Ida
Poland, 1962. Anna, an orphan brought up by nuns in the convent, is a novice. She has to see Wanda, the only living relative, before she takes her vows. Wanda tells Anna about her Jewish roots. Both women start a journey not only to find their family's tragic story, but to see who they really are and where they belong. They question what they used to believe in.
Despite its tight budget of $1.0M, Ida became a runaway success, earning $15.3M worldwide—a remarkable 1430% return. The film's innovative storytelling engaged audiences, confirming that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
1 Oscar. 69 wins & 92 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%)
Ida (2013) exhibits meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Paweł Pawlikowski's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 22 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 Anna, a young novice nun in 1960s Poland, tends to a statue of Jesus in the convent. Her quiet, ordered life of prayer and devotion is shown in stark, composed frames - a world of spiritual certainty and ritual.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 9 minutes when Anna meets her aunt Wanda, who reveals the shattering truth: "You're Jewish. Your real name is Ida Lebenstein. Your parents were killed during the war." Anna's entire identity is disrupted in a single conversation.. 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 First Threshold at 19 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Anna makes the active choice to travel with Wanda to their family's village to find the graves of her parents. She leaves the safety of her monastic identity to confront her Jewish heritage and family history., moving from reaction to action.
At 41 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat They locate Szymon Skiba, the son of the man who sheltered then betrayed their family. He reveals he knows where the bodies are buried. The false defeat: he won't tell them immediately, but the truth is within reach and it will be devastating., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 54 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Wanda commits suicide by jumping from her apartment window. The literal "whiff of death." Unable to live with her past as "Red Wanda" who sent people to their deaths and the murder of her sister's family, she chooses oblivion., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 62 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 75% of the runtime. After Lis offers her a conventional life together, Anna asks: "And then what?" She sees the emptiness in the secular path just as clearly as she now understands the weight of her religious calling. The synthesis: she must choose with full knowledge of both worlds., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Ida's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Ida against these established plot points, we can identify how Paweł Pawlikowski utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Ida within the drama genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Anna, a young novice nun in 1960s Poland, tends to a statue of Jesus in the convent. Her quiet, ordered life of prayer and devotion is shown in stark, composed frames - a world of spiritual certainty and ritual.
Theme
The Mother Superior tells Anna: "You have to see your family before you take your vows." The theme of confronting one's true identity and past before making irreversible commitments is stated.
Worldbuilding
The convent's austere beauty is established. Anna prepares to leave, interacting with other nuns. The rigidity and safety of her cloistered world is presented through Pawlikowski's distinctive square framing and stark black-and-white cinematography.
Disruption
Anna meets her aunt Wanda, who reveals the shattering truth: "You're Jewish. Your real name is Ida Lebenstein. Your parents were killed during the war." Anna's entire identity is disrupted in a single conversation.
Resistance
Wanda, a hard-drinking former Communist state prosecutor, becomes Anna's reluctant guide. Anna debates whether to pursue this knowledge or return to the convent. Wanda pushes her to learn the truth about their family's fate.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Anna makes the active choice to travel with Wanda to their family's village to find the graves of her parents. She leaves the safety of her monastic identity to confront her Jewish heritage and family history.
Mirror World
Anna encounters a young saxophone player, Lis, who represents worldly experience and sensuality - everything her convent life is not. He embodies the secular, lived life that contrasts with her spiritual abstraction.
Premise
Anna and Wanda journey through Poland, questioning witnesses and piecing together what happened to their family. Anna experiences music, alcohol, and flirtation. The promise of the premise: a nun discovering her Jewish identity and the truth of the Holocaust.
Midpoint
They locate Szymon Skiba, the son of the man who sheltered then betrayed their family. He reveals he knows where the bodies are buried. The false defeat: he won't tell them immediately, but the truth is within reach and it will be devastating.
Opposition
Szymon finally confesses that his father killed Anna's family and buried them. They exhume the bodies from beneath his barn. The weight of this truth - that neighbors murdered them for their property - crushes both women differently.
Collapse
Wanda commits suicide by jumping from her apartment window. The literal "whiff of death." Unable to live with her past as "Red Wanda" who sent people to their deaths and the murder of her sister's family, she chooses oblivion.
Crisis
Anna processes her aunt's death and buries her family. She puts on Wanda's clothes, smokes, drinks, and goes to hear Lis play. She experiences sensuality and sexuality for the first time, spending the night with him - a dark night of experimenting with a secular life.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
After Lis offers her a conventional life together, Anna asks: "And then what?" She sees the emptiness in the secular path just as clearly as she now understands the weight of her religious calling. The synthesis: she must choose with full knowledge of both worlds.
Synthesis
Anna leaves Lis and Wanda's apartment. She walks through the city, carrying her experience and knowledge. The finale is internal: integration of her identity as both Ida and Anna, both Jewish and Catholic, both innocent and knowing.
Transformation
Anna walks along a tree-lined road toward the convent, carrying her small suitcase. Unlike the opening, she returns transformed - no longer naive, having confronted her identity and chosen her faith with full awareness of what she's choosing and what she's renouncing.