This Must Be the Place
A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's tormentor, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.
The film financial setback against its respectable budget of $25.0M, earning $11.8M globally (-53% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the drama 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%)
This Must Be the Place (2011) showcases carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Paolo Sorrentino's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 58 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Cheyenne, an aging goth rock star living in Dublin, walks through his mansion in full makeup and elaborate costume, embodying his disconnected, emotionally numb existence. He lives a hollow, ritualistic life despite his wealth.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Cheyenne receives word that his estranged father has died. He must travel to New York for the first time in thirty years, forcing him to confront the relationship he's avoided his entire adult life.. 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 indicates the protagonist's commitment to Cheyenne makes the active decision to take up his father's quest. He chooses to hunt for Aloise Lange himself, transforming from passive observer to active seeker. This irreversible choice launches him across America on a journey of purpose., moving from reaction to action.
At 60 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Cheyenne learns that Aloise Lange is alive and living in Utah. The quest suddenly becomes real and achievable. This false victory raises the stakes - he's close to his goal, but now must confront what revenge actually means., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 88 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Cheyenne finally locates Aloise Lange - now a frail, elderly man near death, gasping for oxygen, pathetic and powerless. The object of decades of hatred is already destroyed by time. All possibility of meaningful revenge or justice dies in this moment., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 94 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Cheyenne chooses compassion over revenge. He tells Lange a story, offers him water, and provides human comfort in his final moments. This synthesis of his father's pain and his own journey toward connection allows him to break the cycle of hatred. He chooses life over death., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
This Must Be the Place'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 This Must Be the Place against these established plot points, we can identify how Paolo Sorrentino utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish This Must Be the Place within the drama genre.
Paolo Sorrentino's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Paolo Sorrentino films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. This Must Be the Place takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Paolo Sorrentino filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Paolo Sorrentino analyses, see The Great Beauty, Il Divo.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Cheyenne, an aging goth rock star living in Dublin, walks through his mansion in full makeup and elaborate costume, embodying his disconnected, emotionally numb existence. He lives a hollow, ritualistic life despite his wealth.
Theme
Cheyenne's wife Mary tells him "You can't spend your whole life hiding," articulating the film's central question about confronting the past and emerging from emotional paralysis.
Worldbuilding
We see Cheyenne's isolated world: his sterile mansion, his patient wife Mary, his aimless shopping trips, his fear of commitment. He receives royalty checks but hasn't performed in decades. A teenager mocks him in public, revealing his irrelevance. His father is dying in New York.
Disruption
Cheyenne receives word that his estranged father has died. He must travel to New York for the first time in thirty years, forcing him to confront the relationship he's avoided his entire adult life.
Resistance
Cheyenne reluctantly prepares for and travels to America. He resists emotional engagement, going through the motions. In his father's house, he discovers his father's obsession: finding Aloise Lange, the Nazi who tortured him at Auschwitz. Cheyenne is initially dismissive but discovers his father's decades-long search.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Cheyenne makes the active decision to take up his father's quest. He chooses to hunt for Aloise Lange himself, transforming from passive observer to active seeker. This irreversible choice launches him across America on a journey of purpose.
Mirror World
Cheyenne meets Rachel, the daughter of his father's friend Mordecai. She becomes a guide and confidante, representing connection and emotional honesty. Through her, Cheyenne begins to access feelings he's buried for decades.
Premise
Cheyenne travels across America following leads on Aloise Lange. He encounters various characters: Holocaust survivors, truck stop workers, friendly strangers. The journey itself becomes the point - each encounter chips away at his emotional armor. He experiences small moments of human connection.
Midpoint
Cheyenne learns that Aloise Lange is alive and living in Utah. The quest suddenly becomes real and achievable. This false victory raises the stakes - he's close to his goal, but now must confront what revenge actually means.
Opposition
Cheyenne continues toward Utah, but his encounters become more emotionally challenging. He helps a young man being bullied, confronts his own cowardice, and grapples with what he'll do when he finds Lange. His emotional awakening makes the journey harder, not easier. The fun and games are over.
Collapse
Cheyenne finally locates Aloise Lange - now a frail, elderly man near death, gasping for oxygen, pathetic and powerless. The object of decades of hatred is already destroyed by time. All possibility of meaningful revenge or justice dies in this moment.
Crisis
Cheyenne sits in darkness with the dying Lange, processing the emptiness of revenge. He talks to Lange, recognizing the hollowness of hatred. The quest that gave him purpose has led to nothing but an old man's death rattle. He must find a different resolution.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Cheyenne chooses compassion over revenge. He tells Lange a story, offers him water, and provides human comfort in his final moments. This synthesis of his father's pain and his own journey toward connection allows him to break the cycle of hatred. He chooses life over death.
Synthesis
Cheyenne returns home to Ireland and to Mary. He performs music again, reconnecting with his artistic self. He engages with the world rather than hiding from it. He plays a small concert, reintegrating into life with newfound purpose and emotional presence.
Transformation
Cheyenne performs "This Must Be the Place" on stage with genuine emotion and connection, surrounded by people. In contrast to his isolated opening, he is now present, engaged, and alive. He has emerged from hiding.