I'm Not There
Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan's music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the artist becoming someone else. Jack, the son of Ramblin' Jack Elliott, finds Jesus; handsome Robbie falls in love then abandons Claire. Woody, a lad escaped from foster care, hobos the U.S. singing; Billy awakes in a valley threatened by a six-lane highway; Rimbaud talks. Jude, booed at Newport when he goes electric, fences with reporters, pundits, and fans. He won't be classified.
The film box office disappointment against its moderate budget of $20.0M, earning $4.0M globally (-80% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its bold vision within the biography genre.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 29 wins & 49 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%)
I'm Not There (2007) exhibits precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Todd Haynes's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 15 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Young Woody (Marcus Carl Franklin) riding the rails as a Black child hobo playing guitar. Establishes the central motif: identity as performance, reinvention as survival.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Jude Quinn arrives in London, 1966. The confrontation with folk purists begins - "Judas!" The disruption: success demands he become what others need him to be, not what he is.. 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.
At 68 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Jude's breakdown intensifies - the press conference where he gives absurdist non-answers. False defeat: the persona is fracturing under pressure. The performance is eating the performer alive., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 99 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jude's complete breakdown - hospitalization implied, the persona cannot continue. Whiff of death: the death of the "electric Dylan" persona. Robbie's marriage ends. The cost of performance becomes unbearable., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 108 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Resolution across timelines. Woody continues his journey. Robbie finds peace in separation. Arthur remains hidden. Jude disappears into myth. The finale synthesizes: there is no single "Bob Dylan," only the constant reinvention., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
I'm Not There's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping I'm Not There against these established plot points, we can identify how Todd Haynes utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish I'm Not There within the biography genre.
Todd Haynes's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Todd Haynes films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. I'm Not There takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Todd Haynes filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Todd Haynes analyses, see Far from Heaven, Carol and Dark Waters.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Young Woody (Marcus Carl Franklin) riding the rails as a Black child hobo playing guitar. Establishes the central motif: identity as performance, reinvention as survival.
Theme
Interview subject states: "He was born in 1941... no, wait, he made that up too." The film's thesis: all identity is constructed narrative, especially for artists.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the six personas intercut: Woody (folk origins), Robbie (actor/celebrity), Jude (electric controversy), Jack (poet prophet), Billy (outlaw), Arthur (recluse). Each represents a different Dylan era/aspect.
Disruption
Jude Quinn arrives in London, 1966. The confrontation with folk purists begins - "Judas!" The disruption: success demands he become what others need him to be, not what he is.
Resistance
Multiple storylines show the cost of fame and authenticity. Robbie's marriage crumbles under celebrity. Jack wrestles with being labeled "voice of a generation." Woody faces racism despite his talent. Each persona debates their identity.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of being Bob Dylan: wild London parties, artistic freedom, romantic entanglements, creative peak. Jude's psychedelic excess, Robbie's film career, Jack's poetry. The promise: freedom through reinvention.
Midpoint
Jude's breakdown intensifies - the press conference where he gives absurdist non-answers. False defeat: the persona is fracturing under pressure. The performance is eating the performer alive.
Opposition
All personas face consequences. Jude spirals into drugs and paranoia. Robbie's marriage to Claire disintegrates. Billy the outlaw is hunted. Arthur retreats into hiding. The pressure of being "Bob Dylan" becomes unbearable across all timelines.
Collapse
Jude's complete breakdown - hospitalization implied, the persona cannot continue. Whiff of death: the death of the "electric Dylan" persona. Robbie's marriage ends. The cost of performance becomes unbearable.
Crisis
Dark night across all timelines. Arthur Rimbaud isolated in his basement. Billy wounded and wandering. Robbie alone. The personas process the impossibility of reconciling public myth with private self.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Resolution across timelines. Woody continues his journey. Robbie finds peace in separation. Arthur remains hidden. Jude disappears into myth. The finale synthesizes: there is no single "Bob Dylan," only the constant reinvention.