The concept of adventure films and exciting stories – whether in the real world or as a science fiction production – is transparent, simple, but still unbeatable: a hero who doesn’t yet know that he will one day become one sets out big journey into an adventure. He has to leave his familiar surroundings, which are no longer what they once were, in order to bring about a change.
The Hero’s Journey: The Basic Principle of a Good Story
At first he wants to refuse, but then he meets a mentor who encourages him and accompanies him on his path. Once he has gathered all his courage and is in the “new world”, he meets dangerous enemies, fights difficult battles and has to face tricky tests. Before the final battle, the hero is richer in knowledge than ever before. He knows what to do, he sees through everything. After the successful final battle, the reward follows: the hero has the tools to survive in the “old world”, has changed and grown as a person.
This basic structure is common to all adventure books and films – whether old classics like “Indiana Jones” or modern hits like “The Hunger Games”, “Finding Nemo” and even Greta Gerwig’s live-action adaptation “Barbie”. The hero’s journey, as the dramaturgical model is officially called, goes back to the book of the same name by the myth researcher Joseph Campbell from 1949, who recognized and named the basic principle of today’s bestsellers and blockbusters back then.
So, the next time you have a movie, why not use the concept to analyze it? You’ll be amazed at how transparent blockbusters actually are. From “Indiana Jones” to “Mad Max”: The photo series above shows the best adventure films in the stream.
+++ Read also +++