Independence Day was a
1996 summer blockbuster popcorn flick, to be sure. However, there is a very
interesting thematic development that goes largely unnoticed with all the
action and corny screenplay.
The essential theme is "overcoming the dark
side", and explorations have resulted in some significant films including Apocalypse Now, the Star Wars story (they shout
it in your face throughout the trilogy), and Falling Down. The protagonist sees in the
antagonist his own dark side. The decision to overcome the dark side usually
means some form of destruction of the antagonist by the protagonist, whether in
symbol or literal death, to confirm the rejection of temptation to give in to
the dark side.
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