Late Autumn
Anna learns in prison that her mother has passed away in Seattle. Prison officials grants Anna a three day furlough to attend her mother's funeral. Anna embarks on a long trip to Seattle. Hoon is a Korean immigrant who works as a gigolo. Hoon is now on the run from a wealthy client's furious husband. These two seemingly lost souls are about to share three memorable days together.
The film disappointed at the box office against its small-scale budget of $6.2M, earning $4.8M globally (-22% loss).
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%)
Late Autumn (2011) demonstrates meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Kim Tae-yong's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 53 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Anna Chen is shown in prison, isolated and emotionally numb, serving time for murder. Her cold, withdrawn demeanor establishes her as someone cut off from life and connection.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when On the bus to Seattle, Anna meets Hoon, a charming Korean man who immediately shows interest in her. His playful, persistent attention disrupts her emotional armor and introduces the possibility of human connection.. 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 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Anna chooses to accept Hoon's company and opens up slightly, agreeing to spend time with him during her brief furlough. This active choice to engage with another person marks her entrance into an emotional journey., moving from reaction to action.
At 55 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Anna and Hoon share an intimate moment and confess deeper feelings for each other. This false victory suggests they might overcome their circumstances, but the ticking clock of her furlough raises stakes - their time together is running out., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Anna's furlough time expires. She must return to prison, and their relationship seems doomed. The death of her mother mirrors the death of this brief connection and the hope it represented. Anna faces returning to her isolated existence., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Anna and Hoon realize that even if they cannot be together, the connection they shared has changed them both. They choose to part with honesty and hope rather than bitterness, synthesizing acceptance of reality with the emotional growth they've experienced., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Late Autumn's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Late Autumn against these established plot points, we can identify how Kim Tae-yong utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Late Autumn 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 Chen is shown in prison, isolated and emotionally numb, serving time for murder. Her cold, withdrawn demeanor establishes her as someone cut off from life and connection.
Theme
A prison official or fellow inmate mentions that 'sometimes you have to leave the past behind to move forward,' foreshadowing Anna's journey toward emotional redemption and the possibility of connection.
Worldbuilding
Anna receives news of her mother's death and is granted 72-hour furlough to attend the funeral in Seattle. We see her controlled emotions, her estrangement from family, and the weight of her incarceration. The setup establishes her isolation and the temporary nature of her freedom.
Disruption
On the bus to Seattle, Anna meets Hoon, a charming Korean man who immediately shows interest in her. His playful, persistent attention disrupts her emotional armor and introduces the possibility of human connection.
Resistance
Anna resists Hoon's advances and attempts to maintain her emotional distance. They spend time together in Seattle as Hoon offers to help her, but she debates whether to trust him or remain closed off. Her internal conflict between isolation and connection plays out.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Anna chooses to accept Hoon's company and opens up slightly, agreeing to spend time with him during her brief furlough. This active choice to engage with another person marks her entrance into an emotional journey.
Mirror World
Hoon reveals his own story as a gigolo and immigrant struggling with identity and belonging. Their relationship becomes the mirror world - two damaged people finding unexpected connection, embodying the theme of redemption through human connection.
Premise
Anna and Hoon explore Seattle together over the 72 hours. They share meals, walk through the autumn city, and gradually reveal their pasts. The premise of 'two strangers finding connection in limited time' unfolds with quiet intimacy and growing emotional vulnerability.
Midpoint
Anna and Hoon share an intimate moment and confess deeper feelings for each other. This false victory suggests they might overcome their circumstances, but the ticking clock of her furlough raises stakes - their time together is running out.
Opposition
Reality closes in: Anna must attend her mother's funeral where family tensions surface, revealing the circumstances of her crime. Hoon has obligations to his clients. The outside world intrudes on their fragile connection, and the impossibility of their situation becomes clearer.
Collapse
Anna's furlough time expires. She must return to prison, and their relationship seems doomed. The death of her mother mirrors the death of this brief connection and the hope it represented. Anna faces returning to her isolated existence.
Crisis
Anna and Hoon separately process the inevitable separation. Anna withdraws emotionally, preparing to return to her numb state. Hoon contemplates whether their connection was real or another temporary transaction like his work. Both face their dark night of isolation.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Anna and Hoon realize that even if they cannot be together, the connection they shared has changed them both. They choose to part with honesty and hope rather than bitterness, synthesizing acceptance of reality with the emotional growth they've experienced.
Synthesis
Anna returns to the bus station to go back to prison. Hoon accompanies her for a final goodbye. They share their last moments together, acknowledging what they meant to each other. The finale is quiet and bittersweet, resolving their relationship with mature acceptance.
Transformation
Anna boards the bus back to prison, but unlike the opening, she is no longer emotionally dead. She looks out the window with tears and a faint smile - transformed by connection, carrying hope and humanity back into captivity. She has learned to feel again.