History AnimalMotifs / Film

** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': Ford Brody has a minor association with Godzilla: They both have the same goal (Killing the [=MUTOs=]). During a lull in the final battle, both lock eyes, with Godzilla curiously examining Ford and Ford visibly awestruck in return. Ford's [[spoiler: explosive distraction saves Godzilla's life from the MUTO pair, and Godzilla later returns the favor, saving Ford's life from the angry female MUTO as a possible case of AndroclesLion]]. After the end of the battle, [[spoiler: they fall unconscious and collapse at the same time]]. It's also implied that [[spoiler: the skeleton in the cave at the beginning could have belonged to a parent, sibling, mate, child, or other familial relative of Godzilla, and therefore there's another parallel- if it's true, then both have lost family to the [=MUTOs=].]]

*** Ilene and Ling Chen: Implications of Mothra. If you know your [[MythologyGag Godzilla lore]], it becomes [[GeniusBonus explicit and obvious]], due to [[spoiler: CanonCharacterAllAlong]].

*** Ilene and Ling Chen: Mothra, heavily tying into MythologyGag and [[CanonCharacterAllAlong]].

** ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters'': All over the place but to a more minor degree. Fitting this film's focus on the [[{{Kaiju}} Titans]] as "godlike" [[MythicalMotifs in]] [[OneMythToExplainThemAll more]] [[TheOldGods ways]] [[FisherKing than]] [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane one]], the human characters' motifs instead show up as them being reverential of/honoring/following one specific Titan, almost like priests or priestesses. Character arcs reflect concepts like losing (and regaining) one's faith, acting overly hubristic, and/or faith in a higher power and accepting humans aren't the biggest fish in the pond being required for victory.

** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': Ford Brody has a minor association with Godzilla: They both have the same goal (Killing the MUTOs). During a lull in the final battle, both lock eyes, with Godzilla curiously examining Ford and Ford visibly awestruck in return. Ford's [[spoiler: explosive distraction saves Godzilla's life from the MUTO pair, and Godzilla later returns the favor, saving Ford's life from the angry female MUTO as a possible case of AndroclesLion]]. After the end of the battle, [[spoiler: they fall unconscious and collapse at the same time]]. It's also implied that [[spoiler: the skeleton in the cave at the beginning could have belonged to a parent, sibling, mate, child, or other familial relative of Godzilla, and therefore there's another parallel- if it's true, then both have lost family to the MUTOs.]]

* An in-universe example in ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear''; the protagonist's spirit animal -- much to his annoyance -- is a bear, and he ends up getting transformed into one.

* The Jigsaw Killer and his accomplices from ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' tend to be associated with pigs. The first killer was a believer in the EasternZodiac and his unborn son would have been born on the Year of the Pig. He instead twists this imagery into abducting people using disturbing pig masks and a trap which involved grinding up pig carcasses. The Spiral Killer of ''Film/Spiral2021'' takes this motif a step further, using a [[PerversePuppet monstrous-looking pig marionette]] in place of Jigsaw's traditional "Billy" puppet, dressed as a police officer to symbolize [[CopKiller the "pigs" the killer targets]].

* Many of the characters in ''Film/BladeRunner'' are associated with an animal, including all of the (confirmed) Replicants. Roy Batty, in fact, has two.

* An in-universe example in ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear''; the protagonist's spirit animal - much to his annoyance - is a bear, and he ends up getting transformed into one.

* In ''WesternAnimation/IvanhoeBurbankAnimation'', Bois-Gilbert has a raven motif, and Front-De-Bouef has a bull.

* In ''Film/{{Rebecca}},'' the animal favoured by the nameless heroine is the lap-dog, Jasper. Rebecca, however, is regularly mentioned in conjunction with horses. The second Mrs. de Winter is meek, mild, and childish, always eager to please and desperate for her husband's approval, to the point where she is almost pathetic. Rebecca, however, is wild and dangerous and too powerful for Max De Winter to keep control of - especially since the horses mentioned alongside her are crazy with pain, as Rebecca whips them into a frenzy.

* At one point in ''Film/StarTrek2009'', [=McCoy=] indirectly referred to Kirk as a stallion, who had started out wild, reckless and proud. Eventually, he does grow up and becomes "tamed" and more controlled of his emotions.

* ''Film/TheConspiracy:'' Members of the Tarsus Club are divided into ravens and lions, complete with masks, and the core of their mythos is the worship of Mithras with a heavy focus on the bull hunting-and-slaying scene [[spoiler:and a ritualistic murder symbolic of the latter in every meeting]].
* In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', the windows in Emperor Palpatine's throne room on the Death Star resemble spider webs, referring to [[TheChessmaster his intricate plotting and scheming throughout the series]].
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'': Raul Silva compares himself and Bond being betrayed by the [=MI6=] and targeting each other; to rats who forced into a barrel, resorted to cannibalism, and even when released still choose to eat nothing but their own kind. Bond notes on this after he knifes Sliva [[ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind in the back]].
--> '''Bond''': Last rat standing Mr Sliva...
** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'':
*** Franz Oberhauser describes Bond as a cuckoo because [[spoiler: Bond was adopted into Oberhauser's family and his father loved Bond more than Oberhauser, likening it to how a cuckoo bird would lay its eggs in another bird's nest and kick out the original eggs]].
*** Oberhauser/[[spoiler:Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] chose [[TentacledTerror an octopus]] as the titular NebulousEvilOrganization's logo, symbolizing its omnipresence and behind-the-scenes reach to tilt geopolitical events to its favor and TakeOverTheWorld.
* From ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'' onward, Katniss Everdeen is strongly identified with mockingjays. She received a pin of one early in ''Film/TheHungerGames'' and it became her symbol.
* In the 2016 ''Film/TheGreatWall'', each of the five main groups of warriors protecting the titular wall are coded by the animals on their helmets and ornaments. The horse-riding cavalry are represented by a purple stag. The archers perched at the top are represented by a red bird. The artillery group handling the cannons and heavy-lifting are represented by a golden tiger. The elite female troops who spear their enemies from above are represented by a blue crane. And the main military force guarding the walls are represented by a grey bear.
* In the 2016 film ''Film/BeforeIWake'' the child protagonist Cody is associated with butterflies due to his love of them. Whenever he falls asleep glowing butterflies are presented. [[spoiler:In the final act Cody desperately protects social services by sticking them to the walls by the use of chrysalis. Jessie also defeats The Canker Man by presenting a butterfly pillow to it, in the end a smiling Cody learns to control his dreams by creating a dream butterfly in his open hand.]]
* Arliss Loveless, the BigBad of ''Film/WildWildWest'', has a spider motif, best exemplified by his ultimate weapon: a giant mechanical spider.

* Beetles are a motif in ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings''. A beetle is Kubo's family crest, the character of Beetle is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-explanatory]], and, as mentioned above, Music/TheBeatles originally performed the song that is used in the end credits.

* In the 2016 film ''Film/BeforeIWake'' the child protagonist Cody is associated with butterflies due to his love of them. Whenever he falls asleep glowing butterflies are presented. [[spoiler:In the final act Cody desperately protects social services by sticking them to the walls by the use of chrysalis. Jessie also defeats The Canker Man by presenting a butterfly pillow to it, in the end a smiling Cody learns to control his dreams by creating a dream butterfly in his open hand.]]

* Jafar, the villain of ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', was actually given a snake motif: his hat and robes resemble the hood and body of a cobra, he has vaguely serpentine eyes, teeth resembling a venomous snake's fangs, a constant tendency to flick out his tongue while speaking, he always carries a cobra-headed staff with him all the time, and at the end of the film, [[OneWingedAngel he even]] [[ScaledUp turns into one.]]

* An in-universe example in ''Disney/BrotherBear''; the protagonist's spirit animal - much to his annoyance - is a bear, and he ends up getting transformed into one.

** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'': Raul Silva compares himself and Bond being betrayed by the MI6 and targeting each other; to rats who forced into a barrel, resorted to cannibalism, and even when released still choose to eat nothing but their own kind. Bond notes on this after he knifes Sliva [[ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind in the back]].

*** The title organization is depicted as an octopus.