Dances with Wolves
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$142 – 156MM V $184MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
13.53 – 14.88%
Script Score
0.42
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 Western movie directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is based on the 1988 novel by Michael Blake. The story is about an officer who befriends the native Sioux tribe and rebels against the expansionist Union Army.
1. The invisible plot structure of Dances with Wolves
1A. The script of Dances with Wolves borrows 97% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Dunbar’s quest is driven by the desire of fairness and justice. The quest borrows events from the tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology. Both Prometheus and Dunbar rebel to stop the destructive forces.
Wind I.H. Hair’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Wind I.H. Hair become loyal allies of those that they initially suspected.
Union Army’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Ravan in Hindu mythology. Both Ravan and Union Army take whatever they want without any concern for the consequences.
None of the other characters have any quest.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 11,512
Tales interweaved
Prometheus, Hanuman & Ravan
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Dances with Wolves' plot structure: $142 – 156MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Dances with Wolves
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Dances with Wolves has 3 universal quests of Idealism, Power & Honour.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Dunbar mirrors the universal quest of Idealism. Union Army mirrors the quest of Power. Wind in his Hair mirrors the quest of Honour.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Dunbar borrows 53% events from the universal quest for Idealism. Wind in his Hair borrows 28% events from the universal quest for Honour whereas Union Army’s borrows 12% events from the universal quest for Power.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Dances with Wolves’ quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Dunbar & Union Army:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Dances with Wolves
The plot structure has a very strong character in Dunbar which enhances the resonance. However, the other 2 characters aren’t well-developed which limits its potential.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.42
Audience appeal
13.53 – 14.88%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Dances with Wolves
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Dunbar mirrors the universal quest for Idealism
Dunbar’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
Quest 2: Wind in his Hair mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Wind in his Hair’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to a clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Quest 3: Union Army mirrors the universal quest for Power
Union Army’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Ravan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure is driven by a single quest, the other two quests are shallow.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Dances with Wolves is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 11,512. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Prometheus, Hanuman & Ravan.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 11,512
Tags: Prometheus, Psyche, Circe, Noah, Idealism, Social contact, Power, Preservation, Andrew Stanton, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, 2008