People say that if there was only one story - a universal template - everyone would be using it. Well they are.

And we're not talking 4 acts, plot points etc.

I mean that ALL succcessful screenplays use a very detailed version of the Hero's Journey that is based on Transformation.

You need to check out the research at:

http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Say hello to Mr. Carl Jung: http://forums.studentfilms.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1486066451/m/5741018953?r=

This isn't anything new, Joseph Campbell wrote in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces about the universal connections between myths, and Christopher Vogler wrote a book about mythic structure in films called The Writer's Journey. Vogler uses information from Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung and applies that same structures and archetypes to movies. Also the book Myth and the Movies breaks down the mythic structure in many classic and popular films.

Didn't see that trend in The Russian Ark.