The Road: 3 Act Structure

I was watching The Road the other day and afterwards I wondered whether if it adhered to the Three Act Structure. Amazingly I think it does.

Here’s my three act breakdown:

Act 1 SET UP
We’re introduced to the protagonist, the un-named father played by Viggo Mortensen, and his plight to protect his boy. We also learn that they are struggling to live in a world that has been struck by an ecological disaster. The Inciting Incident comes when (in flashback) the Son is born. This is the point where the father has a great responsibility placed on his shoulders. The first plot point arrives when the Father has to shoot somebody in order to protect his boy.

Act 2 CONFRONTATION
As the Father and Son struggle on foot to the coast we learn more about the savage world around them. They are hungry and there is very little food available. We also learn more about the Mother (all in flashback) and how she could not contend with the disintingration of society. Just before the halfway mark the Father throws away his wedding ring as he remembers the night she walked out on them, knowing she would die in the cold. The lowest point comes when the Father and son discover a house with a basement full of people who are being kept prisoner to be used for food. As they hide from the redneck owners the father is close to killing his son to protect him from the horror of cannibalism. A lucky escape leads them away from the house and on towards another remote house with a bunker filled with food. Things are looking up for a while but they are forced to leave the bunker when they hear people lurking around. The second plot point comes when they meet Robert Duvall’s old man, Eli. This is the point which starts a succession of meetings with survivors.

Act 3 RESOLUTION
On the son’s bequest they share a meal with Eli but in the morning they bid him farewell. The Father feels they should not give any more food to Eli even though the boy know’s he will soon die without it. Finally they reach the coast. It is at this point where the film changes tack as the Father feels it neccesary to show how important it is to be ruthless. The son seems to feel differently, as if loosing compassion is loosing ones humanity. This is clear when they catch up with a man who has stolen their belongings. The Father makes the thief strip and leaves him standing crying at the road side. The Son is horrified and eventually persuades his father to turn back. Although they can not find him they leave his clothes and a tin of food. The Father starts coughing up blood, he is dying.They discover a beetle that flys away as they watch in awe. Just then they are attacked by a couple shooting a bow and arrow. The Father gets an arrow in his leg but shoots his attackers with a flare. This confrontation leaves the Father in a weakened state and soon he is too weak to go on. He can not find the courage to shoot his son instead giving him the gun before passing away. Finally the Son meets a man on the beach who urges him to come along with his family.