The THEME of a story is something which can be difficult to nail, but all great stories and movies have obvious and clear themes. Before we start, what is the definition of Theme?
Truby defines THEME like so, “[t]he THEME line is your view about right and wrong actions and what those actions do to a person’s life.“
Blake Snyder says, “In many ways, a good screenplay is an argument posed by the screenwriter, the pros and cons of living a particular kind of life or pursuing a particular goal. Is a behavior, dream, or goal worth it? Or is it false? What is more important, wealth or happiness?”
K.M. Wieland says, “We dress it up with plot and characters, but the theme is what the story is about. Yes, I know. We said the PREMISE is what the story is about. It is. Think of THEME as what the story is existentially about. Let’s take a look.
The THEME in Star Wars.
In STAR WARS there are a few different THEMES, but the one that stands out the most is the idea of HOPE, I mean seriously, it’s in the title of the movie… A NEW HOPE. ‘Hope’ is believing in something we cannot see and trusting that if we follow the vision Hope has for us, it will lead us to a better place.
The source of this New Hope in Star Wars is LUKE Skywalker, and George Lucas brings in a whole cast of characters to help the audience see what his vision of hope looks like and how Luke can get there.
OBI-WAN presents the case that Hope, or any idea, need mentorship and guidance. He gives Luke a balanced and accurate image of the current state of the galaxy as well as what it can look like when a Jedi Knight confronts the oppressive regime known as the Empire.
HAN SOLO gives Luke a pessimistic version of Hope, which is that having Hope is useless. Care about yourself and your own life, and that will get you to tomorrow.
And finally, LEIA provides a tangible example of what Hope looks like as well as the minutia of how Luke can fulfill his role and usher in the NEW HOPE.
The THEME in Logan.
Legacy is the THEME in LOGAN. It’s everywhere in that movie like neon in Las Vegas.
Logan starts off believing his Legacy is a bunch of dead friends and all he has to leave the world with is the evil he was unable to eradicate. But CHARLES is there to challenge that idea.
Charles tries to change Logan’s view, to see that Legacy isn’t a craggy mountain outcropping where you die when you get to the top and if you didn’t make it then oh well. He’s trying to get Logan to see that his Legacy is the impact he had on the people around him.
Ultimately, Logan’s friends didn’t die because Logan failed, his friends died because they believed Logan was a friend and teammate worth dying for.
Then LAURA shows up. Laura is the physical representation of Logan’s Legacy. Logan’s original assessment of his Legacy is that it’s just a bunch of dead friends. LAURA shows Logan that his Legacy is an idea. And it’s more than just fighting.
By the end of the movie, Logan comes to realize that his Legacy is fighting for his friends because of their friendship. He is a loyal friend and a formidable enemy. When we meet Laura, she is a loner with no concept of restraint or focus for her powers.
Logan shows Laura that her powers and character, like his, are best utilized in defense of those she holds dear. When Laura calls Logan “Daddy” at the end of the movie, he knows that his Legacy has been passed on.
Where do we state the THEME?
Blake Snyder states, ” Somewhere in the first five minutes of a well-structured screenplay, someone (usually not the main character) will pose a question or make a statement (usually to the main character) that is the theme of the movie.”
The THEME in Star Wars is stated in the opening crawl. It’s literally written on the screen before the movie even starts.
James Mangold, the screenwriter for Logan, is much more subtle. The first five minutes of the movie is a visual which shows the audience that Logan’s Legacy is ‘history.’
Logan is a washed-up war hero who is driving limos to make ends meet. Thugs try to rob him, and they don’t care that he’s got claws protruding from his fists. Clients who are much younger than him boss him around.
Then in minute four, we hear a radio conversation that ends with the host replying to a call-in guest with this:
HOST
Clyde, its 2026! We’re talkin ‘bout a hostage crisis and you’re talkin’ mutants? That’s history, pal. Trey in Galveston, you’re on!
The world has moved on from the X-Men. And the world doesn’t need to waste any more time talking about them. The Legacy of Logan and his dead friends is… dead.
The Last Jedi and Failure.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m no fan of The Last Jedi. But it isn’t because of the social undertones. It’s just a bad movie.
The writer/director of The Last Jedi stated that his THEME for the movie was FAILURE. To him, failure is the best teacher. Unfortunately, no dialogue in the first five, or even ten, minutes states anything about failure or teaching or anything.
The closest statement of THEME comes from Luke Skywalker well into the movie, probably in ACT II when he says, “You don’t need Luke Skywalker.”
An argument could be made that POE’s failure to stop the First Order Dreadnaught in the opening scene is the stated THEME, but I disagree. In all the great movie where THEME is clearly stated or presented, it’s in the opening moments. And it’s presented in relation to the PROTAGONIST. And this is why I say it ‘sort of’ happens in ACT II with Luke.
THEME is closely tied to where the writer not only wants the Protagonist to go but also, what he/she wants the audience to know about the topic.
The Last Jedi failed miserably to produce any concrete theme, and I believe this is the largest reason why it got hammered. The audience didn’t have a solid idea of where the story was headed. They couldn’t get on board the bus for the journey because there was no bus to get on!
Strong themes stick in our minds forever.
Movies are fun because they engage our imagination, even if it’s a true story or has no fantasy or Sci-Fi elements. Really good movies will have us talking about them for years because they connect with this idea of “living a particular kind of life.”
In Star Wars, the theme of Hope comes across rather strong. From the moment we meet Luke we get the sense that he is the New Hope for the galaxy. And when he turns off his targeting computer and fires those proton torpedoes into the exhaust port all the tension leading up to that point is relieved. And then for the following 40+ years, we have done nothing but talk about it.
In The Last Jedi, there isn’t any presentation of the pro and cons of living a life of Failure, as the writer/director has stated the theme is. Failure doesn’t have any pros; this is why it’s such a horrible THEME.
I would say Failure isn’t even a teacher. Failure is just failure, and in this movie, there is a lot of it, but no one seems to learn from it. It just is. And the same goes for success.
Learning doesn’t come from either of these, but rather from the character inside of us to recognize the things which lead us to success or failure. Self-awareness and resilience are much better attributes for learning than success or failure will ever be.
As I’ve stated before, I think the better THEME for The Last Jedi should have been the question of Legacy. The question should have been, what is Luke and Leia’s legacy and why is it good or bad? Will anyone pick up the baton, carry that Legacy on, and add a new take on it?
Final Thoughts.
THEME is a tricky part of writing a good story. If we make it too complicated, it can derail not just our story, but our characters. Audiences connect with solid characters and a THEME which is clear and worthy of use in our own lives.
Take the time to be intentional about your THEME. Don’t over think it. It’s not rocket science. Put yourself in your character’s mind and think about why it’s important to your Protagonist.