In music, a leitmotif is the recurring theme of a composition.
It is in German that we can establish that the etymological origin of the term leitmotif that concerns us now is found. Specifically, it is the result of the union of two lexical components of said language:
-The verb “leiten”, which can be translated as “guide”.
-The noun “motiv”, which is synonymous with “musical movement”. A term that, in turn, emanates from the Latin word “movere”, which is equivalent to “move”.
The idea of leitmotif refers to something that is reiterated or that is central or predominant .
What is a leitmotif
According to the first meaning mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary, the term can refer to the theme that is recurring in a musical composition . By extension, leitmotif is a repeated theme , which appears over and over again in a work or in a certain area.
A leitmotif, in short, is a periodic, main or driving motive . Its characteristics depend on the discipline or context, and could be a melody, a color, a character or an expression, to name a few possibilities.
The concept in different areas
If we focus on music , the leitmotif can be a sequence of tones or a melody that appears throughout a work. Sometimes it symbolizes an emotion, an idea or a character.
In theater or cinema , an action or a situation can become a leitmotif if it is reiterated during the development of the work. The soundtrack of the movie “Jaws,” for example, includes a well-known melody that functions as a leitmotif and is associated with each appearance of the fearsome animal.
The famous melody from the movie "Jaws" constitutes a leitmotif.
Leitmotiv and cinema
In this sense, we have to establish that the musical leitmotif has become a very important resource used in the field of cinema. And thanks to it, for example, it is possible to highlight the psychology and way of being of a character, it gives meaning to the scene by anticipating what is going to happen, it is a great alternative that helps create atmospheres, you can used to advance or delay the action... Not to mention that it can also serve to place the viewer in a specific place, by identifying a specific type of music with a house or a scene that is frequently repeated.
In addition to "Jaws" there are many other films that have resorted to the use of the musical leitmotif and that today we can identify through it. We are referring, for example, to any of the “Indiana Jones” saga, “Gone with the Wind”, “The Godfather”, any of the films in the “Star Wars” series, “Psycho”, “Kill Bill”…
The notion in the political field
On the other hand, we can also take the case of a presidential candidate's campaign. In each of his public acts, this political leader insists that he will be in charge of improving the security conditions of the country, pursuing all criminals so that they are convicted by Justice.
Therefore, it can be said that the battle against insecurity is the leitmotiv of the candidate's campaign in question.