Hero’s Journey in Film Lesson Plan

In this lesson, we’ll explore the hero’s journey in film. Follow the pattern of the hero’s journey, a concept developed by Joseph Campbell. This pattern is a common thread in storytelling, found in films like “The Matrix,” “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “Harry Potter.” These movies showcase a hero’s adventure and transformation in a way that reflects Campbell’s ideas. Our focus will be on “The Matrix,” where we’ll see how the main character, Neo, follows this journey. Alongside this exploration, there will be a worksheet for you to complete while watching the movie. This worksheet will guide you to identify the various stages of the hero’s journey and the archetypal characters within the film, enhancing your understanding of how these elements are woven into modern cinema.

Learning Goals

• I will be able to identify and explain the stages of the hero’s journey
• I will be able to recognize and analyze archetypal characters in films, including the hero, mentor, threshold guardian, and shadow
• I will develop critical thinking skills by seeing how This Movie follows and deviates from the traditional hero’s journey and archetype patterns.

Materials

Hero’s Journey in Film Handout

• A Movie that clearly goes through the Hero’s Journey; ie, The Matrix, Star Wars, The Lion King, Lord of the Rings

Process

1. Review the Stages of the Hero’s Journey and archetypes (Click here to see the lesson).
2. Introduce your chosen movie. My favorite is The Matrix
3. Watch the movie while filling out the Hero’s Journey in a Movie handout.

Assessment

Collect and review student answers from the handout.

Curriculum Connections

Ontario ENL1W: This lesson supports Strand C as students analyze narrative structure, character roles, theme, and meaning across literary and visual media, while discussion and written explanation reinforce evidence-based interpretation.

Common Core: RL.9-10.7, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, and SL.9-10.1 align with comparing narrative patterns and analyzing how story elements are represented in film.

Differentiation and Extensions

Differentiation: Provide a hero’s-journey viewing organizer with the stages listed in advance, pause at key points for students who need processing support, allow partners to compare observations, and accept brief scene descriptions instead of lengthy written responses. Students can focus on a smaller set of major stages before attempting the full model.

Extension: Have students identify moments that do not fit the model and argue whether the filmmaker intentionally subverts the expected pattern. Students can also compare the film’s hero with one Greek hero from earlier in the unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the film need to contain all 12 stages?

No. The lesson works best when students treat the hero’s journey as a flexible analytical model. Missing, reordered, or combined stages can become useful discussion points.

Can students analyze different films?

Yes. Individual or small-group film choices can work well as long as students use the same analytical criteria and choose age-appropriate texts approved for the class.

Why connect Greek mythology to modern film?

The comparison helps students transfer literary-analysis skills and recognize how ancient narrative patterns and archetypes continue to influence modern storytelling.

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