Film Language Research Articles

Toxic Masculinity, Rage, and Activism in Chile and South Africa

In this videographic essay, I juxtapose two feminist responses to patriarchal violence and highlight their similarities by drawing from the insights of Argentine anthropologist Rita Segato. I compare the performance “A rapist in your path” (2019) by the Chilean feminist collective Las Tesis with the documentary The People vs Patriarchy (2018) by South African filmmaker Lebogang Rasethaba and producer Jasmyn Asvat. Both works emerged within the context of the global #MeToo movement and attest to the ubiquity of gender inequality, rape culture and the creative outrage fueling societal transformation. The form of the video essay uses visible grid lines and text on screen to denormalize structures of patriarchal power and prompt viewers to critically think about the intersections of oppression and resistance. I take cues from Barbara Zecchi’s audiovisual language of the multiscreen that keeps audiences alert to challenge the naturalized mechanisms concealed by dominant patriarchal cinematic language.

Breaking the Cult of Masculinity –The Other Lamb, Midsommarand Empowerment on Screen

It is not only cult cinema but also the representation of the ‘cult’ on screen that can provide vital opportunities to de-centre destructive masculinity and ask questions about wider gender power struggles. Female characters that are at the centre of cult cinema, driving the narrative and breaking the rules of masculine control are not a new phenomenon. From Pam Grier’s ferocity in films such as Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown(1974) to Kurt Russell’s brutal takedown in Tarantino’s Death Proof (2007), cult film has long been a platform for destabilising the notion of traditional gender hierarchies. The notion of the ‘cult’ itself, however, has long been thought of and (represented on screen) as an all-male power trip with disastrous consequences for those that believe. As far back as The Seventh Victim (1943) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), there have been many manifestations of cult violence towards woman on screen but there is also a cannon of films that use cinematic representations of the cult to change the narrative and bring wider gender politics to the surface. Two such contemporary examples of this are Małgorzata Szumowska’s The Other Lamb (2020) and Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019). Both films offer nightmarish manifestations of cult mechanisms and control that at first seem to once again place men and masculinity in pole position. This paper will examine how the narrative, character and cinematic language of both films offer a more complex and subversive discourse linked to female empowerment. They use the medium to offer cautionary, and often shocking, on-screen representations that attempt to disrupt traditional, male led power structures and can also be read as a commentary on wider society and not simply the cults that they portray.

Afro-surrealism in screen arts as an experience of the Otherworldly

This article is a study of such an original trend in art as "Afro-surrealism". The study contains an excursion into the history of this phenomenon, but special attention is paid to the special connection of the genre of Afro-surrealism with the realm of the otherworldly. The genre, being an offshoot of the general group of surrealist trends, tends to create images that cross the line of rational reality, in other words, Afro-surrealist works by their nature strive for knowledge of the otherworldly. Nevertheless, Afro-surrealism contains unique structural elements and techniques that make it possible to separate it from classical surrealism and make it a rich material for research. The purpose of the article is to examine the history of the genre, as well as some works in the genre of Afro–surrealism and, using their example, based on the "Manifesto of Afro-Surrealism" to identify special elements of language and demonstrate how they help to reveal the otherworldly reality of the work. The main research method in this article is a systematic film analysis. The special structural elements of the film language and their role in the isolation of the genre are the focus of the research. The results of the study can be considered the very fact of highlighting a cultural phenomenon, since this genre is quite young and unique for a group of authors belonging to the same cultural group. In this regard, the phenomenon is practically unknown and extremely poorly studied in the Russian-language scientific literature. In addition to analyzing the historical and theoretical foundations of the genre, this article identifies special elements of the language of works, thanks to which the view of the problem of the otherworldly acquires a special philosophical depth, turning into a question about the limits of knowledge and mystical experience. The article analyzes in detail some of the images created by the authors of the series "Atlanta", and also draws a parallel between this series and David Lynch's older surrealist work "Twin Peaks", which allows us to more specifically draw a line separating "classic" surrealism from Afro-surrealism.

Converting dramatic text to screen language

The purpose of the article. The study considers film adaptation as a way of interpreting a literary text written for stage production by means of cinematography. The article focuses on the role of the director, his own vision of events and characters in the process of transcoding a work of art into the language of cinema. The features of the dramatic text (monologues, dialogues, author’s remarks, description of characters, division of the work into scenes and acts), the means by which the dramatic work affects the viewer/recipient are highlighted. The article, based on the works of William Shakespeare “Macbeth” and Sophocles “Oedipus the King”, examines the originality of the transformation of a dramatic text into the language of cinema. The article outlines the theoretical basis of film poetry, which allowed directors and screenwriters to practically embody the film adaptation of stage drama. The results of the study showed that the dramatic text and its film interpretation indicate the author’s and director’s reception.
 The methodology. The author uses analysis (theoretical works on screenwriting and directing, research in the field of art history), observation (the creative process in cinema), comparison (the literary source and the finished film), systematization (techniques for transforming the dramatic literary source into a screen work), modeling the principles of directing and script. 
 The results of the research can be used in educational programs of art universities and creative workshops, as well as in the practical work of directors, screenwriters, cultural scientists, and art historians. The paper provides examples that form the basis for practical principles that can help in creating film adaptations based on plays.
 The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the study represents a unique scientific contribution, carrying out a thorough study of the process of transforming a dramatic work into a film script. It is important to note that this research goes beyond the script, delving into the essence of the director’s vision. It provides for a comprehensive understanding and systematization of various directing techniques used throughout the entire film adaptation process.

Descriptions in V.V. Nabokov’s texts: perfecting techniques in competition with the cinematic language (to the 125th anniversary of the birth)

The article discusses innovative techniques for constructing descriptions in V.V. Nabokov’s texts "Camera Obscura" ("Laughter In The Night") and "The Enchanter". The relevance of the topic is due, on the one hand, to the unsettled issue of identifying invariant description features and attributing the peripheral forms of description. On the other hand, there are no works that fully reveal V.V. Nabokov’s technique of creating descriptions. The research is based on advances in the study of this author’s visual poetics, interest in which has been growing in recent years. The article used lexico-semantic, morphological, syntactic analysis of individual linguistic units. Moreover, linguostylistic text analysis, intertextual and semiotic analysis, content analysis were employed in conjunction with a comparative analysis of the two texts reflecting the dynamics of V.V. Nabokov’s individual style. The study has shown that descriptive fragments in the texts by this author mostly do not have clear boundaries and can overlap or alternate with the narrative even within the same sentence. The article proposes to call this technique "fusion style". It is concluded that one of the important functions of V.V. Nabokov’s descriptions is the embodiment of the film of life mega-metaphor. The language of description borrows techniques from the cinematic language, for instance, montage techniques, double exposure through superimposure, and sound images. The research has identified stylistic devices that can iconically embody cinematic language elements. These include blending, ellipsis, extended allusions, double similes, and paronomasia. The paper concludes that the density of these techniques in V.V. Nabokov’s texts increases as he gains mastery. It is shown that the writer objectifies visual poetics with the help of such linguistic means as embedded structures and absolute constructions, enumerations, groups of nominal sentences.

Crematorio: An X-ray of corruption in contemporary Spain – A conversation with the Sánchez-Cabezudo brothers

The brothers Jorge and Alberto Sanchez-Cabezudo have a very important role in the leap in quality taken by Spanish series in the second decade of the twenty-first century. With referents such as The Sopranos (1999–2007) and The Wire (2002–08), they adapted film language and narrative style to television series with Crematorio (2011) and La Zona (The Zone) (2017–18). In this interview we talk specifically about Crematorio as a social and political critique of contemporary Spain.

Crossing Boundaries: Shock Effect, Optical Unconscious and Messianic Time in Theo Angelopoulos’s Cinematic Language

The films of Theo Angelopoulos narrate a poetic “new humanism,” and this genius director of the 20th century has left an enduring artistic ‘aura’ in Walter Benjamin’s era of mechanical reproduction through his unique use of long-take narration and internal montage. This paper explores the dialectical relationship between long takes and internal montage in Angelopoulos’ films, as well as how the conflicting arrangement of mise en scène affects the audience’s psyche. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s theories of Shock Effect, Optical Unconscious, and Messianic Time, the analysis focuses on Landscape in the Mist, one of Angelopoulos’ Trilogy of Silence, to examine his “boundary-crossing” cinematic language. Benjamin’s shock effect is evident as Angelopoulos breaks the logical constraints using iconic and impactful images, delivering a disruptive shock to an audience accustomed to the anesthesia of art reproductions, prompting critical contemplation. Angelopoulos’ lens possesses a unique magic, consistently influencing the audience’s optical unconscious and prompting reflections on the past and self. Landscape in the Mist tells a story of searching for the father, with the protagonist transcending allegorical boundaries. Angelopoulos’ transcendent cinematography, beyond time and space, inherits the imagery of Greek culture, revealing the anticipation of the past and future in messianic time. The paper concludes with the reflection that on the desire for redemption through a messianic promise, asserting that the present time is the optimal moment for crossing boundaries, no matter how much we yearn to await redemption.

Light and Shadow: Exploring the Aesthetics of Dune’s Visual Spectacle through Effects, Design, and Art Direction

This paper explores the profound aesthetics of light and shadow in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Drawing upon elements of cinematography, special effects, design, and art direction, the analysis examines how the interplay of light and shadow serves as a narrative language, shaping the visual storytelling experience. The study investigates the innovative use of lighting to enhance visual effects, the impact of design elements on thematic depth, and the role of art direction in creating a visually cohesive world. Additionally, it investigates the emotional and psychological dimensions influenced by the aesthetic choices, contributing to the film’s atmospheric tone and mood. Through an examination of audience reception and critical acclaim, the paper underscores Dune’s significant contribution to the contemporary visual language of cinema. The findings suggest potential areas for further research in the dynamic field of film aesthetics.

Typology of literary script in Russian cinema of the 2000s

The study materials included screenplays by authors who made their debut in the 2000s: M. Kurochkin, I. Ugarov, V. Sigarev, A. Rodionov, A. Novototsky, V. Moiseenko, A. Zvyagintsev, and O. Negin. Since the 1930s Soviet film school had formed a specific type of screenplay, literary script, in which the visual identity of the future film is created through literary means. In the 1990s, a competitive type of script appeared in the Russian film production – it was American screenplay format which implied he abandonment of literary techniques. By the 2000s, Russian film dramaturgy was influenced by three tendencies: the Soviet tradition of the literary screenplay, the new Western American screenplay, and contemporary theatrical dramaturgy of the turn of the century, whose authors began to experiment with cinema during this period. The study of the cinematic language of literary screenplays is conducted using a structural-semiotic method. Elements of cinematic language are analyzed: speech, voice-over, actor's score, character action in the frame, composition. The results of the analysis allow us to conclude the emergence of two new directions in Russian film dramaturgy. The poetics of literary screenplays by authors who transitioned to cinema from theatrical dramaturgy manifest in a quest for documentary realism in characters and their speech, proposed circumstances, setting, and plot, which is reflected in lyrical remarks. The techniques they use, including the theatrical technique of verbatim, have a tremendous impact on contemporary Russian cinema. The concise language of the American format, traditionally associated with the producer model of production, finds its reflection in the authorial film dramaturgy of A. Zvyagintsev and O. Negin, aiming for precision and conciseness in the staging plan. This split marks the actualization of the problem of form, which was acute in Soviet cinema in the 1930s.

Mounage Structures for Building a Film Narrative

The book "Montage Structures for Building a Film Narrative" by Dr. Bilyana Topalova is an indepth analysis of external montage structures and their transformation under the influence of new technologies. The research was done with reasoning and knowledge of new trends in cinema and film language. The topic is current and offers scientifically based conclusions and analyses. Cinema has become a visual, aural and narrative memory of humanity. Cinematic memory is more important, because of its social or cultural character, because there will always be a viewer who, when watching and listening to films, will have the opportunity and desire to discover something different from the familiar.

Semantic Montage: Cognitive Insights for Understanding Film Language in Chinese Context

The article uses Semantic Montage, a cognitive linguist source cited from the idea of montage in film theory, to examine the issue of metaphor in the study of film language in the Chinese context. The researchers created a model for studying film language theory terms, film titles, and film dialogue by combining Semantic Montage and Context. This model addresses an object of study that is distinct from traditional approaches to the study of film language that ignore the issue of metaphor in the field of film studies. The conclusions were as follows: 1.Validate inconsistencies in the Chinese translation of key terms in Christian Metz's film semiotic theory; 2. The model verifies translation errors in film titles; 3. There are three types of semantic montage in the dialogue of contemporary Chinese cinema, all of which need to be analysed in context, not just on a literal level.

Performative Cinema and Its Techniques

The aim of this paper presentation is to analyze in-depth the transition and transformation of performance art into the world of cinema, creating the notion of performative cinema – a notion that is very present in today`s cinematic language, however not enough recognized as a movement in itself. The core mantra of performative cinema is the involvement of the spectator – both the emancipation of the viewer in an age of consumerist blockbusters and his awakening into a certain state of mind (in some cases, performative cinema can even lead towards transcendental meditation). The paper will briefly follow the origins of performative cinema and its techniques, with roots in the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Pere Portabella, while reaching into the present through works of film auteurs like Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Yorgos Lanthimos. The presentation will focus to unveil and analyze the approaches of performative cinema, conveying how it works as a piece of performance art in itself – and how its relay into cinema can be direct, with a dadaesque influence through a transgressive political message (`Holy Motors` by Leos Carax representing an example), or more subtle – through nuances and refined directorial interventions (Weerasethakul`s `Memoria`). The systematic analysis of these movies as core examples of performative cinema means an enterprise into both the narrative elements and the visual identity of the films, with the purpose of classifying a genre that has remained unknown for too long, deserving the treatment of a cinematic wave in itself.

The Way of Director Presenting Teenage Girls in a Movie and How It Influences Viewers of the Same Age and Gender, Taking the Film Lady Bird as an Example

In the contemporary era of rapid development, the progress of feminism and the evolving status of women have come into focus through the collective efforts of diverse individuals. Various forms of media have played a pivotal role in portraying women's representation. Within the film industry, there has been a notable transformation in the depiction of female characters. Unlike the past, where women were often objectified through the traditional male gaze, modern cinema has given rise to multifaceted female characters brought to life by a myriad of directors and screenwriters. These characters have ceased to be mere accessories and have emerged as independent figures, relatable to countless female viewers. This analysis focuses on the movie Lady Bird as a compelling illustration of contemporary female diversity in cinema. Through an examination of five key scenes, this essay explores the cinematic language, emotions, and messages conveyed to the audience. It delves into how these elements resonate with women of a similar age to the film's heroines. In essence, Lady Bird effectively encapsulates the struggles and passions of young women during their high school years.

Review of the Cinematic Elements in “Two Men and A Wardrobe”

The present research focuses on Roman Polanski’s short film “Two Men and a Wardrobe,” unraveling the sophisticated cinematic language, symbolic motifs, and societal commentary throughout the plot. The short film is one of the director’s earliest works and yet one of the most evocative of the society that he lived in. The study analyzes Polanski’s directorial approach, distinguished by his careful use of simple yet conspicuous settings and recurring motifs, to portray themes of loneliness, surrealism, and resilience within the framework of the cityscape and how townspeople treat strangers. Several stylistic and language questions that Polansky uses are explored. First, the research reveals the director’s expert use of lighting to elicit resonance, particularly in emphasizing the characters’ experiences and the film’s overall mood. It also investigates the film’s relationship stories of Holocaust suffering and its portrayal of societal difficulties, in line with the cinematic discourse around films such as “La Vita è Bella” and “Schindler’s List.” The study provides vital insights into the tremendous effect of Polanski’s work by exploring the theme exploration and artistic choices in “Two Men and a Wardrobe,” clarifying its significance within the fields of film and societal reflection.

Brothers or not? The failure of Morning of the East, the first joint Soviet–North Korean film

ABSTRACT This paper studies the reasons for the banning of the first joint Soviet–North Korean film in history by North Korean authorities. Morning of the East, released in the Soviet Union as Brothers, was directed by Cheon Sang-in, Yun Yong-kyu, Vasily Losev and Ivan Lukinsky in 1957. Involving cooperation of both countries at each stage of production, it was filmed in the Gorky Film Studio and in natural locations in North Korea. Despite the significant involvement of the Korean intelligentsia and strong promotion of the film in DPRK magazines, the film was banned from distribution inside the country. The article provides historical background to the film production, and argues that the ban of Morning of the East cannot be explained by any political event alone. Rather, the film itself, heavily influenced by new trends in Soviet Thaw cinema, contrasted with the North Korean vision of socialist realism. Based on primary sources, and by providing historical context and film analysis, this article presents the history of an unsuccessful attempt to introduce the cinematic language of de-Stalinization into North Korean cinema.

The language of Uzbek films of the independence period in the mirror of morphological standards

In the article, the language of some Uzbek films shot during the period of independence was selected as a research object and examined from the aspect of morphological norms. During the inspection, it was found that the language of the films also needs to be checked in terms of morphological standards. Both normative and non-normative cases of morphological means were observed in the language of motion pictures. The conclusions based on the observations were presented in diagrams and tables. It was noted that the morphological norm, like other literary language norms, is important in the formation and development of any literary language. It was proven based on examples that the language of movies plays a leading role in this. Conclusions were given that the future elimination of the shortcomings indicated in the examples can contribute to the development of literary language.

Elements actively involved in the creation of complex names in the language of cinema

Elements actively involved in the creation of complex names in the language of cinema

Analysis of Cultural Communication of Taboo Language in Film and Television Translation

Analysis of Cultural Communication of Taboo Language in Film and Television Translation

«Дистанционный монтаж» Артавазда Пелешяна в семиотической перспективе (на основе теоретических работ режиссера)

The article explores the renowned Armenian documentary filmmaker Artavazd Pelechian (born 1938), whose acclaim surged in 1988, marking the end of the Soviet era, when many figures of Armenian culture became peripatetic. Through a semiotic lens and metalanguage, the article delves into the core elements of “Montage-at-aDistance,” examining the interplay between image and sound/music, and the generative potential inherent in the director’s cinematic language. It particularly emphasizes a distinct montage language, founded not on coupling, docking, and splicing film frames (akin to Dziga Vertov and Sergei Eisenstein), but on decollage, influenced by Marcel Merien’s principle. Pelechian employs a theory of distance to deconstruct the narrative, thus embedding the emotional depth of documentaries. His “Montage-at-aDistance” aligns typologically with T.S. Eliot’s theory of personalized poetry and emotion. A theory of distance catalyzes for the viewer's intellectual engagement, as it eliminates everything deemed “superfluous” and “noise” (in a semiotic context) from the visual series. The author’s message is dispersed throughout the film text and, at the structural and pragmatic level, is crafted into a “frame” structure, assembling a cinematic “picture” within a frame.

Киноатлас СССР: «Далеко в Азии» Владимира Ерофеева

The proposed research paper serves two purposes. Firstly, it introduces the ethno-geographical documentary titled Far Away in Asia (1931) into scientific discourse. Secondly, it sheds light on the lesser-known theoretical works of the classic of Soviet cinema Vladimir Erofeev, who explored the Soviet/Marxist cinema language. This film is examined in the context of a comprehensive interdepartmental program of the late 1920s to early 1930s, known as the Cinema-Atlas of the USSR. The program aimed to create a 150-episode visual almanac about the diverse nationalities and regions of the Union. Its objective was to construct images in the public consciousness of a multinational, friendly, and progressively developing socialist nation, both for domestic and international film distribution. Methodologically, this article develops the application of the author’s approach to analyze films as cinematic texts: using the chosen example, it demonstrates how the film document can be read as a historical source. The findings highlight the significance of historical cinema documents as multi-layered evidence of visual history, offering informative potential for research across a wide range of humanitarian disciplines. Additionally, the retrospective study of the complex theoretical and practical developments of the early Soviet period is deemed relevant for contemporary screen projects, including scientific, cinematic, and television endeavors.