Déjà Vu
N/A
Despite a substantial budget of $75.0M, Déjà Vu became a commercial success, earning $180.6M worldwide—a 141% return.
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%)
Déjà Vu (2006) exemplifies carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Tony Scott's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 6 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes ATF Agent Doug Carlin surveys a Mardi Gras celebration from a ferry, observing crowds. He's methodical, detail-oriented, working alone - a man who sees what others miss.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Doug realizes Claire was murdered before the ferry bombing, meaning she's connected to the bomber. Her death wasn't random - she's the key to solving the case and preventing the tragedy.. At 11% 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 Collapse moment at 95 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Doug travels back but arrives too late - Claire is already captured by Oerstadt. In trying to save her immediately, Doug is severely injured in a crash. He faces possible death and the horror that his intervention may have failed. The "whiff of death" - his own mortality and Claire's imminent murder., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 101 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Doug races to stop Oerstadt from bombing the ferry. He saves Claire from the bomber's captivity. Confrontation with Oerstadt on the ferry loaded with explosives. Doug chooses to stay on the ferry as it explodes, driving it away from the dock, sacrificing himself to save the 543 victims. Heroic finale resolves both the crime and his arc., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Déjà Vu'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 Déjà Vu against these established plot points, we can identify how Tony Scott utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Déjà Vu within the short genre.
Tony Scott's Structural Approach
Among the 13 Tony Scott films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Déjà Vu takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Tony Scott filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional short films include This Is England, Chloe and What Remains. For more Tony Scott analyses, see Enemy of the State, Man on Fire and Days of Thunder.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
ATF Agent Doug Carlin surveys a Mardi Gras celebration from a ferry, observing crowds. He's methodical, detail-oriented, working alone - a man who sees what others miss.
Theme
After the ferry explosion, a fellow agent discusses evidence and mentions "what's done is done" - but the film's theme asks: what if the past could be changed? Can we alter fate or are we trapped by time?
Worldbuilding
Ferry explosion kills 543 people including sailors and families. Doug investigates the crime scene, demonstrating his exceptional observational skills. Discovery of Claire Kuchever's burned body washed ashore - she died before the explosion, making her key to the case.
Disruption
Doug realizes Claire was murdered before the ferry bombing, meaning she's connected to the bomber. Her death wasn't random - she's the key to solving the case and preventing the tragedy.
Resistance
FBI Agent Pryzwarra recruits Doug for a special surveillance program. Doug is skeptical about "Snow White" - appears to be satellite footage but shows 4.5 day delay. He debates joining, questions the technology, but his obsession with Claire and solving the case pulls him forward.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The promise of the premise: investigating a crime by watching the past unfold. Doug tracks Claire's final days, identifying suspect Oerstadt. He uses the time window creatively - sending notes to his past self, pushing boundaries of the technology. Romance develops with a woman he can only watch.
Opposition
Doug pushes to use time travel despite warnings about paradoxes and danger. Oerstadt grows more threatening as they close in. Doug's obsession with saving Claire intensifies. The team resists his radical plans. Time is running out as the bombing approaches in the past timeline.
Collapse
Doug travels back but arrives too late - Claire is already captured by Oerstadt. In trying to save her immediately, Doug is severely injured in a crash. He faces possible death and the horror that his intervention may have failed. The "whiff of death" - his own mortality and Claire's imminent murder.
Crisis
Doug, wounded and disoriented in the past, must regroup. He processes the magnitude of his task - he's alone in the past with no support, injured, and the bombing is imminent. Dark night moment: doubt whether he can actually change anything or if fate is fixed.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Doug races to stop Oerstadt from bombing the ferry. He saves Claire from the bomber's captivity. Confrontation with Oerstadt on the ferry loaded with explosives. Doug chooses to stay on the ferry as it explodes, driving it away from the dock, sacrificing himself to save the 543 victims. Heroic finale resolves both the crime and his arc.