Ishtar
Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the CIA, the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime.
The film box office disappointment against its moderate budget of $51.0M, earning $14.4M globally (-72% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the action genre.
1 win & 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%)
Ishtar (1987) reveals meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Elaine May's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 47 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.6, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Chuck and Lyle are struggling songwriters in New York, desperately trying to make it in show business with terrible songs and zero talent, representing their delusional dreams of stardom.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Their agent Marty somehow books them a gig in Morocco, a last-ditch opportunity that represents both their only chance at employment and their entry into a world far beyond their depth.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The CIA actively turns Chuck and Lyle against each other, manipulating them with false information about who is the "real spy," raising the stakes and destroying their trust—their only real asset in this dangerous world., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Chuck and Lyle are captured and face execution in the desert, representing the death of their dreams, their friendship, and potentially their lives—the ultimate consequence of their delusions finally catching up with them., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Chuck and Lyle use their unique brand of incompetent chaos to accidentally resolve the international crisis, save Shirra, outwit the CIA and arms dealers, and escape Morocco through sheer dumb luck and partnership., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Ishtar'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 Ishtar against these established plot points, we can identify how Elaine May utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Ishtar within the action genre.
Elaine May's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Elaine May films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Ishtar takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Elaine May filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Elaine May analyses, see The Heartbreak Kid, A New Leaf.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Chuck and Lyle are struggling songwriters in New York, desperately trying to make it in show business with terrible songs and zero talent, representing their delusional dreams of stardom.
Theme
Their agent Marty tells them "You guys are not good enough to be bad," establishing the theme of self-delusion versus harsh reality and the question of whether friendship and loyalty matter more than talent or success.
Worldbuilding
We see Chuck and Lyle's pathetic attempts at songwriting, their awful lounge performances, their deteriorating personal lives, and their agent's frustration with booking them anywhere, establishing their complete lack of talent but unwavering partnership.
Disruption
Their agent Marty somehow books them a gig in Morocco, a last-ditch opportunity that represents both their only chance at employment and their entry into a world far beyond their depth.
Resistance
Chuck and Lyle debate whether to take the Morocco gig, deal with visa issues, prepare for the trip, and receive warnings about the dangerous political situation in the region, though they're too naive to fully grasp the implications.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "promise of the premise"—two clueless lounge singers bumbling through the Moroccan desert, getting caught between the CIA, rebel forces, and arms dealers, delivering the fish-out-of-water comedy the audience came for.
Midpoint
The CIA actively turns Chuck and Lyle against each other, manipulating them with false information about who is the "real spy," raising the stakes and destroying their trust—their only real asset in this dangerous world.
Opposition
Chuck and Lyle are separated and manipulated by various factions, each making things worse through their incompetence, while the CIA, arms dealers, and rebels all close in, and their friendship fractures under pressure.
Collapse
Chuck and Lyle are captured and face execution in the desert, representing the death of their dreams, their friendship, and potentially their lives—the ultimate consequence of their delusions finally catching up with them.
Crisis
In captivity facing death, Chuck and Lyle confront their failures, their broken friendship, and the reality that their dreams were always illusions, processing whether anything they did together mattered.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Chuck and Lyle use their unique brand of incompetent chaos to accidentally resolve the international crisis, save Shirra, outwit the CIA and arms dealers, and escape Morocco through sheer dumb luck and partnership.