There are many definitions and interpretations of the hazy concept of theme. Is it a lesson to be taught? An attitude? How does it relate to the story’s premise? Its “spine”? Can you write a story that doesn’t have a theme?
I consider theme as a message that reflects the author’s underlying point of view about the plot – and about life. The theme of an action movie is not “good versus evil,” but “good triumphs over evil.” Or in the case of a paranoid thriller like THE PARALLAX VIEW, the theme is “evil triumphs over good.” In the best movies, you can boil such broad concepts down even further. In CHINATOWN the theme could be interpreted as “wealth equals power.” The thematic question is acted out via the dramatic question. For instance, “Will true love prevail?” in the case of PRETTY WOMAN is shown in the plot’s main tension: “Will the businessman admit that he has fallen in love with the hooker?”
The theme is reflected in all aspects of a film, from the characterization to the plot to the setting to the imagery. CHINATOWN’s theme is demonstrated in the triumph of the corrupt but wealthy Noah Cross over underdog Jake Gittes. The setting of Los Angeles, a city that steals water from its poorer neighbors, further echoes the theme.
A story without a theme would be a pretty dull, forgettable story, because it would have no purpose or point. However, this does not mean you should begin with the theme. If you first establish a theme and then construct a plot to fit it, you will end up with a sermon not a story. Everyone has his or her own belief system and this attitude toward the world will naturally emerge in any story you tell. Always begin with a character in a dramatic situation. How the character acts in response to that situation and the ramifications of his or her actions will determine your theme. It is usually not until the end of your first draft that the theme becomes clear.
Once you determine the theme, you can use this knowledge to unify your action. Find places where the theme can be reflected in a subplot, in a comic gag, or in the use of weather and location. However, be wary of laying on thematic elements too heavily or you may push your story into corny melodrama, or make it seem pretentious and contrived. Also, never try to impose a theme on a story. If the action is saying “Love stinks,” and you try to force a happy ending, this resolution is not going to ring true. Respect the integrity of your story as it exists, and work to strengthen and clarify it, not nullify it.
The theme is not always concrete or absolute. For instance, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has said that he was delighted when some movie critics considered ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND an intensely romantic movie about the lengths lovers will go to be reunited, while others viewed it more cynically, as a lesson in how people make the same mistakes and keep picking the wrong partners over and over. Kaufman claims not to have consciously chosen either theme, and this could be true. Or perhaps he really intended the theme as a mixture of both ideas: romance is going to any lengths to hold onto your true love, no matter how wrong he or she is for you.
Movies are dramas, and so the important thing to remember is that no matter what the theme is, it must be expressed in action. Avoid having your characters state the theme explicitly. However, you can slip it in subtly. Viki King, in her book, “How to Write a Movie in 21 Days,” suggests that the theme is usually stated around page 3 of a screenplay. As an example, she points to Jake Gittes’ line in CHINATOWN, “You have to be rich to get away with murder.” It is important to note that the story does not stop so Jake can make this pronouncement. This is just a throwaway line in the context of the action of the scene. It is only when you go back and analyze the screenplay that the foreshadowing of the theme in this line becomes clear.
In MILLION DOLLAR BABY, Morgan Freeman states the theme early on in voice-over, when he says that any fighter who’s all heart is looking for a beating. At that point, you think he is talking about a young male boxer, not Hilary Swank’s character, and so this keeps the line from being “on the nose.” The theme is indeed echoed in the subplot involving the young boxer, and it also relates to Clint Eastwood’s character, as well as Swank’s. Again these thematic connections become clear only after the movie is over and you can look back at the script as a whole.
As Janet Burroway states in “Writing Fiction,” a theme is neither right nor wrong. It is a judgment. It is a truth, not the truth. Awareness of theme can help you make your scripts deeper and more memorable, but having a clear theme will only help you if you have a compelling plot and strong characterizations to support it.
