Tale of Tales
The Queen of Selvascura risks everything to be a mother; the King of Roccaforte falls in love with the voice of a mysterious girl; the King of Altomonte becomes obsessed with a flea and neglects his daughter.
The film box office disappointment against its modest budget of $12.0M, earning $5.5M globally (-54% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unconventional structure within the romance genre.
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%)
Tale of Tales (2015) exemplifies precise story structure, characteristic of Matteo Garrone's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 14 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Three kingdoms established: the Queen of Longtooth obsessed with having a child, the King of Strongcliff obsessed with a giant flea, and the King of Highhills consumed by lust. Each ruler trapped in their desires.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when The sea monster is killed and the Queen eats its heart, becoming pregnant but at the cost of her husband's life. This supernatural transaction sets the dark tone: desires fulfilled through sacrifice and blood.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Multiple irreversible choices: the Queen separates Elias from Jonah, denying their brotherhood; the King decides to marry his daughter to whoever can identify the flea skin; the old woman's sisters encourage her to pursue the King. Each choice propels the characters into darker territory., moving from reaction to action.
At 67 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat False defeat across storylines: the Princess is imprisoned by the ogre; the old woman's sisters discover her secret and prepare their own scheme; the Queen's obsessive love drives Elias away. The stakes escalate as each character's desires turn poisonous., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 101 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Multiple deaths: the Queen orders Jonah's murder and his heart brought to her; the sisters leap to their deaths after their bodies reject the magical transformation; the ogre nearly kills the Princess. The "whiff of death" permeates all three tales simultaneously., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 107 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Final confrontations: Elias and Jonah reunite and confront the Queen; the Princess escapes after killing the ogre and returns home; the King's storyline resolves in isolation and regret. Justice and consequences are meted out., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Tale of Tales's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Tale of Tales against these established plot points, we can identify how Matteo Garrone utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Tale of Tales within the romance genre.
Matteo Garrone's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Matteo Garrone films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Tale of Tales takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Matteo Garrone filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional romance films include South Pacific, Last Night and Diana. For more Matteo Garrone analyses, see Pinocchio, Dogman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Three kingdoms established: the Queen of Longtooth obsessed with having a child, the King of Strongcliff obsessed with a giant flea, and the King of Highhills consumed by lust. Each ruler trapped in their desires.
Theme
The necromancer warns the Queen: "Every gift has its price." This encapsulates the film's exploration of how obsessive desires and wishes fulfilled lead to unintended consequences.
Worldbuilding
The three kingdoms and their rulers are established in parallel. The Queen's desperate longing for a child, the King's peculiar fascination with his flea, and the lustful King's encounters are interwoven, showing baroque fairy-tale worlds governed by dark magic and obsession.
Disruption
The sea monster is killed and the Queen eats its heart, becoming pregnant but at the cost of her husband's life. This supernatural transaction sets the dark tone: desires fulfilled through sacrifice and blood.
Resistance
Consequences unfold across the three tales: the Queen gives birth to Elias while her servant births Jonah (twins from the same magic); the flea grows enormous; the King becomes obsessed with it; the lustful King beds an old woman thinking she's young. Each ruler moves deeper into their folly.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Multiple irreversible choices: the Queen separates Elias from Jonah, denying their brotherhood; the King decides to marry his daughter to whoever can identify the flea skin; the old woman's sisters encourage her to pursue the King. Each choice propels the characters into darker territory.
Mirror World
The bond between Elias and Jonah represents the true family connection the Queen rejected. Their friendship embodies the authentic love versus the Queen's possessive maternal obsession, carrying the thematic counterpoint throughout.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" delivers dark fairy-tale spectacle: Elias and Jonah's adventures, the Princess trapped with the ogre husband, the old woman's grotesque transformation and affair with the King. Each story explores the consequences of wishes granted.
Midpoint
False defeat across storylines: the Princess is imprisoned by the ogre; the old woman's sisters discover her secret and prepare their own scheme; the Queen's obsessive love drives Elias away. The stakes escalate as each character's desires turn poisonous.
Opposition
Consequences intensify: the Princess must survive the ogre while planning escape; the sisters' attempt to replicate the old woman's transformation ends in horror; the Queen's jealousy of Jonah grows venomous. Each character's flaws deepen their predicaments.
Collapse
Multiple deaths: the Queen orders Jonah's murder and his heart brought to her; the sisters leap to their deaths after their bodies reject the magical transformation; the ogre nearly kills the Princess. The "whiff of death" permeates all three tales simultaneously.
Crisis
The dark night: Elias mourns believing Jonah dead; the Princess is at her most desperate; the King confronts the horror of what his lust has wrought. Each character faces the full cost of their or others' obsessions.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Final confrontations: Elias and Jonah reunite and confront the Queen; the Princess escapes after killing the ogre and returns home; the King's storyline resolves in isolation and regret. Justice and consequences are meted out.
Transformation
The Queen is destroyed by her own obsession, left alone; the Princess is hardened but free; the King remains trapped in his appetites. The closing images mirror the opening but show the terrible transformations wrought by unchecked desire. A dark fairy-tale justice.