[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Why do you say that theme is misunderstood?
Alan Watt [Founder of L.A. Writers’ Lab] and Author: I hear writers talk about theme all the time or they’re talking about all the themes in my work. I think what they’re often talking about are issues. There’s a difference between issue and theme. I think it’s important to understand the distinction because homelessness is an issue, it’s not a theme. The economy is an issue, it’s not a theme. Themes are primal. They’re primal desires like connection, meaning, purpose, success, justice, survival. Themes are how the protagonist’s dilemma gets explored or gets dramatized.
When you think in terms of theme you’re thinking in terms of some kind of powerful desire and false belief. An issue is not a theme.
Film Courage: But within those issues though there could be a theme. Let’s take the movie Into The Wild or the book by Jon Krakauer.
Alan: Love that!
Film Courage: Excellent film, haven’t yet read the book. That [film] was about belonging. He goes into the wild and lives in this school bus. You could say he’s homeless by choice and it was because he felt he didn’t belong. He only felt he belonged within the world of nature.
Alan: Right, belonging or acceptance which is sort of in the same ballpark, absolutely. The Dilemma (just so elegantly rendered) is that in order to belong it could cost me my life which it does. He finally is being true to himself. He’s following his inner desire. Is that movie a tragedy?
Film Courage: I feel it…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
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