M*A*S*H
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war.
Despite its modest budget of $3.5M, M*A*S*H became a commercial juggernaut, earning $81.6M worldwide—a remarkable 2231% return. The film's distinctive approach found its audience, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
1 Oscar. 15 wins & 26 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%)
M*A*S*H (1970) showcases strategically placed dramatic framework, characteristic of Robert Altman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 56 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Hawkeye Pierce
Trapper John McIntyre
Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan
Major Frank Burns
Colonel Henry Blake
Father John Mulcahy
Corporal Walter 'Radar' O'Reilly
Captain Duke Forrest
Main Cast & Characters
Hawkeye Pierce
Played by Donald Sutherland
Irreverent, brilliant surgeon who uses humor and rebellion to cope with the horror of war.
Trapper John McIntyre
Played by Elliott Gould
Hawkeye's partner in crime, equally skilled surgeon and fellow rule-breaker.
Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan
Played by Sally Kellerman
By-the-book head nurse whose affair with Burns and rigid professionalism make her a target.
Major Frank Burns
Played by Robert Duvall
Incompetent, hypocritical surgeon who hides behind military protocol and religious piety.
Colonel Henry Blake
Played by Roger Bowen
Easygoing commanding officer more interested in fishing and golf than military discipline.
Father John Mulcahy
Played by René Auberjonois
Well-meaning but ineffectual chaplain who struggles to find relevance in the chaos.
Corporal Walter 'Radar' O'Reilly
Played by Gary Burghoff
Innocent, psychic company clerk who anticipates Blake's orders before he gives them.
Captain Duke Forrest
Played by Tom Skerritt
Third member of the Swamp trio, Southern surgeon who shares Hawkeye's irreverence.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Hawkeye Pierce and Duke Forrest arrive by helicopter at the 4077th M*A*S*H unit, stealing a jeep to report for duty. The chaotic, irreverent tone is established immediately as they navigate the warzone with casual disregard for protocol.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Frank Burns's incompetence and religious self-righteousness during surgery leads to a patient's death. Hawkeye and Trapper witness this and recognize Burns as a threat to their patients and their sanity, catalyzing their campaign against him.. 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.
The First Threshold at 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Frank Burns is provoked into a violent breakdown and is taken away in a straitjacket after attacking Hawkeye. This victory establishes that the surgeons can successfully subvert authority, committing them fully to their anarchic approach to military life., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The "Last Supper" scene where Painless the dentist believes he is impotent and wants to commit suicide. The camp stages an elaborate fake suicide ceremony complete with a black capsule, turning existential despair into dark comedy. This false defeat forces confrontation with death even in jest., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The shower tent prank on Hot Lips goes too far, exposing her naked to the entire camp. The cruelty beneath the comedy is laid bare, and the whiff of death here is metaphorical - the death of dignity and the line between necessary rebellion and simple bullying., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The decision to go all-in on the football game, recruiting a ringer and placing massive bets. Colonel Blake's participation signals institutional acceptance of the anarchic approach. The synthesis of chaos and order begins as even authority figures embrace the surgeons' methods., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
M*A*S*H'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 M*A*S*H against these established plot points, we can identify how Robert Altman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish M*A*S*H within the comedy genre.
Robert Altman's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Robert Altman films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. M*A*S*H represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Robert Altman filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Robert Altman analyses, see Cookie's Fortune, Dr. T & the Women and Nashville.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Hawkeye Pierce and Duke Forrest arrive by helicopter at the 4077th M*A*S*H unit, stealing a jeep to report for duty. The chaotic, irreverent tone is established immediately as they navigate the warzone with casual disregard for protocol.
Theme
Colonel Blake remarks on the madness of running a surgical hospital in a war zone, establishing that sanity can only be preserved through absurdity. The theme is reinforced: in the face of death and institutional insanity, irreverence is survival.
Worldbuilding
The 4077th M*A*S*H unit is established as a place of controlled chaos. We meet the ensemble: the uptight Frank Burns, the sexually repressed Hot Lips Houlihan, the ineffectual Colonel Blake, and the skilled but anarchic surgeons. The brutal reality of wartime surgery is shown alongside the gallows humor that makes it bearable.
Disruption
Frank Burns's incompetence and religious self-righteousness during surgery leads to a patient's death. Hawkeye and Trapper witness this and recognize Burns as a threat to their patients and their sanity, catalyzing their campaign against him.
Resistance
Hawkeye and Trapper debate how to handle Burns and the military bureaucracy. They employ increasingly elaborate pranks and psychological warfare, testing the boundaries of what they can get away with. Father Mulcahy provides spiritual guidance, though the surgeons guide themselves toward rebellion.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Frank Burns is provoked into a violent breakdown and is taken away in a straitjacket after attacking Hawkeye. This victory establishes that the surgeons can successfully subvert authority, committing them fully to their anarchic approach to military life.
Mirror World
The arrival of Trapper John's romantic subplot and the deepening bonds between the surgeons reveal the thematic counterpoint: genuine human connection and loyalty in contrast to the hollow authority of Burns and Hot Lips. The Mirror World is one of authentic relationships beneath the chaos.
Premise
The "fun and games" of M*A*S*H unfold in episodic vignettes: Trapper and Hawkeye go AWOL to Japan to perform surgery, the camp engages in sexual misadventures, golf games are played between emergencies, and the surgeons perfect their art of subverting every rule while saving lives.
Midpoint
The "Last Supper" scene where Painless the dentist believes he is impotent and wants to commit suicide. The camp stages an elaborate fake suicide ceremony complete with a black capsule, turning existential despair into dark comedy. This false defeat forces confrontation with death even in jest.
Opposition
Hot Lips Houlihan escalates her conflict with the surgeons, threatening to report them to headquarters. The pranks become crueler as the surgeons expose her affair with Burns over the PA system and humiliate her in the shower. The football game against a rival unit becomes a high-stakes obsession.
Collapse
The shower tent prank on Hot Lips goes too far, exposing her naked to the entire camp. The cruelty beneath the comedy is laid bare, and the whiff of death here is metaphorical - the death of dignity and the line between necessary rebellion and simple bullying.
Crisis
The aftermath of the shower prank leaves tension in the camp. Hot Lips demands to be transferred but instead transforms, eventually joining the surgeons' side. The unit prepares for the football game against the 325th Evac, channeling all tensions into the upcoming competition.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The decision to go all-in on the football game, recruiting a ringer and placing massive bets. Colonel Blake's participation signals institutional acceptance of the anarchic approach. The synthesis of chaos and order begins as even authority figures embrace the surgeons' methods.
Synthesis
The elaborate, chaotic football game serves as the finale, complete with a secretly recruited pro player, sedated opponents, and anarchic plays. The 4077th wins through the same combination of skill, cheating, and chaos that defines their surgical work. Even Hot Lips cheers for the team.
Transformation
Hawkeye and Duke receive their discharge orders and depart the same way they arrived - by stealing a jeep to get to a helicopter. The circular structure shows they are unchanged in method but transformed in bonds forged. The PA announcer reads credits like upcoming features, breaking the fourth wall.