Leaving Las Vegas
Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.
Despite its small-scale budget of $3.6M, Leaving Las Vegas became a runaway success, earning $49.8M worldwide—a remarkable 1283% return. The film's distinctive approach engaged audiences, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
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%)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) demonstrates carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Mike Figgis's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 51 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ben drinks heavily at a business meeting, hiding bottles in his desk. His alcoholism has consumed his life - he's lost his family and is spiraling in Los Angeles.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Ben is fired from his screenwriting job. He burns his possessions and empties his bank account, making an active decision: he will go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.. 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 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Ben arrives in Las Vegas and checks into a motel. He fully enters the world where he will live out his final days, crossing into Act 2 and the premise of drinking himself to death., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ben, in a drunken state, brings another woman to Sera's home. Sera breaks down and asks him to leave. Their relationship - the only thing sustaining either of them - collapses. Ben is alone again with his death wish., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Ben calls Sera from a different motel. Despite everything, Sera chooses to go to him. She realizes the only gift she can give him is acceptance in his final moments. She crosses the threshold of truly letting go., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Leaving Las Vegas's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Leaving Las Vegas against these established plot points, we can identify how Mike Figgis utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Leaving Las Vegas within the drama genre.
Mike Figgis's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Mike Figgis films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Leaving Las Vegas takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Mike Figgis filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Mike Figgis analyses, see Cold Creek Manor, Internal Affairs.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ben drinks heavily at a business meeting, hiding bottles in his desk. His alcoholism has consumed his life - he's lost his family and is spiraling in Los Angeles.
Theme
A colleague or bartender observes Ben's drinking, touching on the film's theme: the impossibility of saving someone who doesn't want to be saved, and accepting people as they are.
Worldbuilding
Ben's world in LA collapses around him. He's fired from his job, alienated from his family, and his only relationship is with alcohol. We see his daily ritual of drinking and his complete inability to function without it.
Disruption
Ben is fired from his screenwriting job. He burns his possessions and empties his bank account, making an active decision: he will go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.
Resistance
Ben prepares for his final journey. He sells his belongings, says goodbye to his old life, and drives to Las Vegas with a car full of liquor. There's no debate - he's committed to his death wish.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Ben arrives in Las Vegas and checks into a motel. He fully enters the world where he will live out his final days, crossing into Act 2 and the premise of drinking himself to death.
Premise
Ben and Sera develop an unlikely relationship. They establish their arrangement: she won't ask him to stop drinking, he won't criticize her work. They find comfort in each other despite their broken lives. This is the "promise of the premise" - two damaged souls accepting each other.
Opposition
Ben's drinking accelerates catastrophically. Sera faces her own crisis when her pimp beats her and she becomes more isolated. The pressure builds on both of them. Ben's physical deterioration becomes severe, and Sera struggles to maintain her promise not to ask him to stop.
Collapse
Ben, in a drunken state, brings another woman to Sera's home. Sera breaks down and asks him to leave. Their relationship - the only thing sustaining either of them - collapses. Ben is alone again with his death wish.
Crisis
Both Ben and Sera experience their dark night. Sera is brutally raped by college boys. Ben, nearly dead, is evicted from his motel. They are at their lowest points, separated and broken.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Ben calls Sera from a different motel. Despite everything, Sera chooses to go to him. She realizes the only gift she can give him is acceptance in his final moments. She crosses the threshold of truly letting go.
Synthesis
Sera finds Ben dying in a cheap motel. She lies with him in bed, holding him. There's no salvation, no last-minute rescue. She simply loves him as he is, accepting his choice. They make love one final time, and Ben dies in her arms.
Transformation
Sera sits with her therapist, recounting the story. She says Ben told her he loved her. She's transformed through grief and acceptance - she loved someone completely without trying to change them, and was loved in return. The final image mirrors the opening but shows her emotional journey.