The Return
After 20 years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his...
The film box office disappointment against its respectable budget of $20.0M, earning $3.3M globally (-83% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the adventure 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%)
The Return (2024) showcases deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Uberto Pasolini's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 56 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.8, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ithaca in turmoil: Penelope besieged by suitors, Telemachus powerless, the kingdom decaying after 20 years without its king. The opening establishes a world of desperation and lost hope.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Odysseus arrives on Ithaca's shore, unrecognized and disguised as a beggar. After 20 years of war and wandering, he finally sets foot on home soil, but everything has changed.. 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 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Odysseus makes the active choice to enter his own palace disguised as a beggar, committing to a dangerous infiltration among men who would kill him if discovered. He crosses into enemy territory in his own home., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat False victory: Penelope announces the bow contest - whoever can string Odysseus's bow and shoot through twelve axes will win her hand. Odysseus sees his opportunity, but the stakes have now been raised. The suitors accept, and the path to confrontation becomes inevitable., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The suitors refuse to let the beggar try the bow, mocking him violently. A loyal servant or Telemachus may be threatened or hurt. Odysseus faces the reality that even if he reveals himself, he may have lost everything - his family might not recognize him, and he's outnumbered. The "death" of his hope for peaceful restoration., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Odysseus takes the bow. The synthesis moment: he combines the warrior skills earned through 20 years of suffering with the righteous purpose of reclaiming his home. Penelope or Telemachus may give tacit permission. He strings the bow, and everyone realizes who he is., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Return's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Return against these established plot points, we can identify how Uberto Pasolini utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Return within the adventure genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ithaca in turmoil: Penelope besieged by suitors, Telemachus powerless, the kingdom decaying after 20 years without its king. The opening establishes a world of desperation and lost hope.
Theme
A servant or elder speaks about the cost of war and whether a man can truly return home unchanged, foreshadowing Odysseus's struggle between the warrior he became and the husband he was.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the palace dynamics: the aggressive suitors vying for Penelope's hand and the throne, Penelope's weaving trick nearing its end, Telemachus's frustrated attempts to protect his mother, and the loyal servants who still believe Odysseus lives.
Disruption
Odysseus arrives on Ithaca's shore, unrecognized and disguised as a beggar. After 20 years of war and wandering, he finally sets foot on home soil, but everything has changed.
Resistance
Odysseus debates how to approach his return. He encounters loyal servants who don't recognize him, observes the suitors' corruption firsthand, and grapples with whether to reveal himself immediately or wait. Athena or a loyal servant may guide him toward patience.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Odysseus makes the active choice to enter his own palace disguised as a beggar, committing to a dangerous infiltration among men who would kill him if discovered. He crosses into enemy territory in his own home.
Mirror World
Odysseus's first encounter with Penelope since his return, though she doesn't recognize him. This relationship carries the film's theme: can love and identity survive 20 years of transformation? She represents the life he fought to return to.
Premise
Odysseus navigates the palace as a beggar, testing loyalties and gathering intelligence. The "fun and games" of watching him outwit the suitors, endure their abuse while hiding his warrior skill, and slowly revealing himself to select loyal servants. Tension builds as he plans his revenge.
Midpoint
False victory: Penelope announces the bow contest - whoever can string Odysseus's bow and shoot through twelve axes will win her hand. Odysseus sees his opportunity, but the stakes have now been raised. The suitors accept, and the path to confrontation becomes inevitable.
Opposition
The suitors grow more aggressive and suspicious. Odysseus's disguise becomes harder to maintain. One by one, suitors attempt the bow and fail. Tension escalates as some begin to suspect the beggar's true identity. Odysseus faces the possibility that he's waited too long or that his plan will fail.
Collapse
The suitors refuse to let the beggar try the bow, mocking him violently. A loyal servant or Telemachus may be threatened or hurt. Odysseus faces the reality that even if he reveals himself, he may have lost everything - his family might not recognize him, and he's outnumbered. The "death" of his hope for peaceful restoration.
Crisis
Odysseus processes his dark night of the soul. He must confront who he has become - a man of violence and cunning - and whether that man deserves to reclaim his home. Brief moments of doubt and reflection before resolve hardens.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Odysseus takes the bow. The synthesis moment: he combines the warrior skills earned through 20 years of suffering with the righteous purpose of reclaiming his home. Penelope or Telemachus may give tacit permission. He strings the bow, and everyone realizes who he is.
Synthesis
The finale: Odysseus and Telemachus, with loyal servants, execute the slaughter of the suitors. Strategic, brutal, cathartic. Then the delicate reunion with Penelope - she tests him with the bed secret, he proves his identity, and they must negotiate who they've both become. Resolution of the kingdom.
Transformation
Final image: Odysseus and Penelope together, transformed but reunited. The palace cleansed. Where the opening showed decay and chaos, the closing shows tentative peace and hard-won wisdom. A man who learned that returning home means accepting change, not reclaiming the past.