Only the River Flows
1990s, Banpo Town, rural China. A woman's body is found by the river. Ma Zhe, Chief of the Criminal Police, heads up the murder investigation that leads to an obvious arrest. His superiors hurry to congratulate him, but several clues push Ma Zhe to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of his fellow citizens.
The film earned $42.7M 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%)
Only the River Flows (2023) demonstrates deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Wei Shujun's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 42 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Chief Ma Zhe patrols the gritty industrial riverside town in 1995, a respected police officer maintaining order in a declining community where everyone knows everyone.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when An elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her home, a shocking act of violence that shatters the town's fragile peace and demands Ma's immediate attention.. 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 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Ma chooses to arrest Wu despite nagging doubts about his guilt, committing himself to a path that will consume him as he crosses from dutiful investigator into obsessive truth-seeker., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A second murder occurs with similar characteristics, proving Wu could not be the killer and shattering Ma's certainty. What seemed like a closed case reveals itself as something far more complex and disturbing., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 76 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ma is removed from the case by his superiors and faces professional disgrace. His marriage crumbles, and he realizes his obsessive pursuit of truth has cost him everything, yet the killer remains free., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Ma discovers or realizes a final piece of information about the case, understanding that the truth may be different from justice, and chooses to take one last action despite knowing it may be futile., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Only the River Flows's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Only the River Flows against these established plot points, we can identify how Wei Shujun utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Only the River Flows within the thriller genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include Eye for an Eye, Lake Placid and Operation Finale.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Chief Ma Zhe patrols the gritty industrial riverside town in 1995, a respected police officer maintaining order in a declining community where everyone knows everyone.
Theme
A colleague warns Ma that "the more you look, the less you see" when discussing investigative work, hinting at the film's exploration of obsession and truth's elusiveness.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the economically depressed river town, Ma's position as police chief, his relationships with colleagues and wife, and the social dynamics of mid-90s provincial China.
Disruption
An elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her home, a shocking act of violence that shatters the town's fragile peace and demands Ma's immediate attention.
Resistance
Ma investigates the crime scene, interviews witnesses, and identifies a suspect - a mentally disabled young man named Wu. Ma debates the certainty of the evidence and pressure from superiors to close the case quickly.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Ma chooses to arrest Wu despite nagging doubts about his guilt, committing himself to a path that will consume him as he crosses from dutiful investigator into obsessive truth-seeker.
Mirror World
Ma's wife expresses concern about his growing preoccupation with the case, representing the domestic life and emotional balance he begins to neglect in his pursuit.
Premise
Ma continues investigating even after Wu's arrest, uncovering inconsistencies and new suspects. He descends deeper into the murky world of the case, exploring connections between victims, suspects, and the town's dark underbelly.
Midpoint
A second murder occurs with similar characteristics, proving Wu could not be the killer and shattering Ma's certainty. What seemed like a closed case reveals itself as something far more complex and disturbing.
Opposition
Ma faces mounting pressure from authorities to stop investigating, resistance from the community, and deterioration of his marriage. His obsession intensifies as the case grows more convoluted and his grasp on certainty slips away.
Collapse
Ma is removed from the case by his superiors and faces professional disgrace. His marriage crumbles, and he realizes his obsessive pursuit of truth has cost him everything, yet the killer remains free.
Crisis
Ma spirals into isolation and despair, haunted by the unsolved murders and his failures. He confronts the possibility that some truths cannot be known and that his faith in justice was misplaced.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Ma discovers or realizes a final piece of information about the case, understanding that the truth may be different from justice, and chooses to take one last action despite knowing it may be futile.
Synthesis
Ma confronts the ambiguous resolution of the case, accepting the limits of his power and knowledge. The investigation reaches its inconclusive end, reflecting the film's meditation on unknowability and obsession.
Transformation
Ma stands by the river, fundamentally changed - no longer the confident officer from the opening but a man who has learned that certainty is an illusion and that the river flows on regardless of truth.