The Anatomy of Theme in the Screenplay and Movie


By Donald L. Vasicek

What is theme?  What does it mean?  How does it apply to the screenplay? The common definition of theme is a subject or topic of discourse or artistic representation. In the screenplay, the theme must be introduced as early as possible. It should be introduced, as a visual, if at all possible, by page three of the screenplay or minute three of the film.

Since film is a visual medium, the screenwriter must strive to visually write.  So, showing should take the place of telling in screenwriting.  This is vital if you want to sell and get your screenplay produced.

How does one do that?  Well, in Born to Win, one of my produced and award-winning screenplays, Justin, the main character in the film, has shown on page one, through a metaphor, that trust is the theme in the movie. This was visually accomplished in minute one of the movie by showing a butterfly fluttering away from Justin’s mother’s headstone. Justin won’t let go of his deceased mother, a problem he exhibits throughout the movie. The butterfly shows, letting go, by flying away, as a means for having trust.

On page three, the theme for the movie is exhibited:

“Callie smiles.  She tends the graves.  Justin lingers. He notices Charlie’s shadow lengthen over him. Charlie places his hand on Justin’s shoulder. He guides him towards the car. Justin slips his arm around Charlie’s waist.”

Can you identify the theme of trust, in this movie?  What visual shows that?  

“Justin lingers”?  It would work to show trust, with the exception that Justin lingers.  It shows that Justin is giving Callie some consideration as someone he can trust.  The key to utilizing “Justin lingers” as the theme is identified in the verb, “lingers.”  “Lingers” exhibits the possibility of trust, but it does not exhibit trust.  So, “Justin lingers”, is not the theme in the movie.

How about “Charlie places his hand on Justin’s shoulder.”  There is an indication of trust here.  Remember Justin is the main character, so everything should be written and seen from his point-of-view.  Here, Justin allows Charlie to place his hand on his shoulder.  So, this visual allows the first peek into the theme for the movie, trust, but it is not the theme.

Utilizing the visual approach to screenwriting and moviemaking empowers the characters and it empowers the story.  Without, the screenplay and/or the movie, falls flat and theaters will not want to exhibit it, let alone distributors picking it to put in theaters.

So, the more visuals the screenwriter can write and the filmmaker can film, the more powerful the screenplay and the movie will be.  This, in turn, will create revenue.  This, in turn, will create more work for the screenwriter and the filmmaker.  That’s the way it works in the movie business.

So, instead of giving examples of screenplays and movies that back up what I am writing here, I will leave that up to you. Look at movies.  Study them for the theme, particularly early on in the movie.

The screenwriter and filmmaker can show opposing views of the theme.  For example, in Born to Win, Justin learns that the bad guy in the movie is one he should not trust, while the bad guy shows that he doesn’t trust law enforcement, and even his cohort.

And, instead of telling you what visual in my example, Born to Win, depicts the theme of the movie, trust, you tell me. 

Your choices are:  “He guides him towards the car.”

Or, is it:  “Justin slips his arm around Charlie’s waist.”

You tell me.  And remember, the theme, once exhibited in the screenplay and movie, must be visually shown in every scene from page one of the screenplay and minute one of the movie through to the end.  If the screenwriter fails to execute the theme this way, then, the screenplay and the movie will fall flat.

My email is dvasicek@earthlink.net.  I’d love to hear from you.

Author’s Credits

Donald L. Vasicek studied producing, directing and line producing at the Hollywood Film Institute under the acclaimed Dov Simen’s and at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. He studied screenwriting at The Complete Screenplay with Sally Merlin (White Squall).

He has taught, mentored, and is a script consultant for over 400 writers, directors, producers, actors and production companies and has also acted in 20th Century Fox’s Die Hard With a Vengeance, NBC’s Mystery of Flight 1501, ABC’s Father Dowling starring Thomas Bosley, and Red-Handed Production’s Summer Reunion. These activities have resulted in Don’s involvement in more than 100 movies during the past 23 years, from major studios to independent films including, MGM’s $56 million Warriors of Virtue, Paramount Classics Racing Lucifer and American Pictures The Lost Heart among others.

Vasicek has also has written and published over 500 books, short stories and articles. His books include How To Write, Sell, and Get Your Screenplays Produced and The Write Focus.

Donald L. Vasicek
Olympus Films+, LLC
Writing/Filmmaking/Consulting
http://www.donvasicek.com
dvasicek@earthlink.net