The Classic Structure Squared: A Descriptive Case Study in the Film As Bestas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2025.28.s2.1Keywords:
Screenplay, narrative analysis, cinema, audiovisual narrative, As BestasAbstract
The classic three-act narrative structure is the most widely used framework in commercial filmmaking. Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s As Bestas (2022) presents a fractured narrative skeleton, prompting our objective: to identify the type of narrative structure employed in the film. To achieve this, we developed a methodological approach based on observation, documentation, application, and comparison of key concepts related to cinematic storytelling. Our study followed four phases: analyzing the film’s timeline, identifying key structural scenes, mapping the hero’s journey stages, and determining the film’s plot type. We found that the film consists of two independent segments, each adhering to the classic three-act structure. Additionally, we observed that each segment features a different protagonist whose story follows a distinct plot --rivalry and revenge --which shapes the narrative structure of their respective sections. These characters also follow different dramatic paths within the hero’s journey. Thus, we conclude that As Bestas effectively doubles its narrative structure, driven by a shift in protagonist. The two narrative segments are independent, capable of standing alone, yet when viewed together, they add deeper layers of meaning to the story.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Alma Llerena Fernández, Víctor Manuel Barbera Hernádez
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