government officials. The scope of the case suddenly expands far beyond routine corporate fraud.
Resistance
Jeanne debates whether to pursue such powerful targets. She receives pressure from superiors to drop the case, warnings from colleagues about career suicide, and resistance from her husband about the toll on their marriage. She prepares her strategy.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jeanne makes the deliberate choice to formally charge the industrialist despite institutional pressure. She commits to pursuing the investigation wherever it leads, crossing the point of no return.
Mirror World
Introduction of a key relationship with a journalist who covers the case. This subplot serves as a mirror to Jeanne's obsession, showing how the pursuit of truth affects those around her and reflecting the theme of power's intoxication.
Premise
The promise of the premise: Jeanne investigates, interrogates witnesses, follows money trails, and builds her case. She experiences the thrill of uncovering corruption at the highest levels, feeling powerful and righteous in her pursuit of justice.
Midpoint
False victory: Jeanne successfully indicts multiple high-profile defendants. She receives public acclaim and media attention. She appears to be winning, but the victory masks the personal and professional costs mounting beneath the surface.
Opposition
The powerful fight back. Legal maneuvers slow the case, political pressure intensifies, Jeanne's marriage deteriorates under the strain, her health suffers, and she becomes increasingly isolated. Her obsession with the case alienates allies and consumes her personal life.
Collapse
The case collapses due to procedural technicalities and political intervention. Key charges are dismissed, witnesses recant, and Jeanne faces the death of her crusade. Her marriage ends, and she confronts the futility of fighting systemic corruption.
Crisis
Jeanne processes her defeat in isolation. She reflects on what she has lost—her marriage, her colleagues' respect, her naïve belief in the system—and contemplates whether her righteous pursuit was worth the personal destruction it caused.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jeanne gains clarity about the true nature of her quest. She recognizes her own intoxication with power and understands that her pursuit was as much about her ego as justice. She finds a new, more humble understanding of her role.
Synthesis
Jeanne continues her work but with changed perspective. She handles new cases with the same dedication but without the messianic zeal. She has integrated the lesson: one can pursue justice without being consumed by the pursuit.
Transformation
Final image mirrors the opening: Jeanne at her desk reviewing files. But she is transformed—still dedicated but no longer obsessed, still pursuing justice but aware of the costs, wiser about the limits of individual power against systemic corruption.