Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask
A collection of seven vignettes, which each address a question concerning human sexuality. From aphrodisiacs to sexual perversion to the mystery of the male orgasm, characters like a court jester, a doctor, a queen and a journalist adventure through lab experiments and game shows, all seeking answers to common questions that many would never ask.
Despite its tight budget of $2.0M, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask became a runaway success, earning $18.0M worldwide—a remarkable 801% return. The film's unique voice attracted moviegoers, proving that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
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%)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) exemplifies carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Woody Allen's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 5.8, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Opening vignette begins with a medieval court fool attempting to seduce the Queen, establishing the anthology's comedic exploration of sexual taboos and desires.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when The doctor in the second vignette becomes obsessed with a patient's sheep, disrupting his professional and personal life with forbidden desire.. 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 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Gene Wilder's character actively chooses to pursue his attraction to a sheep, crossing the line from fantasy to action and entering a new reality of transgression., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, In the final vignette, the sperm mission fails and characters face potential death inside the body, representing the ultimate consequence of sexual activity gone wrong., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 70 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The sperm successfully completes its mission through teamwork and sacrifice, resolving the final vignette and bringing the anthology to its biological/philosophical conclusion., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask against these established plot points, we can identify how Woody Allen utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask within the comedy genre.
Woody Allen's Structural Approach
Among the 42 Woody Allen films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Woody Allen filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Woody Allen analyses, see Sleeper, Celebrity and Love and Death.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Opening vignette begins with a medieval court fool attempting to seduce the Queen, establishing the anthology's comedic exploration of sexual taboos and desires.
Theme
A character observes that sex is mysterious and confusing, stating the central theme that human sexuality is simultaneously ridiculous and profound.
Worldbuilding
First two vignettes establish the anthology format: exploring sexual questions through absurdist comedy across different time periods and scenarios, introducing various protagonists facing sexual dilemmas.
Disruption
The doctor in the second vignette becomes obsessed with a patient's sheep, disrupting his professional and personal life with forbidden desire.
Resistance
Multiple vignettes show protagonists wrestling with their desires and social constraints, debating whether to pursue their unconventional sexual interests despite consequences.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Gene Wilder's character actively chooses to pursue his attraction to a sheep, crossing the line from fantasy to action and entering a new reality of transgression.
Mirror World
The Italian wife segment introduces a relationship storyline that mirrors the theme: a woman whose body becomes sexually responsive only in public places, exploring intimacy versus societal norms.
Premise
The film delivers on its premise with escalating absurdist scenarios: cross-dressing rabbis, giant breasts terrorizing the countryside, and game show contestants, exploring every bizarre sexual question.
Opposition
Later vignettes face increasing consequences: characters' sexual pursuits lead to social embarrassment, professional ruin, and personal crisis as reality opposes desire.
Collapse
In the final vignette, the sperm mission fails and characters face potential death inside the body, representing the ultimate consequence of sexual activity gone wrong.
Crisis
The sperm control room descends into chaos as the mission appears doomed, with characters confronting mortality and the mechanical absurdity of reproduction.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The sperm successfully completes its mission through teamwork and sacrifice, resolving the final vignette and bringing the anthology to its biological/philosophical conclusion.