Today, our subject is the Deus Ex Machina.
Let's examine the common types and tropes
associated with this plot device.
And explore ways screenwriters can avoid this trap.
This is "What Is Deus ex Machina."
The hero is trapped.
Facing certain death.
With no possible way to win.
Until something or someone intervenes at the last possible minute.
A deus ex machina is when a seemingly unsolvable problem
is conveniently and unrealistically resolved.
And most writers agree the plot devices like this
should be avoided at all costs.
"- O Great One! O Supreme Being!"
- But is the deus ex machina really so bad.
"- Well, let's find out then, shall we?"
- Also, fair warning.
We will be spoiling the following movies.
Deus Ex Machina is a Latin phrase
that translates directly as "god from the machine".
And it originated in ancient Greek theater.
In these plays, the God from the machine was quite literal.
Tragedies were frequently resolved by a god
swooping in to save the day.
The actors playing gods were often lowered onto the stage by cranes
hence "God from the machine".
This type of resolution quickly became a get out of jail free card
for writers to conveniently get the characters past insurmountable odds
"- I'm a writer."
- Even Aristotle criticized this plot device.
Saying, 'It is obvious that the solutions of plots
should come about as a result of the plot itself
and not from a contrivance."
Over time the Deus Ex Machina plot device
has taken on a more figurative meaning.
Rather than a literal God resolving the plot...
"- A very relieved deity."
- The modern definition of Deus Ex Machina
refers to cheap, lazy, or overly convenient writing
that often gets the protagonist out of a jam at the last second.
Here's what screenwriting guru Robert McKee has to say on the subject.
"- Every f*cking day, somewhere in the world, somebody
sacrifices his life to save somebody else.
If you can't find that stuff in life,
then you, my friend, don't know crap about life.
And why the f*ck are you wasting my two precious hours with your movie?
- Okay. Thanks."
- There have been arguments about what is
really the use of coincidence to get an ending,
as opposed to deus ex machina.
In a classically told story, ultimately achieves its meaning
because the protagonist of the story with whom the audience is empathizing
ultimately has to choose an act in life
in order to decide their fate,
their climax one way or the other.
"- Would you take your hands off of my wife, please?"
- Taking the crisis climax out of the protagonists' hands by randomness.
renders the climax meaningless.
While there is some disagreement over what exactly constitutes a deus ex machina
there are common characteristics we can point to.
Now, let's look at some classic deus ex machina moments in movies,
and we'll discuss possible solutions to these issues.
The most common deus ex machina examples fall into at least one of four types.
Let's start with movies that inexplicably change the rules of the game.
No matter how far removed from our own reality,
a story must have consistent internal logic.
"- I figured it out."
- That means once the rules of that world are established,
they shouldn't be broken.
"- Time travel.
- What?"
- Otherwise, the resolution feels like a cheat.
For example, we are told that the rules inside the matrix
are different from those in the real world.
"- It has the same basic rules. Rules like gravity.
What you must learn is that these rules are no different
than the rules of a computer system.
Some of them can be bent.
Others can be broken."
- So, when Neo is able to do this.
It breaks the movie's internal logic.
Even for these characters that have supernatural abilities
pushing this too far runs the risk of alienating the audience.
Which leads to the next common characteristic of the deus ex machina.
When a payoff lacks a good set up...
"- Extra Life."
...it can become a deus ex machina.
For example, water becomes the savior against the Wicked Witch.
"- You cursed brat!
Look what you done!
I'm melting! Melting"
- But neither Dorothy nor the audience knows that.
Similarly, bacteria proves to be the downfall of the aliens in "War of The Worlds".
In any other film, the characters would have discovered this fact
and use this knowledge against the invaders.
"- What happened here?
- I don't know. Something's happening to him. Please keep moving."
- And in both cases, the characters have no idea how to win.
So these victories come down to simple luck and nothing more.
The end result goes back to McKee's point
in that these endings are left without meaning.
Dorothy didn't really triumph over the Wicked Witch.
She got lucky.
Which is not really a satisfying victory.
"- She's dead. You've killed her.
- I didn't mean to kill her.
Next stop, resolutions that only happen
with some last-minute assistance.
"- On your left."
- Sometimes the protagonist needs a little help to get the job done.
And incomes the cavalry to save the day.
"- Avengers!
Assemble."
- This isn't always a problem,
but there are some aspects you'll want to avoid.
If the cavalry seems to come out of nowhere.
If their timing is overly convenient.
Or if they solve the problem for the protagonists,
rather than with them.
If your protagonist needs of the cavalry to get them out of a jam,
sacrifice and loss can soften a deus ex machina.
Coincidence might be true to life,
"- Hands up. - My give up."
- But they often feel like cheats in storytelling.
"- Take this!"
- And they rarely make for a satisfying resolution.
For random coincidences to work dramatically
that randomness must be linked to the film's thematic focus.
In "Slumdog Millionaire",
coincidence is what the entire premise is about.
Jamal is able to answer each question correctly...
"- He is famously holding what in his right hand?"
...because of his unique and tragic life experiences.
It's a redemptive story where destiny is a focus, not reality.
"- A bow and arrow.
- You're just won 16,000 rupees.
Well done, my friend."
Now that we cover the most common deus ex machina examples in movies,
here's some tips on how to make them work for you
instead of against you.
"- I should leave here right now.
I'll start over.
I need to face this project head-on.
"- And God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends.
God help."
- First - admit to the audience that it is a deus ex machina.
"Adaptation" gets away with this in the climax.
Because the film is self-aware
and perfectly sets up the inevitable deus ex machina.
"- Find an ending. But don't cheat.
And don't you dare bring in a deus ex machina."
- But being self-aware is no guarantee
that audiences will understand or appreciate it.
In "The Matrix Revolutions",
Neo bargains with an all-powerful powerful machine
to help him battle agent Smith one last time.
"- The program Smith is growing beyond your control.
- What do you want?
- Peace."
- Even though this literal God from the machine is named deus ex machina in a script
for some people this is too much to accept.
Second - know your genre.
Depending on the genre and tone,
a deus ex machina might actually work.
Comedies can bend the rules much more than dramas
and the audience will be much more forgiving for these transgressions.
"- Escape for Arthur and his knights seemed hopeless.
When suddenly the animator suffered a fatal heart attack.
The cartoon peril was no more."
- In "Monty Python and The Holy Grail",
the police raid at the end broke all the rules
and became the perfect resolution for that brand of silliness.
"- Yes, they’re the ones, I’m sure.
-Come on."
- As Robert McKee pointed out,
the most important thing is to keep the protagonist
actively involved in the climatic resolution.
The solution can be random.
It can be convenient.
And the hero can even receive last minute assistance.
But if they are not the ones to make the final critical decision
in how the story resolves.
The ending is meaningless.
So avoid the deus ex machina whenever possible.
But if you absolutely must include this maligned plot device,
take every opportunity to soften the blow.
"- Once you know the rules. - What rules?"
- Plant a great setup.
"- There are certain rules that one must abide by
in order to successfully survive a horror movie."
- Maintain the story's internal logic.
And make sure the resolution helps your protagonist fulfill their character arc.
"- This is the moment when the supposedly dead killer comes back to life.
For one last scare.
- Not in my movie."
- Use StudioBinder screenwriting software,
to write your next godless script.
Until next time, remember,
that the only truly excellent ex machina
is the one where Oscar tears up the dance floor.