Miller's Crossing

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Tom Reagan sits in Leo's office as Johnny Caspar complains about Bernie Bernbaum. Tom is Leo's trusted advisor, living off his wits in Prohibition-era gang politics, maintaining balance through clever counsel.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Johnny Caspar openly defies Leo, declaring he'll kill Bernie with or without permission. This breaks the political order Tom has been maintaining. The disruption isn't Tom's choice - it's Caspar's declaration of war that shatters the status quo.. 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 reveals the protagonist's commitment to Tom makes an active choice to approach Johnny Caspar and offer his services as an informant against Leo. This is his irreversible decision to cross into Act 2 - switching sides in the gang war, entering a world of deeper deception and danger., moving from reaction to action.

At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Caspar orders Tom to kill Bernie at Miller's Crossing to prove his loyalty. Tom takes Bernie to the woods but cannot kill him - a false defeat. He lets Bernie go and fakes the murder. The stakes raise dramatically: Tom is now committed to an elaborate deception that could get him killed if discovered., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Bernie reveals he killed Caspar's son (Caspar's adopted son was Eddie Dane's lover who Bernie murdered). Tom realizes Bernie has been playing everyone and is more dangerous than anyone suspected. Tom's "whiff of death": the moral death of his illusions - he must kill Bernie or be destroyed., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Tom synthesizes everything: he stages an elaborate plan to turn Caspar and Eddie Dane against each other while positioning himself to execute Bernie. He uses the information about Eddie and Caspar's son to trigger the final confrontation. Tom finds clarity in accepting his role., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.