NARRATIVE THROUGHLINE ACT I THE OPENING (P. 1-5) Either a soft (character focused) or hard (action focused) opening which jump-starts the story and grabs the reader’s attention. THE HOOK (P. 10-15) Something big happens which jumbles the Protagonist’s world The Reader gets an indication what the story will be. THE LOCK (P. 25-30) A significant event which speeds the plot in a new direction. Set-up is locked down: The Reader knows what the story will be. ACT II THE FIRST BIG TEST (P. 40-45) Where the Protagonist confronts significant opposition/odds. Survives mostly through luck, not skill. THE TRANSITION (P. 55-60) Where the Protagonist is becoming comfortable in the ‘new’ world. A scene/sequence which is the height of Deconstruction. THE SECOND BIG TEST (P. 70-75) Where the Protagonist tests out their emerging confidence. More skill and courage in use, although still lucky. ALL IS LOST (P. 85-90) Despite Protagonist’s best efforts, it appears they have lost. The Bad Guys have it all on their side. ACT III ON THE DEFENSIVE (P. 90-100) The first part of Act III, the Protagonist is on their heels. Reacting based on their ‘old’ self, and haunted by self-doubt. ON THE OFFENSIVE (P. 100-110) The Protagonist digs down to reserves of inner strength they did not know they had, and in tandem with lessons learned along the way in Act II, mounts a counter-attack. FINAL STRUGGLE (P. 110-120) The Protagonist prevails against the Antagonist forces in this final test of their transformation. Two notes: (1) While the descriptors I use above (Counter-attack, Final Struggle, Antagonist Forces) may sound solely like the

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stuff of big action type movies, you will find that the plot points work for every genre, no matter how small or intimate the movie. Think of the language as symbolic. If, for example, an agoraphobic individual sets their hand upon the door handle of their apartment, about to step outside for the first time in ten years, that is a ‘small’ act, but a huge (internal) battle they are waging, and could very well represent a Final Struggle. (2) Underlying this approach is the Disunity to Unity dynamic of the Protagonist’s transformation. Here is the template:

UNITY (ACT III) | |

RECONSTRUCTION (ACT II – The Second Half) | |

DECONSTRUCTION (ACT II – The First Half) | |

DISUNITY (ACT I) Think of the 10 major plot points as Plotline (External World). Think of the Disunity-Unity as Themeline (Internal World). Below is a visual of the two overlaid atop each other. EXTERNAL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PLOTLINE ACT I ACT II ACT III Opening The The 1st Tran- 2nd All Defen- Offen- Final Incident Hook Lock Test sition Test Lost sive sive Struggle (5) (15) (30) (45) (60) (75) (90) (100) (110) (120)

Disunity-------Deconstruct-Reconstruct-----------Unity INTERNAL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THEMELINE In order to grasp the flow of the narrative throughline, let’s analyze The Silence of the Lambs. NARRATIVE THROUGHLINE: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS ACT I - OPENING (P. 1-5) Either a soft (character focused) or hard (action focused) opening which jump-starts the story and grabs reader’s attention. We have discussed how the film’s director, Demme, shifted the opening from a “harder” version (the FBI shoot-‘em-up training sequence) to a “softer” one (Clarice running the obstacle course). As noted, the latter not only increases the odds against Clarice (instead of showing her skills with a gun, we see none of that in the movie, giving her further to go to achieve

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her goal), but also focuses the introduction more on Clarice’s character. Indeed, running the obstacle course makes a symbolic statement on two levels: First, it reinforces the fact that Clarice is a raw trainee; second, it suggests that she will have many obstacles (twists-and-turns) ahead of her. Befitting Joseph Campbell’s version of the world’s ‘mono-myth,’ the Hero’s Journey, the beginning of the adventure often comes in the form of a herald calling to the Protagonist: In this case, an FBI agent literally calls out to Clarice, “Crawford wants to see you in his office.” And so our Protagonist’s journey begins. The plot ‘business’ of this Opening Incident occurs when Clarice enters Crawford’s office. It is empty, so she has a few seconds to study the wall of photos – a collage of Buffalo Bill’s victims, a visual foretaste of this new, unknown, and dangerous world into which Clarice is about to enter. But the whole point of the Opening Incident is this exchange (P. 5/Minute 6): CRAWFORD You see, the one we want most refuses to cooperate. I want you to go after him again today, in the asylum. CLARICE Who’s the subject? CRAWFORD The psychiatrist – Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Clarice stops walking, goes very still. A beat. CLARICE The cannibal… By page 5, screenwriter Tally has accomplished what an Opening must do – get the ball rolling. He sends the Protagonist off “an interesting errand,” as Crawford puts it, establishing the core cast of characters who will populate this story – Clarice, Crawford, Lecter, and Buffalo Bill. Disunity: Clarice is a novice, but with big ambitions. The opportunity Crawford gives her feeds her aspirations, but also sets into motion a process which will unveil a deeper, more personal set of motivations why she must succeed. All of that multi-layered psychological ‘stuff’ will be brought to the surface by Lecter, exposing the darkness of her soul versus the ‘positive’ image she portrays to the external world – in other words, Clarice Starling begins the story as a divided self.

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ACT I – THE HOOK (P. 10-15) Something big happens which jumbles the Protagonist’s world. The Reader gets an indication what the story will be. In the script, Clarice meets Lecter for the first time in P. 9-14 (in the movie, this sequence takes place from Minute 12-18). The sequence begins with the door slammed behind Clarice (threshold crossing), then her memorable walk past the inmates (journey), seeing Lecter, going through some details regarding Buffalo Bill (exposition), Lecter turning on Clarice, ‘reading’ her (“…with your good bag and your cheap shoes”), sending her away (“Fly back to school, little Starling”), Miggs assaulting Clarice with his semen, her returning to Lecter, where he apologizes for Miggs’ behavior (“Discourtesy is – unspeakably ugly to me”), ending with him giving her a clue (“See Miss Mofet”). When we see Clarice next, she is outside the asylum, so shaken by her encounter, she spins into a flashback/memory of her father. Thus, this sequence, which functions as The Hook, accomplishes its two primary goals: (1) Jumbles the Protagonist’s world (“Her face, fighting tears…” – P. 15/Minute 20); (2) Gives the reader a clear indication of what this story will be: The quest to find Buffalo Bill, and the dynamic between Clarice and Lecter. Disunity: The flashback/memory and Clarice’s tears advance the disconnect between her professional persona and her internal trauma. It is interesting to note how well Jodie Foster nailed this in this first set of interactions with Lecter, as her body tightens any time Lecter probes into her emotions, putting up her guard, stiffening her resistance. The only way out for Clarice (emotionally/internally) is through a painful process of reliving memories. ACT I - THE LOCK (P. 25-30) A significant event which speeds the plot in a new direction. Set-up is locked down: The Reader knows what the story will be. The Lock sequence in LAMBS begins with Clarice in the self-storage unit, inside the 1931 Packard stored there, where she discovers a “severed human head (P. 23/Minute 26). Having corroborated that Lecter’s riddle/clue led to something, Clarice returns to Lecter (“A loud clap of THUNDER as a flash of LIGHTNING illuminates the eerie towers and barred windows of the asylum”), who intimates that the head in the car (“His real name is Benjamin Raspail. A former patient of mine, whose romantic attachments ran to, shall we say, the exotic? – P. 25/Minute 27) was the victim of Buffalo Bill – but that is all he will say on the matter until there is a “trade” (P. 27/Minute 30): DR. LECTER I’ve been in this room for eight years, Clarice.

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I know they will never, ever let me out while I’m alive. What I want is a view. I want a window where I can see a tree, or even water. I want to be in a federal institution, away from Chilton – and I want a view. I’ll give good value for it. Crawford could do that for me, but he won’t. You persuade him. The significant event – the discovery of the head, and Lecter’s offer to Clarice – locks down one-half of the set-up, especially with Lecter’s line, “You persuade him”: She came to Lecter a total innocent on an “interesting errand”; now Lecter, this brilliant and maniacal madman, entrusts her with negotiating on his behalf with her boss. The reader knows that the relationship between Clarice and Lecter is not just madman-lording-power-over-innocent, but moving toward the personal (“Do you have something you use, when you need to get up your courage? Memories, tableaux… scenes from your early life?” – P. 26/Minute 29), and that opens up a new world of dramatic possibilities. But there is another part of the set-up which the story has established only through photographs and words: Buffalo Bill. The next scene in this sequence locks that down as well - Buffalo Bill kidnaps poor Catherine Martin (P. 28-29/Minute 31-33), and, thus, the crimes of Buffalo Bill move into the active present (Plotline). The position of this scene not only functions as the second-half of The Lock, it also sets into motion a pattern for the rest of Act II: Each of the major plot points involves both the Buffalo Bill investigation(Clarice/Crawford, Clarice/Lecter) and seeing what Buffalo Bill/Gumb is up to next. Buffalo Bill and his connection with Catherine Martin is the story’s ticking clock, and Tally visits Gumb with regularity at the major plot points in Act II to remind the reader of that ongoing pressure on the Plotline, and by extension, Clarice and her goal. Disunity: Lecter’s line of questioning and Clarice’s responses highlight the External and Internal divide in the young FBI agent. She presses to solve the crime (“Who killed your patient… Buffalo Bill…? Bill killed him…”), pursuing her External goal, but Lecter keeps forcing his way into Clarice’s Internal World (P. 26/Minute 29): DR. LECTER Jack Crawford is helping your career, isn’t he? Apparently he likes you. And you like him, too. CLARICE I never thought about it.

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DR. LECTER Your first lie to me, Clarice. How sad. Tell me – do you think Crawford wants you, sexually? True, he’s much older, but – do you think he visualizes… scenarios, exchanges…? F*cking you? Clarice responds that this type of personal questioning “doesn’t interest me,” but by continuing to allow Lecter to ‘go there,’ her actions belie something else: Does she yield to Lecter’s probing because of her External desire to succeed (she needs Lecter’s help to achieve that goal), or is it because of her internal need (to deal with the emotional trauma she feels)? I think it’s both, and that represents her level of disunity at the end of Act I. ACT II - THE FIRST BIG TEST (P. 40-45) Where the Protagonist confronts significant opposition/odds. Survives mostly through luck, not skill. In West Virginia, where Clarice travels with Crawford to investigate the body of the latest Buffalo Bill victim, Clarice progresses into a deeper dimension of her ‘new’ world when she conducts the autopsy of the dead girl (P. 39-41/Minute 42-45). She manages to wobble her way through the grotesque physicality of the experience, relying on her training to keep her from throwing up or passing out. But a key discovery comes only through pure luck, not her skill: The discovery of the “seed pod” (P. 40/Minute 44), the chrysalis, which is part of Buffalo Bill’s ‘signature’ and becomes a central clue in the investigation. Deconstruction: There is a second part of Clarice’s test, and that manifests itself in her confrontation with Crawford afterward (P. 41): CRAWFORD When I told the sheriff we shouldn’t talk in front of a woman, that really burned you, didn’t it? (she is silent) That was just smoke, Starling, I had to get rid of him. You did well in there.

CLARICE It matters, Mr. Crawford… Other cops know who you are. They look at you to see how to act… It matters. CRAWFORD (beat) Point taken.

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A little moment, but one with big significance. The test here is not that Crawford embarrassed her in front of a bunch of men, but how Clarice reacts to Crawford - and she stands up to him (“It matters”). That little side of dialogue from Clarice shows how much she has grown in a short time: Remember, Crawford is known as “God” around the FBI, and here is young Clarice, taking God to task over his behavior. Would she have had the fortitude to do this when she first met Crawford on P. 4? No. The fact she stands up to him, albeit in this little way, shows how her sense of professional propriety is being deconstructed, allowing her repressed animus to emerge. Following this moment, screenwriter Tally reminds the reader of the ticking clock by following the autopsy sequence with a visit to Buffalo Bill (P. 43-44/Minute 48-49):

INT. MR. GUMB’S CELLAR – DAY (DIM LIGHT) A shadowy male figure looks down at us, leaning over the edge of a deep hole. He holds a little white poodle in his arms, stroking it. This is MR. GUMB, aka “Buffalo Bill.”

MR. GUMB (softly) Rub the cream on your skin. Rub it in goooood…

Again with the “goooood.” Which means things are quite baaaaad for one Catherine Martin. ACT II - THE TRANSITION (P. 55-60) Where the Protagonist is becoming comfortable in the ‘new’ world. A scene/sequence which is the height of Deconstruction. “Quid pro quo.” That is the bridge into the heart of this sequence between Clarice and Lecter (P. 52-57). Her psychological defenses eroding, Clarice decides to expose her secret Internal life to Lecter in exchange for information he has about Buffalo Bill (“Billy’s not a real transsexual, but he thinks he is”). In the script, Tally uses voiceover to a chilling effect, as Lecter’s voice takes us through a journey into Gumb’s private hell (P. 58 - “We TURN around a corner, and there is Mr. Gumb himself. As we APPROACH, his wide back is to us; he’s hunched over an old-fashioned sewing machine, humming cheerfully, and working a piece of material that we mercifully cannot see”). Clarice’s decision to open up to Lecter seems to be paying off in the External World (Plotline), a significant plot transition. But there is a transition going on in her Internal World (Themeline) as well, the nadir of her deconstruction laying the groundwork for her reconstruction.

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Deconstruction: Clarice confesses the “worst memory of [her] life,” the death of her father; how after she was orphaned, she went to live with “my mother’s cousin and her husband in Montana. They had a ranch”; how after two months, she ran away. She is so deconstructed, that at this Transition point, she opens wide the door to her soul, baring her emotional self to a madman. Bear in mind Crawford’s cautionary words (P. 6): “You tell him nothing personal, Starling. Believe me, you don’t want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.” And now on P. 57, Clarice has confessed so much that Lecter ends their session with, “That’s enough, I think. Happy hunting. Oh, and Clarice – next time you will tell me why you ran away [from the Montana sheep ranch].” So much for her professional polish, her external persona, her good bag, cheap shoes, Ford Pinto – this is a woman who is, at this point, undone internally. She will, of course, keep pursuing answers in the External World, as she has invested significant energy in that goal – stopping Buffalo Bill. But midway through the story, she is a deconstructed individual, and ripe for reconstruction. The button on the Transition is the big twist Chilton provides: Negotiating Lecter’s assistance in exchange for Lecter’s transfer to Memphis, Tennessee. This is not only a major complication in the Plotline, it also puts into direct jeopardy Clarice’s growth in her Internal World (by now, she is reliant upon Lecter to guide her through her tumult of emotions). What follows next is a confluence of Clarice’s external and internal goals, as she heads to Tennessee for a final visit with Lecter. ACT II - THE SECOND BIG TEST (P. 70-75) Where the Protagonist tests out their emerging confidence.

More skill and courage in use, although still lucky. There is an interesting convergence of events in LAMBS at this point in the story: Both Catherine Martin and Clarice Starling, two characters who have never met, but have each had enough time living in their respective ‘new’ worlds to find their sea legs, become proactive: Catherine attempts to lure Gumb’s beloved dog, Precious, into the pit where the kidnap victim is being held (P. 68-70); Clarice travels to Memphis, lies her way past guards, and sneaks in to see Lecter one last time (P. 74-80/Minute 65-72). While the exchange between Clarice and Lecter focuses on Clarice’s reliving that fateful morning on a Montana ranch many years ago, Clarice’s courage in ‘going there’ results in a key clue for the Buffalo Bill investigation (P. 76/Minute 68): DR. LECTER What is the first and principal thing he does, what does he serve by killing?

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CLARICE Anger, social resentment, sexual frus- DR. LECTER No, he covets. That’s his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer. CLARICE No. We just – DR. LECTER No. Precisely. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Clarice’s courage enables her to find the clue which unlocks the key to the case – but that is later on, here Lecter’s words are lost amidst his other words: “No. It’s your turn to tell me, Clarice… Why did you run away from that ranch?” This question moves the moment from the External World (the investigation into Buffalo Bill) into the Internal World (Clarice’s trauma), and as such, takes us into reconstruction. Reconstruction: Clarice has been deconstructed through events in the investigation, but mostly through her interactions with Lecter. Clarice has discovered courage, again in the context of the official investigation, but also through her relationship with Lecter. Now she is ready. She can tell the story which has demonized her for years – the slaughter of the lambs. Read the script pages (P. 77-79), where Tally ‘visualized’ the memories as Clarice relives them with Lecter. The movie drops the Montana flashback visuals, relying on the drama of the interplay between Clarice and Lecter in the moment. In either case, what the second-half of this plot point represents (remember, the first part derived the critical clue to solving the case) is Clarice embracing her Reconstruction, displaying the courage to face her greatest fear – those Montana memories of the lambs’ slaughter – and once publicly expressed and experienced, she can move on, press forward, and grow into that which she is supposed to become (Protagonist Metamorphosis). The sequence ends with this wonderful moment, as Clarice ‘returns’ from her memory, where everything is left hanging in the balance (P. 79-80/Minute 72-73): BACK TO SCENE As the adult Clarice turns, staring into his feverish eyes. She shakes her head, unwilling – or unable – to say more.

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DR. LECTER You still wake up sometimes, don’t you? Wake up in the dark, with the lambs screaming? CLARICE Yes… DR. LECTER Do you think if you saved Catherine, you could make them stop…? Do you think, if Catherine lives, you won’t wake up in the dark, ever again, to the screaming of the lambs? Do you…? CLARICE Yes! I don’t know…! I don’t know. DR. LECTER (a pause; then, oddly at peace) Thank you, Clarice. CLARICE (a whisper) Tell me his name, Dr. Lecter. DR. LECTER Dr. Chilton… I believe you know each other? Chilton arrives and sends Clarice packing. But Lecter has gifted her a huge piece of ‘internal’ information: The real reason she wants to save Catherine is to silence the lambs. Her quest is not really about career advancement, it is about dealing with her internal trauma. As painful as this awareness is, it is a major step in Clarice’s reconstruction. ACT II - ALL IS LOST (P. 85-90) Despite Protagonist’s best efforts, it appears they have lost. The Bad Guys have it all on their side. This is all about Lecter’s escape, which, as we have noted earlier, takes up a full 12 script pages. The reason All Is Lost is that Clarice’s conduit of information to catch Buffalo Bill is gone, vanished to God knows where. Reconstruction: Lecter’s escape also means Clarice is cut off from any further guidance into her Internal World from her own Wisdom figure, Lecter. Lecter’s insight into Clarice’s soul, Lecter’s tips to help find Buffalo Bill – all gone now. In this scene in the script, not present in the movie, Clarice’s roommate, Ardelia, sums up the moment (P. 95-96):

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ARDELIA Clarice – you did the best anybody could have for Catherine Martin. You stuck your neck out for her and you got your butt kicked for her and you tried. It’s not your fault it ended this way. In the movie, Clarice personalizes the defeat, not her roommate, but Clarice herself announcing, “It’s over. She’s dead,” meaning Catherine Martin. Clarice could easily (and logically) give into this defeatist sentiment. But she doesn’t. Instead, she and Ardelia review the Buffalo Bill case files (“Lecter said, everything I need to catch him is right here, these pages”). This tiny spark of hope emerges from her reconstructed self, still a work in progress, but the fact is Clarice taps into a newfound animus, emerging from her courage to relive (and ‘survive’) the memory of the lambs’ slaughter. Her courage is rewarded, as she and Ardelia make a huge realization (P., 96) based off Lecter’s tip - We covet what we see – that “He [Buffalo Bill] knew her (the first victim).” ACT III - ON THE DEFENSIVE (P. 90-100) The first part of Act III, the Protagonist is on their heels. Reacting based on their ‘old’ self, and haunted by self-doubt. Clarice travels to Ohio, the home town of Buffalo Bill’s first victim. In the script, a scene not included in the movie, Crawford is unenthusiastic about her plan (“Ohio is cold ground. Picked over, ten months ago. Our people worked it, so did the locals.” – P. 99). Thus, Clarice starts this last part of her investigation on the defensive, seemingly far removed from any hope of nabbing Buffalo Bill and sparing Catherine Martin’s life. And yet, she strikes paydirt. Searching the first victim’s house, she discovers a sewing room, and in it: CLARICE’S POV On the printed pattern, down at the lower back of the outlined dress, are two bold black triangles. Clarice makes a connection to “sewing darts,” then off that calls Crawford with her new insight (P. 106/Minute 91): CLARICE (on phone) He’s making himself a “woman’s suit,” Mr. Crawford – out of real women! And he can sew, this guy, he’s really skilled. A dressmaker, or a tailor -

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CRAWFORD (V.O.) Starling, we know who he is! And where he is. We’re on our way now. Thus begins the story’s big ‘sting,’ where the audience is led to believe that Crawford and his FBI shooters are closing in on Buffalo Bill (led there by Lecter’s misleading tips). Meanwhile, Clarice reacts differently than a stalwart FBI agent might to this ‘great’ news (“Her happiness for Crawford is tinged with disappointment at being so suddenly out of the hunt”). In sum, despite her proactive moves, she is left on the defensive. Unity: Clarice doggedly continues her investigation, despite Crawford’s information, her agent-training and internal instincts merging. Her search leads her to the first victim’s best friend, which takes her to the house of a Mrs. Lippman, who employed the first victim as a seamstress. As Clarice heads toward the front door of Mrs. Lippman’s house, she has no idea who lurks inside. She also has no idea that her psychological journey has prepared her to do what she must do – outwit a serial killer. ACT III - ON THE OFFENSIVE (P. 100-110) The Protagonist digs down to reserves of inner strength they did not know they had, and in tandem with lessons learned along the way in Act II, counter-attacks. As the story’s great sleight of hand plays out, Crawford’s men burst into the empty house in Illinois at the exact time that Clarice’s knocks on the door of the house in Ohio are answered by none other than Mr. Gumb, aka Buffalo Bill (P. 113/Minute 100). Allowing Clarice inside, they exchange a bit of dialogue, then a “Death’s-head moth” appears (P. 116/Minute 101):

CLARICE Unaware, is still glancing around the room. For several agonizing moments, we think she won’t see the moth – but then she turns, does see it, and her eyes freeze. A beat of pure fear. Not for long. In a moment, “Clarice whips her gun out,” and challenges Gumb. Gumb escapes, and what follows is a classic ‘chase’ scene, occurring inside the house. Cutting off the power and extinguishing the lights, Gumb dons night-vision goggles, thereby, putting Clarice at a distinct disadvantage. Unity: The penultimate moment of Clarice’s metamorphosis occurs when, during the chase, she finds Catherine in the pit (P. 119/Minute 105), telling the young kidnap victim, “FBI, Catherine, you’re safe.” Safe? Clarice is in the dark, pursued by a psychopath with a gun, who can see in the pitch-black because of night-vision goggles, someone who knows the lay of the

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land (house). And yet, “You’re safe.” What this signifies is that Clarice ‘connects’ with Catherine, the ‘victim,’ and speaks from a similar emotional place, one which she knows intimately as someone who has survived her own victimization. The courage she discovered in living through that memory shows that she has accomplished the task in her Internal World. All she needs to do now is seal the deal in the External World, the small matter of defeating Buffalo Bill. ACT III -FINAL STRUGGLE (P. 110-120) The Protagonist turns the tables on the Bad Guys and prevails in this final test of their transformation. Cut to the chase: She blows the bastard away. Unity: It is only through the process into herself that Clarice finds the courage to take on Buffalo Bill, whack him, and save Catherine Martin. The denouement celebrates her victory with a party, graduating from the FBI Academy – a final threshold crossing (P. 125/Minute 110). Her External goal (saving Catherine), and her Internal goal (handling her lamb trauma) have all been realized. She has merged her inner/outer selves, and celebrates this metamorphosis. Then a phone call. From Lecter. The ‘wisdom’ figure checking in on his prized pupil (P. 125/Minute 111): “Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming…?” It seems Lecter has landed in a good place as well, a tropical resort (with great “views). Oh, and by the way, Lecter is about to engage in a little celebrating himself. It seems that Dr. Chilton has just arrived at the same tropical isle to speak at some conference. Lecter hangs up the phone with Clarice to go have Dr. Chilton – for dinner. SUMMARY Narrative Throughline is an approach to screenplays which, I think, does a good job interweaving the roles of character (Themeline) and plot (Plotline). Is it perfect? No. Is it necessary in order to write a great script? No. Do you have to use it? No. However, I know it works because I’ve used it. And I see it at work in movie after movie after movie.