The 3-Act Paradigm at Work: Chicago

written by Bill Condon

(based on a single theater viewing)


Chicago is the film based on the Broadway musical. Full of song & dance -- and classic 3-act structure.

Structural Analysis

  1. Hook
    • Velma, half of a vaudeville sister act, arrives late to the theater with a gun and blood on her hands. In her audience is Roxie, a wannabe actress.
  2. Complication
    • Roxie shoots the boyfriend who got into her pants by promising her fame and fortune.
  3. Call to Action
    • Roxie pays the "matron of keys" to get her the best lawyer in Chicago.
  4. Act One Plot Point
    • The lawyer takes the case.
  5. Midpoint Plot Point
    • Roxie claims she is pregnant.
  6. Act Two Plot Point
    • The jury finds Roxie innocent -- but no longer is she the center of media attention, another woman has shot another boyfriend.
  7. Climax and Resolution
    • Roxie teams up with Velma in a new act that takes Chicago by storm.

Notes

A melodrama, sure, but the songs and dances are great, and everything holds together (as sometimes musicals do not) with solid dramatic structure.


MODULE 4: SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting

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