No Tears for the Dead
A hitman accidentally kills a little girl. Filled with regret, he wants to quit. But then to tie up loose ends, he is forced to go on another job, to kill the girl's mother.
The film earned $4.5M at the global box office.
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%)
No Tears for the Dead (2014) exemplifies carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Lee Jeong-beom's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 57 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.6, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Gon, a Korean-American hitman, completes a routine assassination in Los Angeles, living a cold, emotionally detached existence as a professional killer working for a crime syndicate.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when During a hit, Gon accidentally kills an innocent young girl in the crossfire. This mistake shatters his emotional detachment and awakens his long-buried conscience and humanity.. 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 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Gon accepts the mission to go to Korea and confront Mo-gyeong, choosing to face the consequences of his actions rather than run away, though his true intentions remain unclear even to himself., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Mo-gyeong discovers that Gon killed her daughter. The truth is revealed, and instead of killing her, Gon confesses. Their relationship shifts from anonymous strangers to victim and perpetrator confronting each other directly., 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, Gon is severely wounded protecting Mo-gyeong, nearly dying from his injuries. He believes he has failed to save her and that his death will be meaningless, unable to atone for killing her daughter., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Gon launches a final assault on the crime syndicate, using all his skills as an assassin not for profit but for protection. He systematically eliminates the threats to Mo-gyeong in a brutal, cathartic finale, accepting his own likely death., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
No Tears for the Dead's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping No Tears for the Dead against these established plot points, we can identify how Lee Jeong-beom utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish No Tears for the Dead within the action genre.
Lee Jeong-beom's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Lee Jeong-beom films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. No Tears for the Dead takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Lee Jeong-beom filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Lee Jeong-beom analyses, see The Man from Nowhere.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Gon, a Korean-American hitman, completes a routine assassination in Los Angeles, living a cold, emotionally detached existence as a professional killer working for a crime syndicate.
Theme
Gon's handler mentions that "some debts can never be repaid" when discussing his obligation to the crime boss who raised him, establishing the theme of guilt, redemption, and the impossibility of erasing the past.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Gon's life as a hitman in LA, his reliance on alcohol and drugs to numb his emotions, his relationship with his crime syndicate handlers, and the professional world of contract killing he inhabits.
Disruption
During a hit, Gon accidentally kills an innocent young girl in the crossfire. This mistake shatters his emotional detachment and awakens his long-buried conscience and humanity.
Resistance
Gon spirals into guilt and self-destruction while his crime boss orders him to return to Korea to eliminate witnesses, including the dead girl's mother, Mo-gyeong. Gon wrestles with whether he can continue killing.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Gon accepts the mission to go to Korea and confront Mo-gyeong, choosing to face the consequences of his actions rather than run away, though his true intentions remain unclear even to himself.
Mirror World
Gon observes Mo-gyeong from a distance, watching her grieve for her daughter. She becomes his thematic mirror—a person destroyed by his violence, representing the human cost of his actions and the redemption he seeks.
Premise
Gon shadows Mo-gyeong while delaying his kill order, even protecting her from other assassins sent by the syndicate. The cat-and-mouse game explores his internal conflict between his killer instinct and his emerging desire for redemption.
Midpoint
Mo-gyeong discovers that Gon killed her daughter. The truth is revealed, and instead of killing her, Gon confesses. Their relationship shifts from anonymous strangers to victim and perpetrator confronting each other directly.
Opposition
The crime syndicate escalates their efforts to eliminate both Gon and Mo-gyeong. Gon fully commits to protecting her despite her hatred of him. The body count rises as Gon battles his former allies while Mo-gyeong grapples with her desire for vengeance.
Collapse
Gon is severely wounded protecting Mo-gyeong, nearly dying from his injuries. He believes he has failed to save her and that his death will be meaningless, unable to atone for killing her daughter.
Crisis
Gon recovers in hiding while Mo-gyeong tends to him. In their darkest moment, they share their pain—her loss and his guilt. Mo-gyeong faces the choice of whether to forgive or seek revenge.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Gon launches a final assault on the crime syndicate, using all his skills as an assassin not for profit but for protection. He systematically eliminates the threats to Mo-gyeong in a brutal, cathartic finale, accepting his own likely death.
Transformation
Mortally wounded, Gon watches Mo-gyeong from a distance one final time, seeing her survive and move forward. He has transformed from emotionless killer to someone capable of sacrifice, though his redemption is bittersweet and incomplete.