Indiana Jones Raider's Plot Template

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Raiders of the Lost Ark Plot Template

Opening Image: The entire opening scene serves as an "opening image," establishing the character, the world, the tone, and the potential in all of it, in a mind-bogglingly efficient and effective way.
Normalcy: After getting a taste of Indy's weekends as a globe-trotting archaeologist/universally acceptable grave robber, we get a taste of his weekdays as a dreamy professor and teacher of "FACT, not TRUTH."
Normalcy Disrupted: Indy is approached by government men seeking information about the Ark of the Covenant.
Herald/Refusal/etc: It doesn't take a lot to get Indy onboard for this thing. He's basically on a plane already before the government men can finish saying "ark of the covenant," but if you were to insist on running it through the monomyth machine, one could argue that the "call" Indy "refuses" is the magical/spiritual aspect of the Ark, with his "acceptance of the call" found through his devotion to history, facts, and wearing jackets in 90-degree weather.
Acceptance: Brody stops by Indy's house that night to remind him of the film's stakes and ensure that Marion is sufficiently foreshadowed. Indy responds by laughing in his face and hurling a weapon across the room to demonstrate his understanding of both the film's stakes and the visual language of scene transition in film.

Break Into Act 2: Indy and Dennis Muren board the plane to Nepal.

B Story Begins: Indy travels to Nepal, where we meet Marion Ravenwood, who has the headpiece Indy needs to find the location of the Ark. We establish their complicated (and deeply problematic if you do the math) history, kicking it off with a punch to the face and an argument.
Trailer Moments: Bar fight! Street fight! Swords! Guns! Baskets! Map room! Spiritual laser beam! Spielberg manages to craft compelling drama out of a guy placing a stick in the floor and standing there.
Midpoint/Arrival at Solution: Indy finds the location of the Well of Souls, where the Ark is to be found. He has the locals start digging while he takes some sweet silhouette shots for his profile (I'm sorry for this joke).
Things Get Worse: Turns out the Well of Souls is full of snakes. Also turns out Belloch found out what they're doing. He takes the Ark and throws Marion down there with Indy and seals it up. But Indy's smart enough to know that all ancient tombs have back doors that are far easier to open than whatever complicated and trap-laden way they came in. More often than not, these back doors will open up to populated areas, and will merely require the moving of a stone to exfiltrate the premises. You may wonder why people are always going to elaborate lengths to find and infiltrate these tombs the way they do, rather than just using these back doors. It's a valid question. One I fear we may never get an answer to.
Hero's Last Resort: Indy finds out the Ark is on a truck, chases it down, and blows it up.
Game Over: He's got the ark. He's got Marion. They're on a ship. How is this the low point of the story? That's one of my many genius things about this movie. The low point is low not because the hero failed, it's low because the hero succeeded and yet we just don't feel like the movie is over, yet. We're not fulfilled. This can't be the end, right?

Breakthrough and Rebirth/Break Into Act 3: Thankfully, the nazis are back (the only appropriate time to ever say that sentence). They steal Marion and the Ark. Now Indy's got something to do again. And that something is: ride a submarine across the Aegean Sea and not drown to death.
Hero Gains Upper Hand: Indy finds himself a rocket launcher and threatens to blow up the Ark.
Shadow's Final Push: Belloch convinces Indy not to do it, appealing to his history nerd side. Also, if he did it, he'd blow Marion up, too, which wouldn't be great. Belloch and the nazis open the Ark and...
Ultimate Breakthrough: ...surprise! God's inside, and He's not crazy about nazis. Melty face. Implosion face. Explosion face.
New Normalcy: Indy can't get the government men to tell him where the Ark is. But he's got Marion by his side. Perhaps she was the real prize all along.
Final Image: The Ark is wheeled into a massive warehouse, never to be seen again. Until it's seen again.

Symmetrical Beats: The Ark is first mentioned, and we see a picture of it being opened + Indy finds the location of the Ark + Indy finds the ark + the Ark is opened.
Symmetrical Beats: Marion punches Indy + Marion kisses Indy.
Symmetrical Beats: Belloch takes the idol + Belloch takes Marion + Belloch takes the Ark + the Ark takes Belloch.

Opening Image:
Normalcy:
Normalcy Disrupted:
Herald/Refusal/etc:
Acceptance:
Break Into Act 2:
B Story Begins:
Trailer Moments:
Midpoint/Arrival at Solution:
Things Get Worse:
Hero's Last Resort:
Game Over:
Breakthrough and Rebirth/Break Into Act 3:
Hero Gains Upper Hand:.
Shadow's Final Push: .
Ultimate Breakthrough:.
New Normalcy:
Final Image:
Symmetrical Beats:
Symmetrical Beats:
Symmetrical Beats: