20201002 EDGE OF TOMORROW As Sequences
SEQUENCE 1
Exposition
Establish starting role of hero as pro persuader
Inciting incident: being solicited to go to the front lines
Contest leads to being sent in worse conditions, the guise of a deserter
Introduced to supporting characters, people who have power over hero in new circumstances
SEQUENCE 2
Initial attempt and failure to win battle
Main incident: the time loop begins
SEQUENCE 3
Playing with time loop and testing limits
Developing incident: meeting mysterious figure who seems to know about whats happening (Rita), and invites collaboration
SEQUENCE 4
Trying to reach Rita
Closure on mechanism and establishing rules of time loop
New objective created: find the Omega
SEQUENCE 5
Iteration training and trying for new objective
Finally accomplish stage 1 (get off the beach)
Make it to open road in a car
SEQUENCE 6
Character revelations and tension in car and at cottage
Leads to stronger relationship between Cage and Rita
Rita dies
Cage decides to fight alone
High point: Cage finds supposed Omega location but it’s a ruse and a trap
SEQUENCE 7
Reunion with Rita
New objective: find the Omega’s real location
Get locator maguffin from General and learn Omega location
At the cost of time loop power
SEQUENCE 8
The Last Hurrah: Escape and recruit squad to assist
Get to general objective area
Squad die
Rita and Cage accept their deaths, Cage is finally a soldier
Kiss
Victory at the cost of lives
Through good luck Cage gets to time loop again
Brief denouement, implying possible heroic romance
All of the plot drama is based around travelling to a place, or acquiring an object. Most of the momentary drama is based around staying alive/avoiding arrest. Some of the momentary drama is based around persuasion. These persuasion scenes stand out: avoiding being sent to the front by the general, convincing the sergeant of Cage’s officer status, asking Rita to not fly the helicopter, persuading the general to share the locator maguffin, persuading J-squad to join the last hurrah.
Those first three do not lean on foreknowledge afforded the hero by their special status and so are more thrilling in their uncertainty.