Rob Roy
In the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future, by borrowing money from the local nobility to buy cattle to herd to market. When the money is stolen, Rob is forced into a Robin Hood lifestyle to defend his family and honour.
Working with a respectable budget of $28.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $31.6M in global revenue (+13% profit margin).
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 5 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%)
Rob Roy (1995) exhibits deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Michael Caton-Jones's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 19 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Robert Roy MacGregor
Archibald Cunningham
Mary MacGregor
Marquis of Montrose
Killearn
Alasdair MacGregor
Duke of Argyll
Main Cast & Characters
Robert Roy MacGregor
Played by Liam Neeson
Honorable Scottish clan leader fighting to protect his family and honor against corrupt nobility in 18th century Scotland.
Archibald Cunningham
Played by Tim Roth
Effete, sadistic swordsman and enforcer for the Marquis of Montrose, representing corrupted aristocracy.
Mary MacGregor
Played by Jessica Lange
Rob Roy's resilient wife who demonstrates fierce strength and loyalty through devastating trials.
Marquis of Montrose
Played by John Hurt
Powerful Scottish nobleman who uses his position to manipulate and exploit those beneath him.
Killearn
Played by Brian Cox
The Marquis's factor and debt collector who serves as an opportunistic middle manager of oppression.
Alasdair MacGregor
Played by Eric Stoltz
Rob Roy's trusted friend and clan member who is betrayed and murdered while carrying borrowed money.
Duke of Argyll
Played by Andrew Keir
Powerful nobleman and potential ally who represents a more honorable form of aristocratic authority.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Rob Roy herds cattle through the Scottish Highlands with his sons, establishing him as a proud clan leader living honorably in his ancestral land.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Rob Roy borrows £1,000 from Montrose to buy cattle for his clan. This loan, though intended to help his people, sets the tragedy in motion.. 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 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Alan MacDonald is murdered and the £1,000 is stolen by Cunningham. Rob Roy becomes a wanted man, unable to repay Montrose, forced to become an outlaw to survive., moving from reaction to action.
At 68 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Cunningham rapes Mary while Rob Roy is away. This brutal violation raises the stakes to the personal and irreversible, transforming the conflict from financial to existential., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 102 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Rob Roy is captured and imprisoned. Mary reveals her rape and possible pregnancy by Cunningham. Rob Roy faces execution, having lost everything—freedom, honor, and the sanctity of his family., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 110 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Killearn, conscience-stricken, confesses to Montrose that Cunningham stole the money. Montrose offers Rob Roy freedom through trial by combat against Cunningham—a chance to reclaim honor through strength., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Rob Roy'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 Rob Roy against these established plot points, we can identify how Michael Caton-Jones utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Rob Roy within the adventure genre.
Michael Caton-Jones's Structural Approach
Among the 5 Michael Caton-Jones films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Rob Roy represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Michael Caton-Jones filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Michael Caton-Jones analyses, see The Jackal, City by the Sea and Doc Hollywood.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Rob Roy herds cattle through the Scottish Highlands with his sons, establishing him as a proud clan leader living honorably in his ancestral land.
Theme
The Marquis of Montrose tells Cunningham: "Honor is a gift a man gives himself." This encapsulates the film's central question about what constitutes true nobility.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the Highland clan system, Rob Roy's relationship with Mary and his people, his debt to Montrose, and the contrasting worlds of Highland honor versus aristocratic corruption.
Disruption
Rob Roy borrows £1,000 from Montrose to buy cattle for his clan. This loan, though intended to help his people, sets the tragedy in motion.
Resistance
Rob Roy sends his trusted man Alan MacDonald with the money. Cunningham and Killearn plot to steal the money to frame Rob Roy and ruin him, creating leverage for Montrose.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Alan MacDonald is murdered and the £1,000 is stolen by Cunningham. Rob Roy becomes a wanted man, unable to repay Montrose, forced to become an outlaw to survive.
Mirror World
Mary refuses to flee with Rob Roy, staying behind. Their relationship deepens as she becomes the embodiment of what honor means—loyalty and love that cannot be compromised.
Premise
Rob Roy lives as an outlaw in the Highlands, evading Montrose's forces while trying to find evidence of Cunningham's theft. The cat-and-mouse game plays out across the Highland landscape.
Midpoint
Cunningham rapes Mary while Rob Roy is away. This brutal violation raises the stakes to the personal and irreversible, transforming the conflict from financial to existential.
Opposition
Mary struggles with trauma and possible pregnancy. Rob Roy faces increasing pressure from Montrose. Cunningham's sadism escalates. The net tightens around Rob Roy and his family.
Collapse
Rob Roy is captured and imprisoned. Mary reveals her rape and possible pregnancy by Cunningham. Rob Roy faces execution, having lost everything—freedom, honor, and the sanctity of his family.
Crisis
Rob Roy is offered freedom if Mary sleeps with Montrose. In his darkest moment, he must reconcile his pride with survival, while Mary makes clear their honor cannot be sold.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Killearn, conscience-stricken, confesses to Montrose that Cunningham stole the money. Montrose offers Rob Roy freedom through trial by combat against Cunningham—a chance to reclaim honor through strength.
Synthesis
The climactic duel between Rob Roy and Cunningham. Despite being outmatched in technique, Rob Roy's determination and moral clarity allow him to defeat the superior swordsman, killing Cunningham.
Transformation
Rob Roy returns home to Mary and his children, debt forgiven, honor restored. The final image mirrors the opening—Rob Roy in the Highlands—but he has proven that honor truly is a gift a man gives himself.