For an example of how the three act structure works with trilogies, look at the Star Wars original trilogy:
A New Hope sets up the stage for the trilogy: an oppressive galactic empire under the malevolent Darth Vader, and his son, a young farm boy called Luke Skywalker realising his destiny.
In The Empire Strikes Back, there's a greater emphasis on the conflict between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and the Jedi and the Sith. Luke travels to the planet Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda, and returns near the end of the film to fight Vader for the first time, resulting in one of the most famous plot twists in cinematic history.
Finally, Return of the Jedi forms the climax to the trilogy. A year has passed since Empire, and Luke continues to train as a Jedi to confront his father. The last half of the film gives way to the climatic battle above the forest moon of Endor, which results in the destruction of the second Death Star, the fragmentation of the Empire, and Vader's spirit returned to the Light Side of the Force.
As mentioned above, these films also have the three-act structure in themselves; A New Hope more so, as it was written under the assumption there wouldn't be an Empire.
Edited by 69BookWorM69
Culled from the original YKTTW article:
For an example of how the three act structure works with trilogies, look at the Star Wars original trilogy:
- A New Hope sets up the stage for the trilogy: an oppressive galactic empire under the malevolent Darth Vader, and his son, a young farm boy called Luke Skywalker realising his destiny.
- In The Empire Strikes Back, there's a greater emphasis on the conflict between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and the Jedi and the Sith. Luke travels to the planet Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda, and returns near the end of the film to fight Vader for the first time, resulting in one of the most famous plot twists in cinematic history.
- Finally, Return of the Jedi forms the climax to the trilogy. A year has passed since Empire, and Luke continues to train as a Jedi to confront his father. The last half of the film gives way to the climatic battle above the forest moon of Endor, which results in the destruction of the second Death Star, the fragmentation of the Empire, and Vader's spirit returned to the Light Side of the Force.
As mentioned above, these films also have the three-act structure in themselves; A New Hope more so, as it was written under the assumption there wouldn't be an Empire. Edited by 69BookWorM69