How would you discuss a film's 'theme' in an essay?

If you're writing an essay on a film's theme, you need to demonstrate that you have a good understanding of the director's intentions, the film's message and, of course, knowledge of important quotes that back up your points. We shall take the famous film, Amélie, as an example. To introduce the film, you have to mention the director's name, and concisely summarise its overarching theme. Remember, you only have a limited amount of time and number of words, so make every word count! The introduction below is effective because it uses some good adjectives, demonstrates knowledge of the director and uses concise vocabulary specific to the movie e.g. 'faire le bonheur des autres.' Le film multi-primé, "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain,' de Jean-Pierre Jeunet explore des nombreux thèmes intéressants. L'un des messages principaux du film, c'est qu'il est facile de faire le bonheur des autres, mais il y aura toujours ceux qui choisissent de le refuser. When moving on to the main body of the essay, you must try not to describe the plot too much. Remember, this is a discussion, not a narrative. You can refer to main plot points, but make sure that every reference is explored, not just left as a description of what happened. Tout d’abord, c’est la décision d’Amélie de se consacrer au bonheur des autres qui déclenche l’action, prouvant que des petites marques de gentillesse peuvent faire une grande différence. Quand elle redonne Bretodeau sa boîte de trésors, leur vie est transformée : Amélie se rend compte qu’en faisant le bien autour d’elle, elle découvre ‘le sentiment d’être en harmonie totale avec elle-même,’ et Bretodeau se rappelle de l’importance de ‘créer des liens avec les autres.’ La façon dont Jeunet fait l’éloge de l’acte de générosité gratuit est vraiment inspirant, parce que cette scène donne aux spectateurs envie d’être bons les uns envers les autres.  What do you think is good about this first paragraph? [Let student come to their own conclusions, then explain]. This paragraph expands on what has been brought up in the introduction, but does not repeat vocabulary. A specific scene has been referred to, but it is backed up with two quotes and an explanation of how this links to the main theme. Then, the paragraph is rounded up by an analysis of the effectiveness of the scene, which shows that the writer is thinking beyond the obvious. Now, move on to the next paragraph...Cependant, la relation de courte durée entre Georgette et Joseph illustre comment c’est à nous de choisir le bonheur ou de rater la vie. Malgré les efforts déployés par Amélie pour les unir, Joseph n’arrive pas à surmonter ses jalousies et tourne ainsi le dos à sa chance d’être heureux.  Il est d’une grande signification pour le film car il monte que certains prennent plus plaisir à se souffrir  qu’à accepter les plaisirs de la vie.  Here, the writer has gone on to explore how two other characters fit into the film's theme, showing a more detailed knowledge. Although it still fits into the theme, it explores a slightly different side of it. A scene is described and its importance is discussed. However, this paragraph could be improved - how would you improve it?Then, ask the student to write a conclusion to this example essay.