Although we may not always consciously realize it, we seek out stories for their themes. The movies that most affect us – the ones we cherish and carry with us throughout our lives – are those with common themes that have profoundly affected and even changed us. And yet, because movie themes are often buried deep within a story’s structure, it can be hard to articulate or even recognize them. This article will analyze how seven classic movies deliver profound movie experiences through common story themes.
- What is a movie theme?
- God and Philosophy
- Survival
- Virtue and Values
- Love
- Society
- Good vs. Evil
- Discovering Self-Knowledge
Theme in film
What is a movie theme?
Robert McKee, the famous screenwriting teacher, defines stories as “equipment for living.” He argues that stories teach us how to live by dramatizing common themes that are central to our lives. McKee refers to movie themes as “controlling ideas,” which are “the purest form of a story's meaning, the vision of life the audience members carry away into their lives.” Here's McKee with further explanation.
Movies Themes • Equipment for Living
As seen with McKee’s “controlling idea,” theme can be defined in a number of ways. Often, people define film themes in one, or perhaps several, words. Examples include:
- Love
- Death
- Justice
- Coming of age
- Man vs. nature
But strictly speaking, these are story topics or subjects, not themes. As we define it in our article on theme, a theme in film is actually “the inferred stance taken on a topic of a story.”
THEME DEFINITION
What is a theme in film?
A theme is the inferred stance taken on a topic of a story. Everything that happens within a story should reference back to a theme.
For example, while “justice” may be the overriding subject of a movie, a theme derived from this subject may be something like, “If a person doesn't first do herself justice, she can never do it for others.”
In the film analysis below, we organize a number of types of themes into seven major subjects:
- God and Philosophy
- Survival
- Virtue and Values
- Love
- Good vs. Evil
- Society
- Discovering Self-Knowledge
For each of these subjects, we generate a list of subtopics, then analyze how classic films transform several of those subtopics into common themes in movies. Any given movie, of course, can yield multiple and overlapping movie theme examples from across these major subjects.
Movie Themes #1
God and Philosophy
In this category, subtopics that yield common themes include:
- Faith vs. doubt
- Fate vs. self-determination
- Reason vs. faith
- Facing an empty universe
- Destruction of the soul
Joel and Ethan Coen’sNo Country for Old Men (2007) features themes derived from these topics. Typical themes in Coen Brothers' films include the idea that the universe is beyond comprehension or appeal. The Coens often symbolize this theme with a desk, which represents an implacable force that cannot be reasoned with, as seen in this video.
Are the Coen Brothers Obsessed with Desks? • Subscribe on YouTube
The symbol of the desk is used in No Country for Old Men, a movie in which the implacable force is pure evil in the form of Javier Bardem’s terrifying serial killer, Anton Chigurh, whose nature and motivations the other characters cannot fathom.
This character suggests the theme that “the more we try to understand the nature of the universe, the less we are likely to understand it.” The theme is further symbolized by Chigurh’s use of a coin flip to decide who will live or die.
For the Coens in this film, human self-determination is an illusion.
Coin Toss Scene • No Country for Old Men
The theme is also expressed through the character of Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), mystified and struck helpless by a universe he can’t understand, much less control. The Coens organize the movie as a standoff between good and evil, using the Neo-Western genre as a way to reinforce that traditional story.
But then they subvert the genre’s typical triumph of good in the third act. Not only does evil vanquish good, but Sheriff Bell quits law enforcement, feeling that his actions can no longer make a difference. In this scene, Sheriff Bell lays out this existential quandary.
I Feel Overmatched • No Country for Old Men
A final expression of the theme occurs near the end of the film, when Chigurh is badly hurt in a freak car accident. What could have easily become a moment of cosmic irony or poetic justice is left unresolved.
Themes in Coen Brothers’ films
While viewers can read this as the villain getting his comeuppance, the random nature of it — as well as the fact that none of the main characters even realize that it happens — suggests the theme that the moral arc of the universe does not bend towards justice, no matter how much we want it to.
List of Themes
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
- The more we try to understand the nature of the universe, the less we are likely to understand it.
- The moral arc of the universe does not bend towards justice, no matter how much we want it to.
Movie Themes #2
Survival
In this category, subtopics that yield common themes include:
- Human vs. nature
- Human vs. human
- Individual vs. self
- Perseverance/finding strength
- Resistance to oppression
- Facing disease/mortality/addiction
- Beating the odds
Survival is a subject that lends itself well to movies because it tends to feature intense conflict between an individual and another force (human, nature, machine), as well as between individual and self.
A classic that has touched many viewers with these theme topics is The Shawshank Redemption (1994), written and directed by Frank Darabont.
In one crucial way, The Shawshank Redemption expresses the opposite theme of No Country for Old Men. While both movies imply that humans are at the cruel whims of an inexplicable universe, Shawshank firmly believes in some degree of self-determination.
No matter how bad your situation is, the way you react to it — what you learn, how you feel, and how you treat other people — is always up to you. That’s what the wrongly convicted Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) persists in believing, despite his brutal treatment in Shawshank prison over many years.
“There’s something inside they can’t get to”
While Andy fights outward oppression, his friend Red (Morgan Freeman) struggles internally. While Red has an easier time of it in prison than Andy, he doesn’t believe that he can make it on the outside if he is ever released.
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice.”
The famous line from the scene, “Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’,” can be tweaked slightly to convey another theme: “If you don’t commit to actively living despite your circumstances, you aren’t really alive, and you might as well be dead.” Eventually Red embraces living, leading to one of cinema’s most famous and moving endings.
Ending Scene • Shawshank Redemption
List of Themes
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
- No matter how bad your situation is, the way you react to it - what you learn, how you feel, and how you treat others - is up to you.
- If you don’t commit to actively living despite your circumstances, you aren’t really alive, and you might as well be dead.
Movie Themes #3
Virtue and Values
In this category, subtopics that yield common themes include:
- Courage and heroism
- Honor and loyalty
- Hypocrisy
- Facing fear/finding bravery
- Greed as downfall
- Pride as downfall
- Rising to the occasion
Themes of virtue and values are typically dramatized in films for children, especially fantasy adventures such as Hayao Miyazaki’s animated classic Spirited Away (2001). The movie chronicles the adventures of a young girl, Chihiro, who stumbles into an alternate spirit world where her parents' greed turns them into pigs. In the early scenes Chihiro is fearful, clingy, and whiny, with no spirit of adventure.
“It’s creepy! Let’s go home!”
Determined to save her parents, Chihiro tentatively begins to face her fears, becoming braver and more adventurous as she stumbles into one strange and frightening situation after another. Eventually she makes friends in this world and decides to risk herself to save them. Even the film’s trailer describes her quest in terms of virtues and values.
Judgement, Courage, Loyalty
Ultimately, Chihiro saves her parents and returns to the real world wiser, bolder, and more self-reliant.
List of Themes
SPIRITED AWAY
- Before you can help others, you must find the courage to conquer your own fears.
- A rewarding life requires both an adventurous and a childlike spirit.
Movie Themes #4
Love
In this category, subtopics that yield common themes include:
- Love vs. loneliness
- Love vs. Social control
- Finding self-love
- Regret over lost love
- Power/strength of family/friendship
- Sacrificing for love
Love is one of the most common subjects in movies, and one of the most famous of all love stories is Casablanca (1942). The enduring influence and popularity of the movie is arguably due to the elegant and powerful way that it dramatizes themes of love.
Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a former freedom fighter, has retreated into cynicism, self-pity, and alcoholism in his nightclub in Casablanca. The source of his misery is his former lover, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), who abandoned him years earlier and who now shows up at his club with her husband, Laszlo. The couple are fighting the Germans and need Rick’s help to escape to American before they are captured.
“You are our last hope.”
Eventually, Rick agrees to help Ilsa and Laslo. His sacrifice for both Ilsa and the war effort is made out of the highest kind of love - doing what’s best for another person even if it’s not what you want for yourself. The climactic scene in which Rick expresses his love through selflessness is one of the most famous and celebrated in the movies.
Judgement, Courage, Loyalty
The fact that Rick is willing to give up Ilsa for a higher cause also shows that he has gained self-love, as his self-loathing and self-pity would not allow him to make such a choice earlier in the film.
List of Themes
CASABLANCA
- True love means doing what’s best for another person even at great cost to yourself.
- You must first love yourself before you are able to love another.
Movie Themes #5
Social themes
In this category, subtopics that yield common themes include:
- Class struggles
- Power and Corruption
- Fighting for Justice
- Individual vs. society
- Materialism/capitalism
- Progress – real or illusion
- Resistance
- Humanity vs. technology
- Change vs. tradition
- Chaos Vs. Order
- The evils of prejudice
- Quest for power
- Social mobility
Social themes inform movies in many different genres, including drama, comedy, science fiction, western, war, and biopics. The social issues above are so prevalent in movies, Classical Hollywood even came up with a sub-genre called Social Problem Films. Famous social problem films include The Lost Weekend (1945), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), On the Waterfront (1954), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(1967).
A more contemporary social problem film about racism is Spike Lee'sDo the Right Thing (1989), which was hailed as a masterpiece upon its release and propelled Lee into the first ranks of American filmmakers. Do the Right Thing chronicles a hot summer day in Brooklyn during which simmering racial tensions come to a boil.
In this famous scene, various characters from the movie shout racial epithets directly at the camera.
Mookie and Pino
Do the Right Thing is a powerful indictment of systemic racism, of a society organized around racial hierarchies — with white people at the top — and police policies that single out black people as especially threatening.
Death of Radio Raheem
But Lee also calls for personal responsibility, exhorting each of us to do better at treating each other with kindness and empathy. The themes in Do the Right Thing are not dramatized with particular subtlety, but they remain as relevant as ever.
List of Themes
DO THE RIGHT THING
- Defeating racism requires both social and personal change.
- Empathy and tolerance are key to co-existing in a diverse society.
Related Posts
- Best of Spike Lee →
- Free Movie Scripts Online →
- Best Adapted Screenplays →
Movie Themes #6
Good vs. Evil
In this category, subtopics that yield types of themes include:
- The destructive nature of crime and violence
- The horrors of war
- The temptation of sin
- The ugliness of revenge
- Resisting oppression
Like most crime films, Martin Scorsese’sGoodfellas (1990) dramatizes both the rise and the fall of a group of criminals. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) is a poor kid who is thrilled to discover a path to easy power and money with the Italian mob. It’s fun for a while. But eventually the mobsters’ reliance on crime and violence results in their long and ugly decline.
Scorsese conveys their rise — the good times of power, pleasure, and wealth — with lush colors, warm lighting, nostalgic music, and sweeping cinematography, as for example in the famous Copacabana scene. In this scene, a long taketracking shotushers Henry and his girlfriend Karen inside with a flourish that creates a sense of excitement and grandeur.
The hottest spot north of Havana
In the second half, the characters’ embrace of crime and violence takes its toll as they succumb to infighting, drug addiction, financial problems, prison, and death. Compare the early Copacabana scene to a later scene when Henry and Karen realize that life as they know it is coming to an end. Scorsese conveys the theme visually, using ugly mise-en-scene, flat lighting, and awkward framing to reflect the poverty of their values.
“Why did you do that!?”
Ironically, there is very little good in Goodfellas. What good exists is represented by the barley-glimpsed working class people for whom Henry and his friends have nothing but contempt.
For Scorsese, the worst thing about these gangsters is that they never learn why the humble lives of the working class people are more noble than their own. Recognizing this at least might set them on the path to some kind of redemption.
List of Themes
GOODFELLAS
- One may achieve power and pleasure through crime and violence; but hurting other human beings for personal gain will have ruinous effects on one's psyche and soul.
Movie Themes #7
Discovering Self-Knowledge
In this category, subtopics that yield types of themes include:
- Coming of age
- Shallowness vs. depth
- Finding empowerment
- Starting over
- Learning to live with mistakes/guilt/regret
- The cost of not accepting one’s true identity
- Disillusionment/Loss of innocence
- Dangers of ignorance
- Finding self-awareness
- Desire to escape
One of the most common themes in movies is discovering self-knowledge. This theme is most evident in coming-of-age stories such as Amy Heckerling's classic teen comedy Clueless (1995), based on Jane Austen’s coming-of-age novel, Emma.
In Clueless, Beverly Hills teen princess Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is basically good-hearted. But her wealth and privilege, and her obsession with clothes and popularity, have contributed to her shallowness and ignorance, preventing her from growing into a well-rounded person.
Contempo casual
Cher designates herself matchmatcher in the movie, trying to find love for her friends and teachers. But she tries to hook them up based on shallow considerations such as what social clique they belong to.
Cher’s new project
Because Cher doesn’t take the time to really get to know people, she ends up feeling confused and alone. Once she begins to accept people for who they really are — and recognize that nobody’s perfect — she is able to develop a deeper understanding of herself.
All by Myself
In each of the movies we’ve analyzed, the arc of a character’s change — his or her ability to find some degree of enlightenment and happiness — depends on discovering self-knowledge, whether it’s Cher, Rick in Casablanca, Red and Andy in Shawshank, or Chihiro in Spirited Away.
Conversely, the characters that don’t discover self-knowledge, such as Henry Hill and his fellow gangsters in Goodfellas are doomed to a life without true fulfillment.
List of Themes
CLUELESS
- You can’t discover who you really are until you learn to accept people for who they really are.
- To really grow up, you must accept your flaws and failures and learn from them.
UP NEXT
Theme: Definition and Examples
Now that we’ve identified common themes in seven classic films, read the StudioBinder article on theme and learn more about its purpose and how screenwriters and directors weave theme within narrative film.
Up Next: What is theme?
FAQs
What is the theme in the movie enough? ›
The movie showcases the theme of self-defense to encourage all the women to fight for themselves, freedom, integrity, and desires on their own. Slim encourages all the victimized women to fight against domestic violence and power control inflicted upon them by their male counterparts.
What were the major themes discussed in early films how is it similar or different from the films you have seen? ›They were of simple themes either of comedy, drama, romance, or action genre. They were shot in a film studio, and foreign shoot was not common. With 2-3 dedicated actors and a few songs, the movie was greatly appreciated among the audience. They had a limited budget and a limited technology.
What is a theme in film analysis example? ›THEME DEFINITION
Everything that happens within a story should reference back to a theme. For example, while “justice” may be the overriding subject of a movie, a theme derived from this subject may be something like, “If a person doesn't first do herself justice, she can never do it for others.”
- Beauty.
- Good vs. evil.
- Coming-of-age.
- Loyalty.
- Betrayal.
- Life and Death.
- Justice.
- Family.
- Power.
- Family.
- Identity.
- Loneliness.
- Friendship.
- Free will vs. Fate.
- Hope.
- Love.
She receives unwelcome romantic advances from Robbie, a customer who teases her about her name. Another man in the diner, Mitch Hiller, reveals that Robbie made a bet that he would be able to convince Slim to sleep with him. Soon after, Slim falls in love with and marries Mitch, and they have a child named Gracie.
Does Netflix have Enough? ›To escape an abusive marriage, a mother goes into hiding with her child — but when her obsessive husband tracks her down, she must fight for her life. Watch all you want.
What are the most popular themes in movies? ›The Love Story is one of the most popular themes in movies. This is because love is the most universal emotion and love stories can touch people from all walks of life. There are two types of love stories. One is the romantic love story and the other is the platonic love story.
What are two ways you can find the theme of a story or movie? ›- What is the story about? This is the plot of the story. ...
- What is the meaning behind the story? This is usually an abstract result of his actions. ...
- What is the lesson? This is a statement about the human condition.
How do you find the theme of a movie? ›
A short definition for the theme is: Story (Action) + Plot = Character Development Yielding the Theme. The above elements of the story, plot, and character development give meaning to the theme.
What is the theme of a movie called? ›In cinema, a theme is a central idea that the film is built around. Themes can be anything, from an idea to a color concept. In this article, we'll talk about how themes define movies (and other forms of story) and why you should think seriously about theme when you're creating a narrative work.
What are the examples of theme? ›Examples. Some common themes in literature are "love," "war," "revenge," "betrayal," "patriotism," "grace," "isolation," "motherhood," "forgiveness," "wartime loss," "treachery," "rich versus poor," "appearance versus reality," and "help from other-worldly powers."
What are 2 common themes? ›- Good vs. evil.
- Love.
- Redemption.
- Courage and perseverance.
- Coming of age.
- Revenge.
- Astra.
- Avada.
- Divi.
- Hello.
- OceanWP.
- Sydney.
- Betheme.
- GeneratePress.
countable noun. A theme in a piece of writing, a talk, or a discussion is an important idea or subject that runs through it.
How do you identify a common theme? ›Identify the characters, scene, plot, and conflict.
By looking at the conflict, or where the main character is struggling, you can identify themes based on the lessons they learn from their experience.
This is because there are two types of themes: major and minor themes.
What are 100 themes? ›100 Themes Challenge simply gives artists a starting point... you go from there! How does it work? There are five variations, each with 100 themes. You can pick your favorite variation from the 5 pre-existing ones or mix and match themes from multiple variations.
Can Tessa have kids? ›Tessa is shocked to learn that she will never be able to carry a baby to full term.
Did Tessa get married? ›
Tesla never married, but he admitted to falling in love with a very special white pigeon that visited him regularly. He reportedly said, “I loved that pigeon as a man loves a woman, and she loved me.
Is Tessa able to have kids? ›Tessa has a condition called, "cervical insufficiency", meaning that her cervix is shorter than the average woman. Her condition made it difficult for her to get pregnant and carry a child to full-term, which caused her to have a miscarriage.
What happens to Mitch in Enough? ›Mitch is kicked over a balcony by his wife Slim at the end of a fight and sent crashing onto a glass table on the lower floor, killing him on impact.
What is the plot of the movie Enough? › Is slim based on a true story? ›Queen and Slim Is Inspired by Real-Life Events, but the Story Is Completely Original.
What is the lowest you can pay for Netflix? ›- Basic with ads*: $6.99/month.
- Basic: $9.99/month.
- Standard: $15.49/month.
- Premium: $19.99/month.
IMDb score: 1.9/10. As of early 2022, Hype House is the lowest-rated Netflix series to date, and not only because of critics.
How many hours of Netflix is 1GB? ›Netflix offers 4 mobile data usage settings: Automatic: The Netflix app selects a setting that balances data usage and video quality. You can watch about 4 hours per GB of data.
What is the common theme in Disney films? ›Finally, we must mention the ultimate Disney life lesson, one that is in nearly every Disney movie ever made: Good always beats evil.
Where do you find themes in a story? ›The theme of a story or poem will be explored through elements like characters, plot, settings, conflict, and even word choice and literary devices. Theme describes the central idea(s) that a piece of writing explores.
What is the theme and tone of a movie? ›
Hopefully these examples from Taxi Driver paint a clear picture that theme is the message of your story and tone is the atmosphere you set when telling it.
What's a theme in a story? ›A theme is an important idea that is woven throughout a story. It's not the plot or the summary, but something a little deeper. A theme links a big idea about our world with the action of a text.
Does every movie have a theme? ›Most movies have a theme. Themes are an important part of the movie-watching experience because they give us something to think about after we leave the theater. They're also useful for players in Hollywood, as screenwriters can use them to pitch their ideas to studios and producers.
What are themes in short answer? ›A theme in a piece of writing, a talk, or a discussion is an important idea or subject that runs through it.
What are the most famous movie themes? ›- When You Wish Upon a Star (From "Pinocchio") ...
- Beauty and the Beast (From "Beauty and the Beast") ...
- Under the Sea (From "The Little Mermaid") ...
- A Whole New World (From "Aladdin") ...
- Chim Chim Cher-ee (From "Mary Poppins") ...
- Theme from Chinatown (From "Chinatown") [Remastered]
- Film Type.
- Shots.
- Camera Angles.
- Lighting.
- Color.
- Sound or Audio.
- Editing.
- Mise-en-Scene.
...
That said, Vonnegut's six basic plots are:
- Rags to Riches (Rise)
- Riches to Rags (Fall)
- Man in a Hole (Fall, then rise)
- Icarus (Rise, then fall)
- Cinderella (Rise, fall, rise)
- Oedipus (Fall, rise, fall)
the idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject—the writer's view of the world or a revelation about human nature. To identify the theme, be sure that you've first identified the story's plot, the way the story uses characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.
What is a movie theme quizlet? ›What is a movie theme? A unifying idea that a film expresses through its narrative or imagery.
What is the most iconic theme tune? ›- Star Wars: A New Hope – John Williams (1977)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Howard Shore (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Hedwig's Theme) – John Williams (2001)
- Jurassic Park – John Williams (1993)
What are the 5 C's of cinematography summary? ›
The 5 Cs are Camera angles, Continuity, Cutting, Close-ups, and Composition.
What are the 5 aspects of film? ›There are five elements of film which is narrative, cinematography, sound, mise-en-scene, and editing. These five elements help determine the film and a way to judge a film.
What are the 5 main stages of film production? ›Film Production is created in 5 phases: development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution. Each phase has a different purpose, with the overarching goal to get to the next one, and ultimately on to distribution.
What are the 7 basic plot structures? ›- Overcoming the Monster.
- Rags to Riches.
- The Quest.
- Voyage and Return.
- Comedy.
- Tragedy.
- Rebirth.
There he offers there are seven basic plots, hence the name, Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth.
What is basic story structure? ›The Fichtean Curve (Basic Story Structure)
The Fichtean Curve is a classic story structure that make up almost every story. It is represented by a skewed triangle, and contains three basic parts: rising action, climax, and falling action.