The Final Beats

What is Act Three

Act three's job is to tie the whole movie up. It has the final showdown with the antagonist, and the introduction into the new normal for the character. Act three is the most moving part of the movie, if the other acts are done right, because it allows the audience to see how the character has changed and see the end of the journey with the characters. There are only three beats in Act three, but if done right they will leave an impact on the audience. The three beats in Act three are break into three, finale, and final image.

Break into Three Beat

This beat happens right after the dark night of the soul beat and is the turning point from this beat. It shows the change in the character's way of thinking, and a hint about how they might win. In Legally Blonde, the break into three happens after Elle quit law school, because of the professor. She is talking with Paulette about how she regrets coming and is never coming back again. between Paulette, and Professor Stromwell, they give her advice about what she can do. She decides that there is something to do, and at the very end of the scene you can see the thought of action in her eyes. This beat propels the audience into the final showdown of the film.

Finale Beat

This is when the final showdown between the protagonist and the antagonist happens. There is fresh hope in the protagonist due to their realization in the break into three beat. The final showdown shows the change in the character, and their use of new skills to defeat the antagonist. In Avengers Endgame, the finale is the last battle with Thanos, after the other show back up. This is the final battle, and the heroes throw everything at the antagonist, and ultimately defeat the antagonist in the end. There is also new hope in the characters and determination that was not there a few beats earlier.

Final Image

This is the final scene of the film and show the contrast and change in the protagonist from the beginning of the film to where they are now. It also introduces the new world of the character. This can be how the character fits into a crowd, or how the character now interacts, or in superhero films it could be how the hero's world now that they have superpowers. In Spiderman No Way Home, this is when he is seeing MJ and Ned in the shop, but they don't remember him. It also shows his life now that he has no one to live with. It shows how life is going to be for him after the film is over.

The Importance of Act Three

Act Three shows why watching the movie is worth the time to the audience. Without a good act three the audience does not get clarity in the movie or understand why they watched it. A good act three shows the audience the growth in the character, and the defeat of the antagonist. Without this beat the audience does not understand the journey of the character and the movie cannot impact the audience the same.