Jurassic Park – Three Act Narrative Structure

Jurassic Park – Three Act Narrative Structure

Jurassic Park is a science fiction, adventure film released in 1993 directed by Steven Spielberg. The film takes place on a fictional island, Isla Nublar, owned by billionaire John Hammond, who has created a wildlife park home to once extinct Dinosaurs. After a power shutdown the dinosaurs break out and visitors, Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm along with Hammonds grandchildren fight to survive on the island. 

Syd Field suggested the idea of the three-act structure for films this structure divides the narrative up into three acts.  Act one – the set-up, Act two – the confrontation and Act three the resolution. 

Act one starts off with brief exposition this is an introduction to the films main characters, premise and key situation. In Jurassic Park’s case the intro to the film introduces the island itself, the threat of the mysterious monsters and the chaos that they can cause. The first few scenes also introduce lead characters include Robert Muldoon the parks game warden and the ‘blood-sucking’ lawyer Gennaro. 

The inciting incident is the incident that sets the events of the film. In Jurassic Park this Is when palaeontologist’s Dr Alan Grant and Dr Ellie Sattler along with chaotician Dr Ian Malcolm are invited to the park by John Hammond in order to indorse it. This puts our main characters on the island and starts off the events of the film.

Plot point one is the event were the character takes on the main problem of the film. It is the point that leads onto the second act. For Jurassic Park this is the characters going on the tour of the park and the first introduction to the majestic dinosaurs. 

Act 2 begins with obstacles for the main character to face, that become increasingly intense and complex. In Jurassic Park this continues on from the tour which leads to the discovery of the incoming tropical storm causing the cancelling of the tour and recall of the jeeps or leads are in. This separates Alan, Malcolm and the kids from Ellie who stays behind to help out an ill triceratops. 

The first culmination is the point just before the midpoint, it’s the point where the hero is achieving his goal until everything falls apart. For Jurassic Park this is the point where Denis Nedry, Hammonds disgruntled computer tech, sabotages the park by shutting down the park’s security and power, to steal some dinosaur embryos. 

This leads directly onto the midpoint, the part where the main characters face increasingly intense and complex problems. It marks the middle of the narrative. The T-Rex escaping the paddock and wreaking havoc on the visitors, eating Gennaro whole, injuring Dr Malcolm and attacking the kids and Dr Grant, forcing them to escape into the dinosaur paddock. 

Plot point 2 is linked to the first plot point it demonstrates the reversal of the narrative and a change in direction. For Jurassic Park it sees our heroes off the tour and struggling to survive from the creatures they once saw majestic. We see Hammond and Ray Arnold fail to turn the power back on after Nedry’s death. In turn causing Ellie to have to venture out and turn it on manually. Her victory of turning on the power is overturned by the attack of the Raptors, killing Muldoon and Arnold. Alan and the kids are reunited with Ellie, leading on to the climax of the film.

The climax is the maximum tension point in the story, the point where the hero confronts the major obstacle. The kids are hunted by the Raptors in the kitchen and then the control room after being saved by Alan and Ellie, they are chased through the visitor centre and onto the dinosaur skeleton in the lobby. 

The Third Act is kicked off by a twist, being the T-Rex seemingly coming out of nowhere saving the heroes by attacking the Raptors. This comes as a twist as all seems lost as the heroes are surrounded by the Raptors. 

The Third act commences with the Resolution this resolves the plot strands and ends the film. All the survivors including Ian and Hammond escape the island and fly home, the T-Rex rules the island and Hammond realises his mistake and decides not to open the park. Alans character arc of hating kids is also resolved as he is seen with a new respect for them, seen holding them as they sleep on the chopper.

The film has a relatively closed ending having all the characters escape to the mainland and safety, however it is left relatively open as the island is now abandoned with the Dinosaurs free to roam.