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: 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. WATCH NOW
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.