Havana
Cuba, December 1958: The professional gambler Jack visits Havana to organize a big Poker game. On the ship he meets Roberta and falls in love with her. Shortly after they arrive in Cuba, Roberta and her Cuban husband, the revolutionary Arturo, are arrested and tortured. Arturo is reported "shot while trying to escape," but Jack manages to get Roberta free again. He can't, however, keep her from continuing to support the revolution. Jack has to make a choice between the beautiful woman who keeps putting herself in harm's way and the biggest poker game of his life; between the man he could be and the man he is.
The film box office disappointment against its moderate budget of $40.0M, earning $9.2M globally (-77% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the drama genre.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 3 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%)
Havana (1990) showcases deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Sydney Pollack's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 24 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The inciting incident occurs at 18 minutes when Jack meets Bobby Duran and his wife Roberta at a party, becoming instantly attracted to her despite his policy of non-involvement, beginning an emotional disruption to his carefully controlled life.. 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 37 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Jack actively chooses to pursue Roberta, crossing the line from observer to participant, beginning an affair that will force him to engage with both love and the political realities he's avoided., moving from reaction to action.
At 72 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Bobby discovers the affair or the political situation intensifies dramatically, raising the stakes and forcing Jack to confront that he can no longer maintain his position of detached neutrality., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 108 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Bobby is killed or the revolution reaches its climax with devastating personal consequences, representing the death of Jack's illusion that he can have love without commitment or remain uninvolved in the larger world., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 116 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jack realizes he must act with genuine commitment rather than calculation, choosing to help Roberta or take a stand even though the outcome is uncertain and may cost him everything., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Havana's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Havana against these established plot points, we can identify how Sydney Pollack utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Havana within the drama genre.
Sydney Pollack's Structural Approach
Among the 13 Sydney Pollack films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Havana takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Sydney Pollack filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Sydney Pollack analyses, see Tootsie, The Interpreter and Three Days of the Condor.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupTheme
A character warns Jack that "nobody can stay neutral forever" in Cuba, foreshadowing his inevitable emotional and political awakening in a country on the brink of revolution.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of 1958 Havana on the eve of Castro's revolution: Jack navigates the gambling world, meets various players and hustlers, and we see the luxury and corruption of Batista's regime alongside growing revolutionary tensions.
Disruption
Jack meets Bobby Duran and his wife Roberta at a party, becoming instantly attracted to her despite his policy of non-involvement, beginning an emotional disruption to his carefully controlled life.
Resistance
Jack debates pursuing Roberta while learning about Bobby's revolutionary sympathies and the couple's troubled marriage. He attempts to maintain his apolitical stance while becoming increasingly drawn into their world.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jack actively chooses to pursue Roberta, crossing the line from observer to participant, beginning an affair that will force him to engage with both love and the political realities he's avoided.
Mirror World
Roberta represents the thematic counterpoint to Jack's detachment: she is passionately committed to her ideals and marriage despite its problems, embodying the engagement and risk Jack has avoided.
Premise
The romance between Jack and Roberta deepens against the backdrop of revolutionary Havana. Jack experiences passion and connection while still playing high-stakes poker, enjoying the promise of love without fully committing.
Midpoint
Bobby discovers the affair or the political situation intensifies dramatically, raising the stakes and forcing Jack to confront that he can no longer maintain his position of detached neutrality.
Opposition
The revolution intensifies, Batista's regime crumbles, and Jack faces increasing pressure from all sides. His relationship with Roberta becomes more complicated as political and personal loyalties collide.
Collapse
Bobby is killed or the revolution reaches its climax with devastating personal consequences, representing the death of Jack's illusion that he can have love without commitment or remain uninvolved in the larger world.
Crisis
Jack processes the loss and the collapse of the Havana he knew, facing his own complicity and the cost of his previous detachment, wrestling with who he wants to be.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jack realizes he must act with genuine commitment rather than calculation, choosing to help Roberta or take a stand even though the outcome is uncertain and may cost him everything.
Synthesis
Jack takes decisive action as Havana falls, attempting to secure Roberta's safety or future, finally engaging fully with both his emotions and the political reality, using his skills in service of something beyond himself.
Transformation
Jack departs Havana alone, transformed from a detached gambler into someone capable of love and commitment, having learned that neutrality is impossible and that some things are worth the risk, even in loss.