What is Theme? 5 Ways to Layer Theme into a Screenplay

Every great story has a theme, a central idea that drives the narrative and gives it deeper meaning. Whether it’s exploring the concepts of good versus evil, love versus hate, revenge, or justice, a well-crafted theme can elevate a story from mere entertainment to a profound experience that resonates with audiences long after the credits roll.

However, incorporating a theme into a screenplay can be a daunting task for writers. How do you ensure that your theme is woven seamlessly throughout the story, rather than feeling like a heavy-handed message? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore five practical ways to layer theme into your screenplay, helping you craft a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.

Understanding Theme: The Heart of Your Story

Before we dive into the techniques for layering theme, it’s essential to understand what a theme truly is. A theme is the central, unifying idea or principle that underpins your story. It’s the core message or perspective you want to convey to your audience. The plot may detail the surface-level events, but the theme delves deeper, exploring the fundamental questions and ideas that lie at the heart of your narrative.

One of the most common misconceptions is confusing theme with the moral of the story. While related, these two concepts are distinct. A theme is often presented as a question or exploration of a universal idea, such as the relationship between humanity and nature or the consequences of unchecked ambition. In contrast, the moral is the lesson or message the audience is meant to take away from the story, like “money can’t buy happiness” or “the importance of family.”

Navigating this fine line between theme and moral can be tricky, as audiences rarely appreciate being preached to. As a writer, your goal is to provide a perspective on the central idea while leaving room for the audience to interpret and draw their own conclusions.

Layering Theme Through Characters and Dialogue

One of the most powerful ways to incorporate theme into your screenplay is through your characters and their dialogue. Characters are the vessels through which you can express your perspectives and opinions, serving as mouthpieces for the central theme.

One effective technique is to create a character web, where you map out how your characters relate to the theme and to each other. By placing the theme at the center of this web, you can better understand how each character represents different perspectives or aspects of the central idea.

Having oppositional characters who engage in conversations around the theme can create compelling dialogue and drive the exploration of the theme forward. For example, in “The Dark Knight,” the contrasting perspectives of the Joker (chaos) and Harvey Dent (order) create a rich exploration of the theme of the balance between order and chaos.

Setting as a Thematic Canvas

The setting of your story, the time and place where it unfolds, can be a powerful tool for reinforcing and exploring your theme. Some themes are naturally suited to specific settings, such as a story about justice set in a courtroom or a coming-of-age tale set in a high school. However, universal themes like redemption can work in a variety of settings, from a prison to the Old West or even a baseball diamond.

The 2019 film “Parasite” is a masterclass in using setting to reinforce its themes of the divide between the rich and poor and the illusion of upward mobility. The stark contrast between the cramped, subterranean hovel of the Kim family and the spacious, modern home of the Parks serves as a visual representation of the film’s central ideas. Even the use of stairs as characters move between these two worlds reinforces the theme of upward mobility.

Motifs and Symbols: Echoing Your Theme

In addition to characters, dialogue, and setting, motifs and symbols can be potent tools for reinforcing and enriching your theme. Motifs are elements that gain meaning through repetition, while symbols represent something beyond their literal meaning.

One symbol can speak to multiple themes, depending on the context in which it’s used. For example, the American flag can represent patriotism in one film, while in another, it might satirize the very concept of patriotism.

In “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the recurring circle motif, represented by googly eyes and the “Everything Bagel,” symbolizes the film’s exploration of opposing forces: empathy and kindness versus nihilism and despair. The yin-yang relationship between these circular symbols perfectly aligns with the film’s central theme of finding balance amidst chaos.

Layering Theme: A Masterclass in “Nope”

Jordan Peele’s 2022 film “Nope” is a masterclass in layering theme throughout a narrative. On the surface, it’s a thrilling Hollywood blockbuster, but underneath, it’s a film with multiple intertwined themes expressed through various elements.

The major theme, as Peele has explained, deals with our addiction to spectacle and the lengths we’ll go to capture and consume it. This theme is reinforced through the pervasive use of cameras, from cell phones to IMAX rigs, representing the pinnacle of Hollywood spectacle. The motif of vision and the act of looking is also woven throughout, from the winking well to the characters using VR headsets.

Beneath this central theme lies another exploration of the exploitation of animals for entertainment, exemplified by the Haywood family’s horse-wrangling business and Jupe’s use of horses as bait for the alien creature, Jean Jacket.

And at the deepest level, “Nope” examines the neglected history of Black people in Hollywood, symbolized by the forgotten legacy of the Black jockey in the Eadweard Muybridge clip, considered the first motion picture. By reclaiming this image with OJ as the heroic cowboy at the end, Peele brings the Haywood family’s legacy full circle, showcasing how a skilled filmmaker can layer multiple themes through various narrative elements.

Conclusion

Layering theme into a screenplay is an art form that requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of your story’s central ideas. By employing techniques like character development, dialogue, setting, motifs, and symbols, you can create a rich, multi-layered narrative that resonates with audiences on a profound level.

Remember, the key is to provide a perspective on the central theme while leaving room for interpretation. Avoid heavy-handed preaching, and instead, invite your audience to engage with the ideas and draw their own conclusions.

With practice and a commitment to exploring universal questions and ideas, you can craft stories that not only entertain but also challenge and inspire. So, embrace the power of theme, and let it guide you on a journey of storytelling that leaves a lasting impact on your audience.