The Misfits
Roslyn Taber, the type of woman who turns heads easily, recently came to Reno to get a quickie divorce, she having no idea what to do with her life after that. She cannot tolerate seeing animal suffering, let alone human suffering. Coinciding with getting the divorce, Roslyn meets friends Gay Langland and Guido, a divorced aging grizzled cowboy and a widowed mechanic respectively. Although Guido makes no bones about wanting to get to know Roslyn in the biblical sense and although he "saw her first", Roslyn begins a relationship with Gay, despite Roslyn's friend Izzy Steers, who originally came to Reno years ago to get her own divorce and never left, warning her about cowboys as being unreliable, and despite Roslyn initially not being interested in Gay "in that way". Gay has grown children who he rarely sees and wishes he was there for more than was the case. Gay and Roslyn move into the under construction farmhouse owned by Guido, which he was building for his wife before she died. After spotting a small herd in the local mountains, Guido convinces Gay to do some mustanging - capturing wild mustangs - to sell them. In this and age, these mustangs, commercially, are good only as dog meat. Needing a third for their outing, they run into Perc Howland, a cowboy acquaintance, who is on his way to the Dayton Rodeo. He recently started the itinerant life out of necessity. Perc lives day to day, job to job, that is when he's not in the hospital recuperating from his many on the job injuries. They are able to convince Perc to join them after his events at the rodeo have concluded. Perc is just the latest to fall for Roslyn, while of the three men she feels the most protective toward Perc as the constantly injured one. The questions become whether the friendship and business of the three men can withstand the addition of Roslyn in their life, and if Roslyn can love any of three after seeing first hand what their life is all about.
Despite its small-scale budget of $4.0M, The Misfits became a commercial success, earning $8.2M worldwide—a 105% return.
1 win & 1 nomination
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 Misfits (1961) showcases carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of John Huston's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 3 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Roslyn waits nervously in Reno courthouse for her divorce proceedings, fragile and emotionally vulnerable in her pristine white dress, representing her life at a crossroads.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Roslyn meets Gay Langland at a bar, an aging cowboy who represents freedom and authenticity. Their immediate attraction disrupts her post-divorce isolation.. 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 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Roslyn chooses to go with Gay to Guido's unfinished house in the desert, actively leaving behind her old life and entering the world of the "misfits."., moving from reaction to action.
At 60 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The men reveal their plan to capture wild mustangs to sell for dog food. Roslyn's romantic vision of cowboy freedom collides with harsh economic reality, raising the stakes of what "freedom" truly costs., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 89 minutes (72% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The brutal mustang capture unfolds. Roslyn breaks down completely, screaming at the men, "Murderers! Liars!" The dream of authentic freedom dies as she witnesses the violence underlying their "free" lifestyle., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Gay single-handedly releases the mustangs, choosing compassion and connection with Roslyn over proving his masculine independence. He synthesizes strength with humanity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Misfits's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Misfits against these established plot points, we can identify how John Huston utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Misfits within the drama genre.
John Huston's Structural Approach
Among the 8 John Huston films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Misfits represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete John Huston filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more John Huston analyses, see Escape to Victory, Prizzi's Honor and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Roslyn waits nervously in Reno courthouse for her divorce proceedings, fragile and emotionally vulnerable in her pristine white dress, representing her life at a crossroads.
Theme
Isabelle tells Roslyn, "You're the saddest girl I ever saw," establishing the film's exploration of loneliness, freedom, and what it means to truly live versus merely survive.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to post-divorce Reno and its inhabitants: Isabelle as Roslyn's landlady/friend, Guido the mechanic, and the world of aging cowboys and divorcees seeking new beginnings in the Nevada desert.
Disruption
Roslyn meets Gay Langland at a bar, an aging cowboy who represents freedom and authenticity. Their immediate attraction disrupts her post-divorce isolation.
Resistance
Gay, Guido, and Isabelle invite Roslyn into their world. Roslyn debates whether to embrace this unconventional life or return to conventional society. Gay courts her with promises of authentic living.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Roslyn chooses to go with Gay to Guido's unfinished house in the desert, actively leaving behind her old life and entering the world of the "misfits."
Mirror World
Introduction to Perce Howland, the damaged rodeo cowboy, who mirrors Roslyn's vulnerability and becomes part of the makeshift family that embodies the theme of beautiful, broken souls seeking connection.
Premise
The promise of the premise: Roslyn experiences life with the modern cowboys—rodeos, drinking, dancing, authentic connection. The romance with Gay develops as they create a temporary paradise of freedom.
Midpoint
The men reveal their plan to capture wild mustangs to sell for dog food. Roslyn's romantic vision of cowboy freedom collides with harsh economic reality, raising the stakes of what "freedom" truly costs.
Opposition
Despite her growing horror, the group proceeds with the mustang hunt. Tensions escalate as Roslyn's compassion clashes with the men's need to prove their relevance. Relationships fracture under moral pressure.
Collapse
The brutal mustang capture unfolds. Roslyn breaks down completely, screaming at the men, "Murderers! Liars!" The dream of authentic freedom dies as she witnesses the violence underlying their "free" lifestyle.
Crisis
Roslyn's anguished confrontation forces each man to face what they've become. The group dissolves in mutual recrimination and pain. Gay must confront whether his code of freedom is worth the cost.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Gay single-handedly releases the mustangs, choosing compassion and connection with Roslyn over proving his masculine independence. He synthesizes strength with humanity.
Synthesis
The group parts ways. Perce heads to another rodeo, Guido returns alone. Gay and Roslyn reconcile, finding a fragile hope in each other—not in grand freedom, but in choosing to navigate life together.
Transformation
Gay and Roslyn drive through the night toward home. Gay spots a distant star to guide them. Both transformed: Roslyn finding strength, Gay finding connection, heading toward an uncertain but shared future.