Narrative Structures (The Crazies)

 Narrative Structures & The Crazies 

1. Give two examples of events that cause later events in the film, but which occur before the film ‘starts’. 

 

• The plane crashing into the local river, leading to mass virus spread. 

• The first citizen gets sick, then he turns up to the baseball game and scares the public. 

• US Government creates virus to wipe out hostile civilization, they then decide to destroy the bioweapon, but the plane crashes before reaching its destination. 

2) List two events from the 92-minute film that happen in different time and space to the one we are shown. 

 

• Judy’s pregnancy 

• Civilians shot dead, regardless of sickness 

 

3. Identify key plot points in the film that you would associate with the three-act structure (Act 1 = set-up/normality, Act-2 = Confrontation/disruption, Act 3 = Resolution/restoration of normality) 

Act-1: 

Introduction to all the crucial characters in abundance, then the clueless build up to seeing the first sick local at the baseball game. 

 

 

 

 

 

Act-2:  

Everything begins to seem very off in the town and danger is way too prominent in this small and quiet town. The breakdown of the town quickly begins, leading to the evacuation process, where we see our two main characters, who are partners, they are separated. This is our dilemma in the story. 

 

 

Act-3: 

David our main protagonists is faced with the decision, stay in the safe sector of quarantine, or rescue his beloved wife from the imminent danger she is facing. He leaves the safety of his position and returns to save his wife. They leave on to the quest to safety, it’s a long road ahead as they meet numerous near calls, but the get out of town in time for when the atomic bomb hits. Eventually they reach the next larger town, which without them knowing is in imminent danger as well.