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RAN script analysis

RAN script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Former warlord Hidetora Ichimonji abdicates in favor of his eldest son, only to be betrayed and cast out by his heirs. As he wanders destitute, his youngest son Saburo remains loyal and seeks to restore his father’s honor. Meanwhile, inside the castles, a power struggle unfolds driven by ambition and manipulation. The tragedy culminates in betrayal, madness, and Hidetora’s final descent.

75 Save the Cat fit score 42% analysis confidence / 26 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

80%

The film opens with Hidetora leading a lavish hunt, establishing his power and grandeur.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

75%

Saburo’s insult to his father (“Either you are senile or you are mad.”) foreshadows the theme of filial loyalty and the cost of pride.

You are. Either you are senile or you are mad.
3

Set-Up

Scene 3 / Page 1 / 10% target

85%

Hidetora announces his abdication to Taro, setting up the family dynamics and the shifting power structure.

I, Hidetora, hereby hand the headship of the house to my eldest son, Taro.
4

Catalyst

Scene 4 / Page 1 / 12% target

80%

Saburo and Tango are exiled, triggering Hidetora’s fall from authority.

5

Debate

Scene 5 / Page 1 / 20% target

70%

Taro and Jiro discuss their father’s instability, debating the wisdom of his decisions.

6

Break into Two

Scene 7 / Page 1 / 25% target

75%

Taro forces Hidetora to sign a pledge of submission, marking Hidetora’s transition into a powerless state.

I would like you to sign this and seal it with your blood.
7

B Story

Scene 9 / Page 1 / 30% target

65%

Hidetora’s arrival at Jiro’s castle and rejection introduces the loyalty B‐story centered on Saburo.

Lord Taro is the head of the House of Ichimonji, and I have no choice but to obey...
8

Fun and Games

Scene 11 / Page 1 / 40% target

70%

Hidetora wanders hungry and directionless in the field, showing his decline and the story’s tragic irony.

Idiot! If I could do that, I would not have stayed hungry and tired like this, wandering aimlessly...
9

Midpoint

Scene 13 / Page 1 / 50% target

80%

Tango brings news of Saburo’s loyalty, and Hidetora decides to head for the Third Castle—false hope and major turning point.

Master Saburo thinks of nothing but his father’s welfare. It is because of him that I have disguised...
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 16 / Page 1 / 65% target

75%

Jiro consolidates power after Taro’s death, tightening the noose around Hidetora’s family.

It was my accursed turn of fortune to have to be the one to inform you of the...
11

All Is Lost

Scene 21 / Page 1 / 75% target

85%

Saburo is shot and killed before Hidetora’s eyes, representing the story’s lowest point.

How cruel you are! How could you pull me from my grave?
12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 22 / Page 1 / 80% target

70%

The siege of the First Castle and Hidetora’s madness leave him utterly bereft and questioning existence.

13

Break into Three

Scene 24 / Page 1 / 85% target

75%

Kurogane’s killing of Kaede signals the final shift toward retribution and resolution.

Vixen! You fooled the lord! You caused him to do useless things, and you have now destroyed the...
14

Finale

Scene 25 / Page 1 / 95% target

70%

Saburo’s funeral and Fujimaki’s intervention wrap up the remaining conflicts and reflect on lost honor.

15

Final Image

Scene 26 / Page 1 / 99% target

80%

The solitary Tsurumaru wandering the ruined castle walls mirrors the opening’s grandeur now replaced by desolation.