Narrative technique · used in 1 film

Power Escalation Structure

Giving a character a growing ability so each scene shows a bigger version of it. The question shifts from what they can do to what is left of them as a person.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. Lucy (2014) poster

    Lucy

    Luc Besson · 2014

    Lucy goes from a frightened courier to someone who can read minds and move objects. Each new power makes her colder and less human. You start to worry about what she is losing, even while the powers get more fun to watch.

    Where to see it: Lucy's return to the hotel. She now handles the drug lord's bodyguards with ease and learns where the other drug bags are without being told.

Questions

Quick answers

What is power escalation structure in film?
Giving a character a growing ability so each scene shows a bigger version of it. The question shifts from what they can do to what is left of them as a person.
Which films use power escalation structure?
Lucy (2014).
What kind of technique is power escalation structure?
It is a narrative technique. Related narrative techniques include Ticking Clock Structure, Symbolic Object, Observational Restraint.