In this blog post, we examine why the film “Idiocracy” doesn’t precisely conform to the traditional three-act structure or the hero’s journey, analyzing how each scene is restructured through unique narrative strategies.
The Plot of “Idiocracy”
While irrational and illogical people engage in promiscuity and have children indiscriminately, a high-IQ couple follows a planned birth schedule, leading to a gradual increase in the population of the former group. Against this backdrop, humanity’s average IQ steadily declines. Joe Bauer, an ordinary American man, is ordered by higher-ups to participate in a human hibernation program. He becomes a frozen human alongside Rita, a prostitute, but upon awakening, finds himself in the 2500s, waking up in front of the home of Frito, a future human. Joe wanders around like he’s being chased, gets branded an unregistered individual and imprisoned, but escapes, enduring various trials. Meanwhile, he reunites with Rita, who was also part of the hibernation program. They attempt to persuade Frito to use a time machine to return to the past, but this attempt also fails, leading to Joe’s recapture.
During an IQ test administered when he was first imprisoned, Joe Bauer is determined to be the smartest human in the world. Consequently, he is selected by the President of the United States to become Secretary of the Interior, beginning a second life as a bureaucrat in the future era. During this time, he is tasked with solving all the nation’s problems, particularly the food crisis. However, time is too short to deliver results. His proposed solution involving the use of ‘water’ causes the stock price of the ion drink company ‘Brown-Do’ to plummet and leads to mass unemployment, resulting in severe persecution. Ultimately, he is forced into a rehabilitation program equivalent to a death sentence, plunging him into a dramatic crisis.
On the brink of death in the re-education program, Joe is dramatically rescued thanks to Rita and Frito’s actions, proving his views were correct. Recognized for his contributions, he is promoted not only back to Minister of the Interior but also to Vice President. Subsequently, he is chosen as President Camacho’s successor, establishing himself as the true leader capable of transforming the society that has degenerated into an empire of fools. He marries Rita and lives happily ever after.
Examining the Narrative Strategy of “Idiocracy”
We have examined the plot of the film “Idiocracy” and analyzed its structure based on narrative theory. To state the conclusion of the analysis upfront, this case is not structured in a way that typically aligns with the structure of common fairy tales, myths, or heroic tales. First, the theories of Propp, Campbell, and Vogler applied in the structural analysis all culminate in Act 2, where resolution occurs through the climax, leading to the hero’s return. Applying this methodology to “Idiocracy,” it seems more plausible that the most dramatic scene—the re-education program sequence—should occupy this position. Typically, Act 3 signifies the ‘ordinary world’ or ‘world after return’. Had the protagonist returned to the present and the film explored that process and episodes further, the storytelling would have approximated the classic narrative structure more closely.
The reason the rehabilitation program must be structured in Act 3 is that the film is broadly divided into three stages. While the protagonist doesn’t return to the present, dividing the narrative into the realms of present to future, future to ordinary citizen, and ordinary citizen to White House official aligns the overall context with a three-act structure. Particularly in Act 3, even if the protagonist returns, it is an incomplete return where their identity remains unconfirmed until the final difficult task in the magic tale is completed. Similarly, in Campbell’s narrative structure, it is difficult to consider the gateway of return fully crossed until the miraculous escape is overcome. From this perspective, the rehabilitation program episode can be understood as structured within Act 3, as the protagonist of the analyzed case must overcome this program to finally establish themselves as a full-fledged government official. Notably, the film’s conclusion ending with the protagonist’s marriage to Rita, his ally, connects more naturally to the structure of the 31st stage in the magic tale being achieved through marriage.
Meanwhile, the part where applying the magic tale logic is difficult is the structure of Act 1. In Act 1, the decisive factor prompting the protagonist to embark on the adventure is the moment their family is harmed by the villain. While one could argue that prior to this, the protagonist receives a prohibition, violates it, and gains a calling to embark on the adventure, the actual reaction stage (Step 10) where the protagonist sets out on the adventure can be interpreted as occurring only after the harm has been inflicted, with the calling given afterward. However, in this analysis, it was difficult to find a clear point of division for Act 1 according to Propp’s theory within the stage preceding the harm. For this reason, Act 1 is judged to align more closely with the logic of a heroic tale or mythical structure when developed.
Thus, “Idiocracy” cannot be seen as perfectly conforming to traditional classical narrative theory. Nevertheless, based on its closed ending, Act 3 employs the structure of a fairy tale, Act 1 uses the structure of a hero myth, and Act 2 borrows elements of the hero myth structure rather than the fairy tale structure, forming a complex narrative. A full-scale adoption of typical classical narrative theory might appear somewhat stale. This is because there is a risk of it devolving into the predictable structure of commonly encountered folk tales or traditional stories. Of course, predictability can be entertaining, but audiences don’t necessarily look forward to a movie filled with spoilers. To find enjoyment within the predictable, the film must enhance its formal elements—visual spectacle like CGI—beyond just storytelling. “Idiocracy” stands out in its attempt to compensate for this weakness by offering audiences a fresh visual experience through its unique futuristic setting and the actors’ distinctive performances. Furthermore, narratively, it adopts a structure that compromises the classic three-act narrative while avoiding typical constraints, allowing the journey to the conclusion to feel fresh.
In summary, no matter how excellent the screenplay, without the supporting performances of the actors, CG, and directing skills, it’s difficult to achieve a high-quality film. However, “Idiocracy” demonstrates a new possibility by complexly compromising each structural element to prevent a predictable story from becoming predictable, and by somewhat provocatively utilizing formal elements at points where predictability is expected. This strategy appears to be one alternative that could give birth to fresh works in Korean animation or film as well.
