The Beguiled
Three years into the American Civil War, in 1864, the dilapidated mansion of Miss Martha Farnsworth's Seminary for Young Ladies is still running, occupied by the matriarch, a teacher, and five students in Spanish-moss-draped Virginia. However, when a young student stumbles upon Corporal John McBurney, a wounded Union deserter on the verge of death, the already frail balance of things will be disrupted, as the hesitant headmistress decides to take him in to heal from his injury. Little by little, as the unwelcome guest arouses an uneasy sexual excitation among the women of the secluded boarding school, it is not before long that they will find themselves competing for the alluring man's favour. Undoubtedly, this handsome devil is a manipulator; nevertheless, will the ladies stay forever beguiled by his charm?
Despite its modest budget of $10.5M, The Beguiled became a box office success, earning $27.9M worldwide—a 165% return.
5 wins & 26 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%)
The Beguiled (2017) exemplifies deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Sofia Coppola's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 33 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.1, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Amy gathers mushrooms in the misty forest near the isolated girls' school. The serene, cloistered world of women living in seclusion during the Civil War is established - a fragile paradise cut off from the violence outside.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Amy discovers wounded Union Corporal John McBurney in the woods and brings him back to the school. The arrival of masculine energy disrupts the feminine sanctuary and introduces danger into their protected world.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Miss Martha decides McBurney can stay and help with tasks around the school during his recovery. The women actively choose to keep him in their midst, crossing the threshold from caretakers to willing participants in this dangerous dynamic., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat A special dinner is held where McBurney is celebrated and the women dress in their finest. False victory: the atmosphere is romantic and hopeful, suggesting integration is possible. But the competitive tensions are reaching a breaking point., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 59 minutes (63% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Enraged Edwina pushes McBurney down the stairs. His leg is shattered. Miss Martha amputates his leg while he's unconscious. The "whiff of death" - literal amputation, symbolic castration. McBurney's power and charm are destroyed; his fate is sealed., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 77% of the runtime. Miss Martha proposes they use the poisonous mushrooms Amy gathered. The women silently agree to murder McBurney. They synthesize their collective knowledge - Amy's mushrooms, Martha's authority, their shared betrayal - into unified deadly purpose., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Beguiled'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 The Beguiled against these established plot points, we can identify how Sofia Coppola utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Beguiled within the drama genre.
Sofia Coppola's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Sofia Coppola films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Beguiled takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Sofia Coppola filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Sofia Coppola analyses, see Priscilla, Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Amy gathers mushrooms in the misty forest near the isolated girls' school. The serene, cloistered world of women living in seclusion during the Civil War is established - a fragile paradise cut off from the violence outside.
Theme
Miss Martha tells the girls: "We must be very careful of how we behave. We have to protect our own." The theme of the danger that comes from letting outsiders into a carefully maintained world is established.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the insular world of Miss Martha's seminary: the headmistress, teacher Edwina, and five students living in genteel isolation. We see their routines - lessons, gardening, prayers - and feel the repressed atmosphere and longing beneath the surface.
Disruption
Amy discovers wounded Union Corporal John McBurney in the woods and brings him back to the school. The arrival of masculine energy disrupts the feminine sanctuary and introduces danger into their protected world.
Resistance
The women debate what to do with McBurney. Miss Martha decides to nurse him back to health before turning him over to Confederate soldiers. McBurney begins charming each woman, playing to their individual desires and vulnerabilities.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Miss Martha decides McBurney can stay and help with tasks around the school during his recovery. The women actively choose to keep him in their midst, crossing the threshold from caretakers to willing participants in this dangerous dynamic.
Mirror World
McBurney and Edwina share an intimate moment in the garden. Their developing romance represents the thematic heart: the hunger for connection and the vulnerability that comes with opening oneself to desire.
Premise
The promise of the premise: erotic tension builds as McBurney works his charm on all the women. Each woman - from young Amy to headmistress Martha - entertains private fantasies. Jealousies simmer beneath polite surfaces as the house becomes charged with sexual competition.
Midpoint
A special dinner is held where McBurney is celebrated and the women dress in their finest. False victory: the atmosphere is romantic and hopeful, suggesting integration is possible. But the competitive tensions are reaching a breaking point.
Opposition
After the dinner, Edwina believes McBurney has chosen her. But that night, he goes to young Alicia's room instead. Edwina discovers them together. The betrayal shatters the careful balance, and the women's unity begins to turn against McBurney.
Collapse
Enraged Edwina pushes McBurney down the stairs. His leg is shattered. Miss Martha amputates his leg while he's unconscious. The "whiff of death" - literal amputation, symbolic castration. McBurney's power and charm are destroyed; his fate is sealed.
Crisis
McBurney awakens to find his leg gone and becomes violent, threatening the women. He barricades himself in the house with a gun. The women huddle together in fear. The dark night - the house has become a prison for everyone.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Miss Martha proposes they use the poisonous mushrooms Amy gathered. The women silently agree to murder McBurney. They synthesize their collective knowledge - Amy's mushrooms, Martha's authority, their shared betrayal - into unified deadly purpose.
Synthesis
The finale: The women prepare a farewell dinner with poisoned mushrooms. They dress beautifully, create a seductive atmosphere, and convince the suspicious McBurney to eat. He dies. They sew his body into a shroud and carry him to the gate, expelling him from their world.
Transformation
The women stand together at the gate, watching as Confederate soldiers take McBurney's body away. They return to the house in unified silence. The sanctuary is restored, but they are transformed - no longer innocent, bonded by shared violence, their world more closed than before.