My Way
A biopic of French pop star Claude Francois, most famous for co-writing the song 'My Way'. Tracing his life from childhood in Egypt through success in France to his untimely death in Paris in 1978.
Working with a moderate budget of $27.6M, the film achieved a steady performer with $29.2M in global revenue (+6% profit margin).
3 wins & 7 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%)
My Way (2012) showcases carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Florent-Emilio Siri's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jun-shik works as a rickshaw runner in Japanese-occupied Seoul, dreaming of becoming a marathon champion while living under colonial oppression and class hierarchy.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 18 minutes when Jun-shik defeats Tatsuo in the qualifying race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but is then forcibly disqualified by Japanese officials, stripping him of his dream and deepening the rivalry.. 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 37 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Jun-shik and Tatsuo are deployed to the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia, crossing from their former lives as athletes into the brutal reality of combat on the front lines of the Soviet-Japanese border conflict., moving from reaction to action.
At 74 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat False defeat: Captured by the Soviets and sent to a labor camp, Jun-shik and Tatsuo face execution. Their running rivalry is now a survival tool as they are forced to compete for their lives in increasingly desperate circumstances., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 111 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, During the D-Day invasion at Normandy Beach, Tatsuo is mortally wounded. The "whiff of death" is literal as Jun-shik holds his former rival-turned-brother, watching him die on a foreign beach fighting for an army neither chose., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 118 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jun-shik survives the war and returns to Korea. The finale shows him finally running in a post-war marathon, carrying the memory of Tatsuo and all they endured, proving that the finish line matters more than the start., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
My Way's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping My Way against these established plot points, we can identify how Florent-Emilio Siri utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish My Way within the biography genre.
Florent-Emilio Siri's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Florent-Emilio Siri films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. My Way represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Florent-Emilio Siri filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Florent-Emilio Siri analyses, see Hostage.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jun-shik works as a rickshaw runner in Japanese-occupied Seoul, dreaming of becoming a marathon champion while living under colonial oppression and class hierarchy.
Theme
Jun-shik's grandfather tells him that a man's worth isn't determined by where he starts but where he finishes, establishing the theme of dignity and perseverance through impossible circumstances.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of 1928 Seoul under Japanese occupation, the rivalry between Korean Jun-shik and Japanese officer's son Tatsuo, both competitive runners separated by nationality and class but connected by their passion for running.
Disruption
Jun-shik defeats Tatsuo in the qualifying race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but is then forcibly disqualified by Japanese officials, stripping him of his dream and deepening the rivalry.
Resistance
Years pass into WWII era. Jun-shik is conscripted into the Japanese Kwantung Army while Tatsuo becomes an officer. Both are thrust into the machinery of war, their athletic rivalry now playing out in a deadly military context.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jun-shik and Tatsuo are deployed to the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia, crossing from their former lives as athletes into the brutal reality of combat on the front lines of the Soviet-Japanese border conflict.
Mirror World
In the chaos of battle, Jun-shik saves Tatsuo's life despite their enmity, introducing the central relationship that will carry the theme of shared humanity transcending national and class divisions.
Premise
The "war movie promise": brutal combat sequences as Jun-shik and Tatsuo are captured by Soviets, forced to fight in the Red Army, then recaptured by Germans and forced to fight for the Wehrmacht, becoming unwilling soldiers in multiple armies.
Midpoint
False defeat: Captured by the Soviets and sent to a labor camp, Jun-shik and Tatsuo face execution. Their running rivalry is now a survival tool as they are forced to compete for their lives in increasingly desperate circumstances.
Opposition
Pressed into the German army and sent to Normandy, the two face the D-Day invasion. Opposition intensifies as they fight on the wrong side of history, their bond deepening while external forces conspire to destroy them.
Collapse
During the D-Day invasion at Normandy Beach, Tatsuo is mortally wounded. The "whiff of death" is literal as Jun-shik holds his former rival-turned-brother, watching him die on a foreign beach fighting for an army neither chose.
Crisis
Jun-shik processes the loss of Tatsuo and reflects on their journey from rivals to brothers. He contemplates the meaning of their suffering and the futility of the hatred that divided them for so long.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Jun-shik survives the war and returns to Korea. The finale shows him finally running in a post-war marathon, carrying the memory of Tatsuo and all they endured, proving that the finish line matters more than the start.