Interesting Fact of the Day! No. 15 - Deus ex Machina!

"Deus ex Machina" is a latin term which basically means "God from the machine". Have you ever watched a film or play that takes you down a complicated route and then suddenly when you think that your hero is doomed, some unexplicable and highly unlikely event happens that neatly ties all of the plot together?

A bit like it was the author or playwright's afterthough to get them out of a jam, "Deus ex Machina" is often used as a get out of jail card for the writer.

Arguably a classic example of this is Han Solo turning up to save Luke at the end of Star Wars. A fine moment in cinema history but in reality a bit of a tag on ending.

Like any literary tool, it can be used to great effect. One example is in Woody Allen's 1995 comedy Mighty Aphrodite. The heroine finally meets the man of her dreams when his helicopter is forced to land on the road in front of her car. Allen wryly remarks to the camera, "Talk about a Deus Ex Machina!"