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Roland Barthes
Semiotics
Introduction
• Semiotics – The study of signs/symbols and their use or interpretations. E.g. Body language, gestures, words, pictures.
Enigma Code – Roland Barthes (1970)A text portrays mystery to draw an audience in to pose questions and as such become intrigued in the piece. For instance, a murder mystery will often not reveal the identity of the killer until the end of the story which poses the question, 'who is the murderer?’
Categorised as:• Hermeneutic Code - Voice of Truth: Element in a story not explained and therefore exists as an enigma
for the reader, raising questions• Proairetic Code - Voice of Empirics: Tension built up leaving the audience guessing what will happen
next• Semantic Code - Voice of Person: Any element in text suggests meaning by way of connotation which
the story suggests• Symbolic Code - Voice of Symbol: Wider level of semantic code, organises semantic meanings into
broader and deeper sets of meaning. New meaning arises out of opposing and conflict ideas• Cultural Code - Voice of Knowledge: Looks at the audiences wider cultural knowledge, morality and
ideology• These codes are important so that the audience read the text with multiple meanings, the audience then
take control and take an active role in determining the meaning of the text. The codes are crucial to title sequence as the title sequence is the 'taster' of the film, if the audience aren't satisfied or find themselves 'bored' in the first 2 minutes of the film, they will stop watching or not appreciate the codes.
Relating Enigma code to A Zombie Movie
THE AUTHOR IS DEAD
Structuralist film theory• Emphasises how films convey meaning through the use of codes and
conventions not the way languages are used to construct meaning in communication
• The sign (1) is composed of a signifier (2) the material form of the sign and the signified (3) he concept it represents.
• Sign – the word written STOP• Signifier – the letters S-T-O-P• Signified concept – the motion ‘STOP’
• The signifier – aspect of the sign we perceive physically (denotation)• The signified – mental concept to which the signrefers (connotation)
Claude Levi Strauss
Binary Oppositions
Introduction
• Binary Oppositions – Contrasts juxtaposed against each other to construct a narrative within a text.
Examples of Binary Oppositions
Levi Strauss thought that:• The meaning of words had a relationship
rather than a fixed meaning, therefore you understood what something meant due to the opposite.
• Conflict is based around the binary opposites.• Binary oppositions are the central climax of a
narrative structure.
Relating Binary Opposites to Captive
• Binary opposites was used in Captive by contrasting the point of view in cinematography, switching from the two different characters to build tension and for the audience to be aware that the male character was approaching. The binary opposites of the gender also creates tension.
