Time
By virtue of the title, time is one of the main themes of the film. We see that George has an obsession with it by the multitude of clocks he keeps in his home. Still, his desire is to no longer be a prisoner to time. Instead, he wants to utilize time as a dimension in which mankind can move through, thus creating a fourth dimension, an escape from the chains of time.
Taking Control of One’s Destiny
Taking control of his destiny is the impetus for George creating his time machine. He desires to put an end to war and have control over the creation of the future for he and all of mankind. When he leaps extremely far ahead into time we learn that he must fight a people who have no desire to create their future and he must instill it in them.
War
War is a theme seen repeatedly throughout the movie. George wants to put a stop to all of the killing happening in his time, but he is met with it in 1917, 1940, 1966 and 800,000 year into the future. There is the war between man seen in WWI and WWII. The war between man and nature in 1966 with the atomic bomb creating a volcanic eruption. And finally, the war created between the Morlocks and the Eloi people and George. He cannot stand for the Eloi people’s allowing themselves to resign to death rather than survive and grow. This, and the de-evolution of men into the Morlock creatures who are cannibal causes George to act in order for humanity to be restored.
