Structuralism and Semiotics

STRUCTURALISM: Defined.

1.  a theoretical paradigm in sociology, anthropology and linguistics positing that elements of human culture must be understood in terms of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure. - (Wikipedia) 
2. the name that is given to a wide range of discourses that study underlying structures of signification. Signification occurs wherever there is a meaningful event or in the practice of some meaningful action. Hence the phrase, "signifying practices." A meaningful event might include any of following: writing or reading a text... - (John William Philips) 
3. the doctrine that structure is more important than function

STRUCTURALIST FILM THEORY 

Basically, it emphasizes how films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions not dissimilar to the way languages are used to construct meaning in communication. Structuralism looks at a film or any other "text" as a signifying system, a set of patterns or relationships within the work. The meaning of a work (or a body of work) comes not so much from inherent meanings of its individual elements, as from how they interrelate within a "formal system."

Ferdinand de Saussure & his contribution

 Structuralism first comes to prominence as a specific discourse with the work of a Swiss linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure, who developed a branch of linguistics called "Structural Linguistics." There Saussure sought to provide the foundations for a modern linguistics, but he also proposed that the conceptual framework he developed might be applied to a general science of signs—"semiology." According to Saussure, Structuralist Film Theory refers to how films convery meanung through the use of codes & conventions not dissimilar to the way languages are used to construct meaning in communication.

SEMIOTICS: Definition, Origin, Proponent

 According to French literary critic and semiologist Roland Barthes, semiotics isn't a theory, a discipline, a school, nor a science but an "adventure". It is all about deciphering and interpreting both verbal and non-verbal signs. Semiotics (or Semiology) is defined as the study of social production of meaning from sign systems and it is the analysis that can stand for something else.

Barthes described the Semiotic Theory as the explanation of myth. He said that myth is the connotative meaning that signs carry whenever they go. Myth makes what is cultural seem natural. Furthermore, Barthes said that social meanings could be classified through clothes, lifestyle choices, and advertisement.

SEMIOTICS as a form of Structuralism

Semiology uses the concept of codes to discuss conventional ways that things are done in texts. Codes are cultural phenomena because they are learned.

There are various categories of codes:

1. Cultural codes include the way that texts signify, for example, beliefs about gender, social class, and authority. 
2. Technical codes, in film, describe the ways we have learned to "read" visual information, include such things as continuity editing, point of view and reaction shots, cross-shooting and over-shoulder shooting, dissolves, and montage. Technical codes involve both techniques of making movies and, for viewers, learned ways of seeing them. Technical codes have thematic implications as well: for example, a dissolve suggests a connection between two otherwise-unrelated images; a tilted composition suggests undertainty or danger.

Genre, Plot, Film Techniques: Relevance to Structuralist Film Theory

Genre, considered as a set of conventional patterns within a basic formula, is a particular focus of structural criticism. Plot structures (storylines such as the thriller, the falsely-accused man, young lovers overcoming obstacles to marriage, or the search for hidden treasure) are recurring story patterns and are often a defining characteristic of a genre. Structuralist theorists have also analyzed plot patterns found in fairy tales and other traditional narratives (such as the heroic quest or the sleeping beauty) as these appear in contemporary narratives. Film techniques such as subjective (point-of-view) shooting can also be analyzed as structural elements.

 

Cinema: The Ultimate Pervert Art

"I know it's a fake, but nonetheless I allow myself to be emotionally affected."
- Slavoj Žižek

Everyone enjoys watching a movie, but Zizek wants us to take a closer look when watching films and how it directly manipulate the emotions of the audience. In The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, Zizek main focus were desire and appearance.

He explains that cinema is the ultimate pervert art. It will never give us what we desire, but will only tell us how to desire. Zizek emphasized that desires are learned. We learn them from watching which is why films give an emotional impact to the audience. Also, what people don't realize is they continue to watch films and see the things they can’t possibly have.

With the help of Freud's Theory of id, ego, and super ego, Zizek was able to incorporate it to his description of films and their connection to desires. The audience, like every individual, has their super ego and their ego attempting to correct their behaviors and avoid the id as much as possible. Say for an instance you're watching a horror or thriller film. You are exactly aware of what will happen and yet still get shock by it.

Appearances, on the other hand, deal with a complicated relationship between reality and illusion. There should be a reality within the illusion. Film is all appearance and what the audience sees. Fantastical types of scenes create a deep emotional response from the audience.

The mystery of films is that even if we know that it's only it fictional, it still fascinates us. And that's what makes films magical. You get to see a certain adventurous scene, then you get to learn that it's only a stage machinery behind, but you are still fascinated by it. Illusion is persistent. There is something real in the illusion, more real than in the reality behind it.

The Matrix (1999): Unleashed

Trailer: The Matrix (1999)

"The Matrix" is a visually astounding cyber-adventure, full of action, making its audience feel somehow connected to the film. Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, Larry and Andy created a groundbreaking motion picture that has made a remarkable symbol in the science-fiction scenario. Fused with thrilling action scenes and Japanese martial arts, the film is known for its kinetic appeal plus its innovative visual effects. Not only has it showed startling action, but also its thought-provoking appeal to perspectives, imparted philosophically and religiously.

"The Matrix" adopts the gravity-defying choreography of Hong Kong action movies. The Wachowski brothers were fully hands-on in the film making. Here, with a big budget and veteran action producer Joel Silver.

The Matrix tells the story of Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer by day, and hacker by night with the alias “Neo”. Recruited by legendary hacker alias “Morpheus”(Laurence Fushburne), he learns that the world he believes to exist in is only a simulated reality pulled over his eyes to blind him from the truth. He is nothing more than a slave like every other human being in a dystopian world controlled by machines. After being freed from the dream world by Morpheus & his team, Neo joins the rebellion against the machines in bringing freedom to his people and in the process also discovering the purpose & true meaning of his life. Morpheus believes Neo is the Messianic "One" who can lead this rebellion, which requires mind power as much as physical strength. The movie's battles take place in Virtual Reality; the heroes' minds are plugged into the combat.

Kudos to the performance of the actors! The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving & Joe Pantoliano. The characters are meticulously developed by the Wachowski Brothers. The cast were terrific on-screen. Keanu Reeves as Neo was amazing in displaying his characters’ confusion, and showed a great use of body language. Laurence Fishburne gave an outstanding performance as Morpheus. Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity plays with fierceness and elegance. Joe Pantoliano who plays as Cypher was highly commendable. Overall, the performances are superb.

Despite the superbly choreographed action sequences and extraordinary visual & sound effects, The Matrix strongly appeals to the viewers because of its key metaphors and theme. The film clearly shows various daily routines of people. Most especially in this high technology age, people seem to submit their lives to the machines around us. The film was able to visualize a life without a purpose, a life where people turn out to be slaves under authority, a life full mysteries. It also tackles a person’s search for his true identity. Thus, various philosophical & religious mythologies were fused.

The making of "The Matrix"

See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMECk6afZM

FILM CRITICISM AND THEORIES

FILM CRITICISM

When new movies are up on the screen, I admit that I am eager to watch them as soon as the film hits its premiere. By merely just viewing a film's trailer or teaser, I easily judge the film itself on its plot or elements shown on the trailer. Human as I am, I judge something by what I see or hear. Hence, the same attitude applies to how we should handle and study the films that we watch. It takes intricate and careful analysis for us to be able to say if a film as whole is either good or bad, if  it deserves a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down". Now, it all comes down to the so called "film criticism".

What is FILM CRITICISM?

Film criticism is the evaluation and analysis of films. It seeks to develop concise, systematic concepts that apply to the study of cinema. It is a method of applying mechanics of the movies, film techniques, film structure, camera and its structure, mise-en-scene, editing, genres of film, etc.

Simply, it is the smartest way to judge a film in all of its aspects.

THEORIES APPLIED IN CINEMA

Just like any other phenomenon, a film also can be studied in all of its aspects by applying existing theories introduced in the history as far as cinema is concerned.

Feminist Theory

It discusses the function of women characters in particular film narratives or in particular genres, such as film noir, where a woman character can often be seen to embody a subversive sexuality that is dangerous to men and is ultimately punished with death. For the last twenty years, feminist film theory is heavily influenced by the general transformation in the field of aesthetics, including the new options of articulating the gaze, offered by psychoanalytical French feminism, like the matrixial gaze.

 Insiang (1976) Directed by Lino Brocka

Gender Studies

It is a field of interdisciplinary study and academic field devoted to gender identity and gendered representation as central categories of analysis. This field includes women's studies, men's studies, and LGBT studies. It is sometimes offered together with the study of sexuality. These disciplines study gender and sexuality in the fields of literature, language, history, political science, sociology, anthropology, cinema, media studies, human development, law, and medicine. It also analyzes race, ethnicity, location, nationality, and disability.

Prayers for Bobby (2009) Directed by Russell Mulcahy

Performance Theory

It is a broad study which fuses theater studies, anthropology, ethnography, and feminist and post-structuralist theory. Having said that it is broad, its concern is all about people's performances, individually or collectively. People act and perform on a daily basis. The routines you do everyday simply are considered performances just like the way you walk or talk. Everything that we do that leads to motion is a performance. Not to mention, even the things in the environment bring life as long as it is in motion and is used as an agent of performance.

Chicago (2009) Directed by Rob Marshall

Spectatorship Theory

Its nature is to not look at how viewers respond to a film statistically and scientifically, but instead at how the viewer is involved, implicated and engaged in the viewing experience. What many of today’s most interesting filmmakers want to do is ‘subjectivise’ us through a combination of emotionally engaging us and at the same time forcing upon us an awareness of that engagement. They want any idea to be contained by a strong emotional reaction. 

Schindler's List (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Ethnic Theory

Race is a social category that shares the people's commonalities in different aspects such as religion, language, customs, nationality, and political affiliation. It was originally based on the notion of culture. Additionally, it was based on the assimilation model which tells that instead of explaining the marginalized status of people of color in the United States with an inherent biological inferiority, it was a failure to assimilate into American culture that held people back. They could be equal as long as they dropped their culture which was deficient compared to white culture. 

Thy Womb (2012) Directed Brillante Mendoza

Auteur Theory

Auteur is French for author. During the 1950s, the term "auteur" was first used by the critics of French film magazine Cahiers du cinéma to praise certain film directors. Since then, the term auteur has acquired the meaning of directors whose personal vision on a movie is strongly felt. In the early 1960s, when American film critics picked up on these ideas, the term was interpreted as a theory, a way of making films in the Nouvelle Vague vein, hence the phrase auteur theory.

Tim Burton's films