Coding And Signification In Cinema: Semiological Perusal Of The Film In The Shadows

Semra Kotan

doi:10.5195/cinej.2025.725

Coding And Signification In Cinema: Semiological Perusal Of The Film In The Shadows

Authors

Semra Kotan Ataturk University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1583-3772

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.725

Keywords:

Cinema, meaning, semiotics, signifier, signified

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal how the art of cinema narrates stories through visual and auditory elements and the role of signs in the process of meaning production. Cinema communicates various messages to the audience through its unique language and encodes these messages using signs. In this context, film language is evaluated as a communication system that plays a central role in the production of meaning. The study adopts a semiotic film analysis method based on the production and transmission of meaning and applies this method to examine the 2020 dystopian film In the Shadows. Signs within the film, including characters, settings, color usage, and narrative structure are analyzed to elaborate on the multilayered nature of cinematic language in meaning-making. The findings demonstrate that film language is not merely composed of visual and auditory elements but also conveys deep meanings to the audience through cultural codes and symbols. Thus, this study clarifies the semiotic function of cinema in meaning production and how this function is encoded.

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Published

2025-12-03

How to Cite

Kotan, S. (2025). Coding And Signification In Cinema: Semiological Perusal Of The Film In The Shadows. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 13(2), 312–358. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.725

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Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025): Fall

Section

Articles

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