Hair
This movie, based on the cult Broadway musical of the 60s, tells a story about Claude, a young man from Oklahoma who comes to New York City. There he strikes up a friendship with a group of hippies, led by Berger, and falls in love with Sheila, a girl from a rich family. However, their happiness is short because Claude must go to the Vietnam war.
Working with a tight budget of $11.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $15.3M in global revenue (+39% profit margin).
2 wins & 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%)
Hair (1979) demonstrates deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Miloš Forman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 1 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Claude Hooper Bukowski
George Berger
Sheila Franklin
Jeanie Ryan
Hud
Woof
Lafayette "Fenton" Hightower
Main Cast & Characters
Claude Hooper Bukowski
Played by John Savage
A naive Oklahoma farm boy drafted to Vietnam who encounters the hippie counterculture in New York City before shipping out.
George Berger
Played by Treat Williams
The charismatic leader of a tribe of hippies in Central Park who befriends Claude and orchestrates a tragic fate-switching scheme.
Sheila Franklin
Played by Beverly D'Angelo
A wealthy debutante who becomes romantically involved with both Claude and the hippie lifestyle, torn between privilege and freedom.
Jeanie Ryan
Played by Annie Golden
A free-spirited hippie woman who is pregnant and struggles with her feelings for Claude while living communally with the tribe.
Hud
Played by Dorsey Wright
A militant African-American member of the tribe who channels his anger about racial injustice into anti-establishment activism.
Woof
Played by Don Dacus
A gentle, sexually fluid hippie who embodies the peace and love ethos of the counterculture movement.
Lafayette "Fenton" Hightower
Played by Dorsey Wright
An eccentric member of the tribe known for his theatrical personality and flamboyant behavior.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Claude Bukowski, a naive farm boy from Oklahoma, arrives in New York City on his way to military induction for Vietnam. He represents the straight-laced, obedient American youth about to enter the war machine.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Claude spots Sheila Franklin, a beautiful debutante on horseback. He's instantly smitten. Berger and the tribe help Claude crash Sheila's high-society party, bringing chaos and color to her privileged world. This encounter pulls Claude away from his predetermined path.. 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 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Claude actively chooses to spend his remaining days before induction with the tribe instead of reporting immediately. He surrenders to the counterculture experience, symbolically crossing from his old life into their world of freedom and authenticity., moving from reaction to action.
At 61 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Claude must report for basic training. The tribe travels to the Nevada military base to see him. The false victory of their freedom crashes against the reality of the war machine. Stakes raise: this is no longer a temporary escape but a fundamental choice about who Claude will become., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 88 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Berger impulsively switches places with Claude so Claude can spend time with Sheila before deployment. Berger, in Claude's uniform, is accidentally shipped out to Vietnam with Claude's unit. The ultimate sacrifice - Berger, the embodiment of freedom and life, is consumed by the war machine meant for Claude., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 84% of the runtime. The tribe attends Berger's military funeral. Claude, Sheila, and the remaining tribe members are united in grief. They understand that the system has claimed one of their own, and no amount of rebellion could stop it. The synthesis: freedom has a price, and so does duty., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Hair's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Hair against these established plot points, we can identify how Miloš Forman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Hair within the comedy genre.
Miloš Forman's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Miloš Forman films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.3, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Hair represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Miloš Forman filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Miloš Forman analyses, see Goya's Ghosts, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Man on the Moon.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Claude Bukowski, a naive farm boy from Oklahoma, arrives in New York City on his way to military induction for Vietnam. He represents the straight-laced, obedient American youth about to enter the war machine.
Theme
The hippies sing "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," proclaiming a new age of freedom and peace. Berger tells Claude about living free and questioning authority - establishing the central tension between conformity and liberation.
Worldbuilding
Claude encounters the tribe of hippies in Central Park led by George Berger. We meet the free-spirited community: Berger, Hud, Woof, Jeannie, and others. Claude is simultaneously attracted and repelled by their lifestyle. The contrast between his military-bound future and their anti-establishment present is established.
Disruption
Claude spots Sheila Franklin, a beautiful debutante on horseback. He's instantly smitten. Berger and the tribe help Claude crash Sheila's high-society party, bringing chaos and color to her privileged world. This encounter pulls Claude away from his predetermined path.
Resistance
Berger and the tribe pursue Sheila, with Claude caught between two worlds. The hippies debate their philosophy versus Claude's impending military service. Sheila resists but is intrigued. Claude debates whether to embrace this new freedom or fulfill his duty. Musical numbers express the tension between establishment and counterculture.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Claude actively chooses to spend his remaining days before induction with the tribe instead of reporting immediately. He surrenders to the counterculture experience, symbolically crossing from his old life into their world of freedom and authenticity.
Mirror World
Sheila begins to open up to Claude and the tribe. Their developing relationship represents the thematic heart - she embodies privilege and responsibility, while the tribe represents freedom. Claude must learn from both worlds to discover who he truly is.
Premise
The fun and games of hippie life: musical celebrations in Central Park, anti-war protests, drug experiences, communal living. Claude experiences complete freedom for the first time. Sheila gradually sheds her upper-class constraints. Romance blooms. The tribe's joyful rebellion against society is in full display, even as Claude's induction date looms.
Midpoint
Claude must report for basic training. The tribe travels to the Nevada military base to see him. The false victory of their freedom crashes against the reality of the war machine. Stakes raise: this is no longer a temporary escape but a fundamental choice about who Claude will become.
Opposition
Claude undergoes military training, being transformed into a soldier. The tribe camps outside the base, trying to maintain connection. Berger hatches increasingly desperate plans to see Claude. The two worlds - military conformity and hippie freedom - are irreconcilable. Pressure mounts as Claude's deployment to Vietnam approaches.
Collapse
Berger impulsively switches places with Claude so Claude can spend time with Sheila before deployment. Berger, in Claude's uniform, is accidentally shipped out to Vietnam with Claude's unit. The ultimate sacrifice - Berger, the embodiment of freedom and life, is consumed by the war machine meant for Claude.
Crisis
Claude realizes what has happened but cannot stop it. The tribe learns that Berger has been killed in Vietnam. The darkness of loss and the futility of their resistance settles over them. The price of the war and the cost of both conformity and rebellion become devastatingly clear.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The tribe attends Berger's military funeral. Claude, Sheila, and the remaining tribe members are united in grief. They understand that the system has claimed one of their own, and no amount of rebellion could stop it. The synthesis: freedom has a price, and so does duty.
Synthesis
The funeral serves as the finale. The tribe pays respects at Arlington Cemetery, surrounded by endless white crosses. The counterculture confronts the ultimate consequence of the war they protested. Claude must live with the knowledge that Berger died in his place.
Transformation
The final image mirrors the opening but inverted: instead of Claude arriving full of naive innocence, we see Berger's grave among thousands of identical markers. The transformation is tragic - the cost of the Vietnam War measured in lost potential and extinguished freedom. The age of Aquarius is buried in the ground.