Title: Movie Themes: Examples of Common Themes for Screenwriters
Headings: Movie Themes: Examples of Common Themes for Screenwriters
Movie Themes: Examples of Common Themes for Screenwriters
Theme in film
What is a movie theme?
Movies Themes • Equipment for Living
THEME DEFINITION
What is a theme in film?
Movie Themes #1
God and Philosophy
Are the Coen Brothers Obsessed with Desks? • Subscribe on YouTube
Coin Toss Scene • No Country for Old Men
I Feel Overmatched • No Country for Old Men
Themes in Coen Brothers’ films
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Movie Themes #2
Survival
“There’s something inside they can’t get to”
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice.”
Ending Scene • Shawshank Redemption
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Movie Themes #3
Virtue and Values
“It’s creepy! Let’s go home!”
Judgement, Courage, Loyalty
SPIRITED AWAY
Movie Themes #4
Love
“You are our last hope.”
Judgement, Courage, Loyalty
CASABLANCA
Movie Themes #5
Social themes
Mookie and Pino
Death of Radio Raheem
DO THE RIGHT THING
Movie Themes #6
Good vs. Evil
The hottest spot north of Havana
“Why did you do that!?”
GOODFELLAS
Movie Themes #7
Discovering Self-Knowledge
Contempo casual
Cher’s new project
All by Myself
CLUELESS
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Theme: Definition and Examples
Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards.

Content: 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: