In previous essays, we’ve provided sequence breakdowns for a classic film and an independent art house film. Clients have since requested that we apply the same analysis to more mainstream commercial fare, such as an action film. In future, we’ll tackle a broad comedy as well.

Since action movies graduated from B-movies to the mainstream with the huge success of DIE HARD, this seems like the ideal choice for this exercise.

ACT ONE

First Sequence: The film opens with New York cop John McCain (Bruce Willis) flying to L.A. to spend Christmas with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). As the story begins, a problem already exists: John and Holly are on the verge of divorce. He arrives at her office Christmas party, they spar, and she leaves him to join her colleagues.

Second Sequence: Terrorists break into the building and kill the desk guard. We meet the terrorist leader, the dapper and debonair Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). Hans and his men burst into the party and open fire, then take the employees hostage. (This is the point of attack.) Meanwhile, in another office, John hears the bullets and remains hidden.

ACT TWO

First Sequence: Gruber orders Takagi, the CEO, to turn over the $640 million in bonds located in the company vault. Takagi insists that it is impossible to open the vault, which has seven locks, including an electromagnetic one. Angry at Takagi’s refusal to cooperate, Gruber kills him. After John sets off the fire alarm, and then kills a terrorist who comes after him, Gruber realizes that they have a man on the loose in the building. Holly guesses that it is John. John takes the dead terrorist’s walkie-talkie to the roof and calls out a “May Day.” The cops are wary but send a patrol car, driven by a cop named AL, for a routine check.

Second Sequence: While John plays cat and mouse with the terrorists, Al chats with a terrorist posing as the desk guard. Convinced all is well, Al drives off. Desperate, John breaks a window and throws out one of the dead terrorists. This finally gets the attention of the cops. Squad cars surround the building, but Gruber is unfazed; this is part of his plan.

Third Sequence: Al picks up John on the walkie-talkie, but John will not tell Al who he is, because he does not want Gruber to know. Police chief Robinson concludes that John is a terrorist and is working alone, despite Al’s instincts to the contrary. Robinson insists on sending men inside, even though John warns that they will be slaughtered. As expected, the terrorists shoot at the cops.

Fourth Sequence: Gruber learns from another employee that John is a cop. Outside, the FBI arrives and takes over. As John continues his battle inside, the feds cut the power, allowing the terrorists to get through the last lock on the vault. John fears all is lost and asks Al to tell Holly he’s sorry for his behavior.

ACT THREE

First Sequence: Gruber learns that Holly is John’s wife, from a TV news report. John finds the missiles Gruber has brought in and calls Al to warn him. When police helicopters land on the roof, John fires at them, having realized that the roof is wired. They fire back. Gruber blows up the roof and John grabs a firehouse and dives off, then re-enters through a window. John finds Gruber, who has taken Holly hostage. John tricks Gruber, then shoots him. Gruber falls out the window to his death.

Second Sequence: John and Holly emerge from the building. John and Al hug, having bonded through the ordeal, just as the last surviving terrorist appears. Al kills him and saves the day.

This film works well for many reasons. First of all, every sequence contains a complication that makes John’s situation worse and raises the stakes. John also has a clear arc in the story. He begins both physically and mentally vulnerable (he is barefoot and is initially at a loss as to how to fight the terrorists), but during the course of the story, his wits sharpen and his relationship with Al over the walkie-talkie builds his confidence. John’s attitude towards Holly changes as well, giving him an emotional arc.

By having the terrorists speak in German, with no subtitles, we are able to just watch their actions without getting bogged down in exposition. We know what they are saying from what they’re doing. Another plus is that all of John’s actions are logical and smart. Unlike films where the protagonist makes foolish choices that inevitably go wrong, or carry out implausible superhuman tasks, John acts believably yet wisely. For example, he runs to the roof and calls for help on the walkie-talkie. Because this is something we might have done in his place, when it fails, it is genuinely upsetting and creates real suspense.

The best action movies, the ones that become classics, contain many of these same qualities -- qualities that all writers should aim for in their screenplays.