Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. It’s Saint Patrick’s Day today, and in honor of the luck of the Irish, we’ll be discussing just that – luck. Specifically, the luckiest of all moments in storytelling where a doomed character is saved seemingly by the will of God - often referred to as a Deus Ex Machina moment. It’s a very powerful writing tool, but absolutely must be done well. If executed properly, it makes a powerful scene nothing short of iconic. If used poorly, it can ruin an entire story, regardless of anything good that comes before or after. To better learn what to do and what not to do, I’ll be ranking, in my opinion, the five worst and five best Deus Ex Machina moments in films. While this is my opinion, I think most of these moments are pretty universally agreed to be good or bad, respectively. Regardless, I think this is an important topic for all writers to understand. With that said, let’s get started!
Number Five Worst – The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Ugh, much as this film is an eternal classic, the final ending was something of a sour note for me. Dorothy is asked what she learned on her journey, answering that there’s no place like home. This alone is a great quote that should have been used to send her home, but the subsequent reveal that the whole movie was a dream? Horrible. Not that it ruined the film as a whole, but it did introduce a trope that has never gone over well. Now, don’t get me wrong. Dream sequences can be a powerful storytelling medium. They can reveal critical information about a character’s personality, thoughts, goals, and fears. But retconning an entire story as a dream, particularly one with a fantasy setting, is a cardinal sin. It’s the sort of lazy cop-out that instantly turns off almost any audience. I honestly can’t think of an instance where this trope was used effectively.
Final takeaway: Better to leave the audience truly questioning if an entire story was a dream than to reveal it really was just a dream.
Number Five Best – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Man, what a great climax. Indiana Jones and Marion have been captured by the Nazis and lost the Ark of the Covenant in the process. But just as the Nazis prepare to open the Ark, Indy has a moment of realization and warns Marion not to look at the ark, to keep her eyes closed no matter what happens. This ends up being the single factor that spares Indy and Marion from the Nazis’ face-melting fate. What makes this moment so great is how it poetically transforms Indy as a character. Through much of the movie, Indy has professed to be a realist who doesn’t believe in magic, the supernatural, or even religion itself. But early on, Marcus Brody warns Indy about the Ark being different from any other artifact he’s ever gone after. Through his adventure, Indy slowly comes to realize the truth behind Brody’s words. Indy doesn’t have to fully understand the Ark to respect and fear its power, and that gained respect makes his character arc in this film something really special.
Final takeaway: Tying your Deus Ex Machina to a character’s moment of growth can be very effective.
Number Four Worst – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Great Eagles are a hotly-debated topic among fans of these films. While they are established early on in Fellowship of the Ring, there are still many unanswered questions about them. If they can defeat the Nazgûl, how strong are they? Why did Gandalf only send for them during the final battle against Sauron’s armies? Why not have them assist when the garrison at Minas Tirith came under attack or in the ensuing Battle of the Plennor Fields? If they could save Frodo and Sam from the erupting Mount Doom, why did they not fly on the eagles to get to Mordor? The eagles don’t necessarily impact the outcome of the story itself, which is a positive, but the sheer amount of information we don’t know about them causes us to question why the characters took the path they did.
Final takeaway: Established characters aren’t enough in a Deus Ex Machina. Their actions taken and not taken still have to make sense.
Number Four Best – The Avengers (2012)
This ensemble cast managed to portray a group of surprisingly deep and nuanced characters – Control-freak Tony, good-soldier Steve, high-and-mighty Thor, untrustworthy Natasha, and mind-controlled Clint. Still, the one character the audience questions for the longest time in the story is Bruce Banner. We meet him early, we know he’s the Hulk, but we don’t know how he’s gained control over the Hulk. Natasha asks him this at their first meeting, Tony re-asks later on, but we never get a real answer. At least, not until the Avengers assemble for the Battle of New York. Confronted by an intergalactic army, things look hopeless until Bruce reveals his secret: He’s always angry. No longer suppressing his emotions and pretending they don’t exist, the Hulk now takes over only when Bruce willingly surrenders to his anger. It’s a fantastic moment that evens the playing field for the Avengers and sets the stage for one of the best climactic battles in any superhero film.
Final takeaway: Make the audience constantly ask a question before using the Deus Ex Machina moment to answer it.
Number Three Worst – The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
At first glance, the climax of this story had the chance to be rather effective in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. When Neo makes a deal with the machines for Zion’s freedom, the leader of the machines is even named Deus Ex Machina. Neo then proceeds with his final battle with Smith, ending with Neo martyring himself and allowing Smith to absorb him. This gives the machines the opening they need to delete every Smith and reboot the Matrix, saving Zion in the process. While well-conceived, the execution of this resolution proved to be too much for most viewers. It was a heady idea that simply got too convoluted and was easily lost amidst the visual spectacle of Neo’s final battle with Smith. A disappointing end to what could have been a truly epic trilogy.
Final takeaway: Be careful not to try and do too much with a Deus Ex Machina moment.
Number Three Best – Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s classic thriller is a chaotic mashup of intense highs and quiet lows throughout. The action reaches a fever pitch when the deadly Velociraptors corner the surviving humans in the Jurassic Park Visitor Center. Just when all hope seems lost, the humans are rescued by the timely arrival of a most unlikely savior: the same Tyrannosaurus Rex who nearly killed them earlier in the film. Some may think this is just lazy writing, as there was no foreshadowing of this happening, but it fits perfectly with the film’s overarching theme of chaos. Dr. Malcolm talks endlessly about Chaos Theory, and the T-Rex charging in and killing the Raptors at the last moment highlights just how chaotic and dangerous John Hammond has now made the world. It may not be an earned or foreshadowed Deus Ex Machina, but it couldn’t have happened any other way in this universe.
Final takeaway: A Deus Ex Machina that is in line with a story’s overall theme stands a great chance of succeeding.
Number Two Worst – Superman (1978)
Christopher Reeve may be the definitive Superman, but his films had their fair share of plot holes. Chief among them is this Deus Ex Machina moment at the climax of his first outing. After failing to stop both of Lex Luthor’s missiles, Supes tragically discovers Lois Lane dead in the aftermath of the ensuing earthquake. Sick with grief, he begins to encircle the Earth and force it to spin in reverse, turning back time itself. This allows him to save everyone, including Lois, before delivering Lex Luthor to prison. While the previous bad examples of Deus Ex Machina moments had some redeeming qualities, I have no excuse whatsoever for this one. It’s just lazy writing that leaves a gaping plot hole in its wake. If Superman can fly so fast that he can make the Earth spin in reverse, he could’ve flown fast enough to stop both missiles. I have no justification.
Final takeaway: Be careful not to contradict yourself in a Deus Ex Machina moment.
Number Two Best – Toy Story 3 (2010)
Pixar Animation Studios is known for emotional moments, but none is more devastating than the sight of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and all their friends about to be destroyed in a garbage incinerator. We’ve already seen what we think is the end of the Little Green Men, and the situation the toys find themselves in here is downright hopeless. When asked what they should do, Buzz can only lower his head and hold the hands of his friends. But just as they approach the flames, the Little Green Men swoop in with a crane claw and save everyone. This isn’t just a moment of relief for the audience, but a beautiful moment of poetry, as the Little Green Men using the claw harkens back to their original appearance in the first Toy Story, as well as their catchphrase. What else can I say? This scene will make even the toughest viewer cry.
Final takeaway: A great Deus Ex Machina moment can bring a story and even an entire series full circle.
Number One Worst – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Good lord, this entire movie is one hot mess. It started off poorly, bringing us the inexplicable return of Palpatine, but the final battle pitting Palpatine against Rey and Ben is just as bad. First, Rey and Palpatine channeling the power of every Jedi and every Sith, respectively, makes no sense and has no explanation. Second, Palpatine being killed with his own Force Lightning makes even less sense. He’d been nearly killed in the past by Mace Windu with this exact technique, and a master Sith like Palpatine wouldn’t chance that happening twice. Finally, Ben resurrecting Rey with a fatal amount of Force Healing just puts the cherry on top, as we had zero indication Ben knew about this skill. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Suffice it to say, this was a horrible ending that absolutely ruined the entire sequel trilogy for me and countless others.
Final takeaway: Multiple Deus Ex Machina moments are never good. Lazy writing early breeds lazier writing later. Trust me, I know.
Number One Best – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Now, this is how you do a Deus Ex Machina! If the first six Star Wars films were an opera, Anakin Skywalker would be the tragic hero of the saga, and it all culminates in the fantastic climax of this film. From the moment Luke Skywalker surrenders to the Empire, he’s playing for time. Every move he makes is in an effort to reach his father’s mind and reawaken the latent goodness in Anakin’s heart. Yet Darth Vader professes that it is too late for him. This is the key line. Not only does Vader believe Anakin is gone for good, but even if he wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. Both the Vader and Anakin personalities know that Palpatine is far stronger, meaning opposing him would be futile. Still, Luke persists in his efforts, going so far as to remain defensive in his lightsaber duel with his father and later throwing down his weapon entirely. As Palpatine proceeds to torture and kill Luke with Force Lightning, we can feel the hopelessness. For all his skill, Luke still can’t hope to stand against Emperor Palpatine. But as Luke begs for his father to help him, something finally clicks and Anakin reemerges from the shadows of Darth Vader, killing Palpatine at the cost of his own life. While for us, the movie couldn’t end any other way, remember that audiences back in 1983 didn’t know for sure if Luke would live or die. It was entirely plausible for Luke to die a martyr while Vader and Palpatine are both killed in the ensuing Death Star explosion, ending the Jedi and the Sith for good. George Lucas played on the audience’s doubts and fears perfectly with this masterful climax, and it remains the greatest use of Deus Ex Machina in all of cinema, in my opinion.
Final takeaway: A great Deus Ex Machina moment can have foreshadowing if cleverly hidden within the story.
And that’s going to do it for this blog entry. Hopefully, this ranking helped you in your efforts to handle this most delicate tool in the writing toolbox. Of course, I’d love to know what you thought. Were there any good or bad moments I missed? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly, especially if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!