Screenplay Structure Analysis

The Irishman

Written by Steven Zaillian · Crime Drama · 136 pages · 274 scenes · 3-act natural structure · circular organization · Analysis confidence: High

An aging hitman recounts his decades-long involvement with the Bufalino crime family and his role in the disappearance of his friend Jimmy Hoffa.

Tone
Elegiac, reflective, and melancholic

Tension curve

Dramatic intensity across The Irishman from first page to last, sampled at 40 points on a 0–10 scale. Values: 5.8, 6.2, 6.9, 7, 6.3, 5.8, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.9, 6.7, 6.1, 5.5, 5.4, 5.2, 5.1, 5, 5.2, 5.7, 5.9, 6.1, 6.2, 6.6, 6.9, 6.9, 6.8, 6.7, 6.5, 6.5, 6.2, 6.1, 6.3, 7, 7.8, 7.6, 6.9, 6.1, 5.7, 5.8, 5.8.

Structure at a glance

Inciting incident
Page 23, 17% of the script: A younger Russell sits at Villa D'Roma with one of Frank's stolen steaks on his plate.
Act 1 break
Page 54, 40% of the script: Frank meets Jimmy Hoffa for the first time, launching their friendship and Frank's deeper involvement in Teamster affairs.
Midpoint
Page 70, 52% of the script: The prison bus pulls through the gates of Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary.
Act 2 break
Page 113, 83% of the script: Frank kills Jimmy Hoffa in the Pontiac house, completing his ultimate betrayal and marking the end of their relationship.
Climax
Page 117, 86% of the script: Jimmy immediately senses danger upon entering the quiet house with no voices and poorly cut linoleum underfoot, while Frank confirms in voiceover that Jimmy knew what it was.
Peak tension
7.8 out of 10, reached about 85% of the way through; the script averages 6.2.
Average scene length
1.1 pages

Structural personality

This script employs a sophisticated circular structure that begins and ends with an elderly Frank being interviewed about a house, creating a frame narrative that emphasizes the weight of memory and consequence. The story unfolds through extensive flashbacks that spiral through decades, moving between Frank's present-day recollections and his past experiences. Rather than following a traditional three-act structure, it operates more like a memoir, with the Hoffa relationship serving as the central spine around which all other criminal activities revolve. The structure mirrors the way memory works - non-linear, associative, and haunted by pivotal moments.

Pacing

The pacing is deliberately methodical and contemplative, reflecting an old man's measured recollection of his life. Long stretches focus on relationship-building and the mundane details of criminal enterprise, punctuated by sudden moments of violence. The script takes its time establishing Frank's world before introducing Hoffa around scene 125, then accelerates through their friendship and business relationship before slowing again for the inevitable, tragic conclusion. The final act becomes increasingly sparse and melancholic as Frank faces the isolation that comes with outliving everyone he knew.

Themes

Similar shapes

Screenplays whose tension curve most closely matches The Irishman.

Scene summaries and structural markers are generated by AI analysis of the screenplay text and may contain minor inaccuracies. ScriptGraph analyzes structure and does not reproduce screenplay text.

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