Can someone break this down for me? I’ve read explanations and I’m not grasping it. An example would be great. Cheers y’all
In: 1945
Stage plays were incredibly popular in ancient Greece. It wasn’t uncommon for the problem in the play to be overcome with the help of the/a God like Zeus, who for purposes of the play would be introduced and lowered to the stage via a machine.
So, literally, Deus (god) ex (from) machina (machine).
It has evolved to now describe a trope whereby the primary problem in a story is resolved by an unforeseen, abrupt omnipotent power (relative to the problem).
A Deus Ex Machina is some plot device which solves a problem in a story nearly miraculously. Usually it’s not mentioned before it happens.
The most ELI5 example of a Deus Ex Machina has got to be from The Cat in the Hat. They spend the whole day tearing up their parents house and making messes and the fish is SURE they’re all going to be in trouble forever, then right before the parents get home, the Cat in the Hat gets his cleaning machine to clean up all the evidence of their shenanigans with seconds to spare. Nobody mentioned this machine throughout the whole story, nobody knew how they were going to avoid getting in trouble, but this machine comes out of nowhere and saves the day.
My favorite example is in Matt Groening’s Christmas animated film, “Olive the Other Reindeer” (it’s great if you like holiday stuff).
Olive is locked in the evil mailman’s van – he’s trying to stop Christmas and Olive needs to stop him. There are piles of mail, and she spots a box addressed to her, that hasn’t been delivered to her house yet. She opens it and there’s a metalworking file in it, so she can cut the lock and escape the truck.
She notices the return address on the box is “Deus Ex Machina”.
The Harley Quinn animated series does a great job of comedically using one and explaining what it is at the same time.
The gang is surrounded by foes and cornered. With everyone about to die and all hope seeming lost, one of the characters yells out, “What I wouldn’t give for a Deus Ex Machina right now!!!”
Not one second after he pleads for a Deus Ex Machina, a mysterious stranger pops out from behind a wall and says “Guys, follow me! I’m here to help you; I know a secret escape!” The crew all quickly follow the mysterious stranger to safety. As they’re making their escape, another member of the gang consoles the first one, saying “I’m sorry you didn’t get that Machina thing you were talking about, but at least this random stranger showed up out of nowhere to save us for no reason!”
Which is brilliantly clever considering he just perfectly described a classic Deus Ex Machina without realizing it.
Okay, this has been answered, but this is my favorite example. In Toy Story we meet the alien toys that worship the claw. “The claw decides who will stay and who will go”
Fast forward to Toy Story 3.
Spoilers:>!in the end, our friends are on the conveyer belt to be incinerated. They realize their struggle, and with no way out of the situation, they accept their fate. Just then the aliens show up again with the claw. A literal machine they worship as a god serves as a Deus ex machina! Brilliant! !<
Tom hanks in save private ryan. He is shooting a Tiger tank with his .45 and he is fucked for certain. But then, unexpectedly, allied bombarders hit the tank and destroy it for him. That is Deus (a god, saviour) ex Machina (provided, given put in there like some gift from outwardly forces)
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