'Blade Runner' Semiotics

Each of the main characters is associated with an animal.
Roy - is both a wolf and a dove,
Rachael - is connected to the spider,
Tyrell - Owl and
Deckard - to sushi (raw fish) and the unicorn.

Each creature also carries connotations of character:
Roy’s dove - a link to his final scene in which he holds a dove – a symbol of peace and often the soul, it flies from his hands when he dies.
Significance? the slow extinction of Earth’s natural animals and their replacement by replicants.
- Human fears replicants replacing all humans
- Or the preciousness of each individual, as once they are extinct (dead) nothing again will be exactly like them.
- In fiction,(for example His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman), the soul’s outward appearance often has that of an animal. The Point: Replicants have souls too despite their unnatural creation.

 

The chess game between Tyrell and Sebastian:

Uses the conclusion of a game played between Anderssen and Kieseritzky (London, 1851). It is considered one of the most brilliant games ever played, and is universally known as "The Immortal Game".

Symbolism?

- The concept of immortality 

- Represents the struggle of the replicants against the humans: the humans consider the replicants pawns, to be removed one by one. 

- Or it represents the game between Tyrell and Roy who is stalking Tyrell. 

Eye symbolism is also a key part of the narrative shown through images of:
    - The eye in the opening shots

    - Replicants' eyes glow

    - Tyrell has huge glasses to make his eyes bigger

    - Eyes are used in the VK test to examine pupil dilation and seek emotional reactions/lies

    - The first person the replicants go to is Chew, at the Eye Works, who makes the Nexus’ eyes. He says "Eyes, eyes... I do only eyes"

    - Roy replies "Chew, if only you could see what I've seen with your eyes!" 

    - Leon tries to stick his fingers in Deckard's eyes and Roy kills Tyrell by sticking his thumbs in his eyes

    - Roy says "I've SEEN things you people wouldn't believe” and "I wanted to SEE you"

The film’s theme, the quest for immortality, is linked to the ever-present eye motif:
- eyes are the windows to the soul, and only the soul is immortal 
- The replicants’ underlying humanity is displayed through showing their ‘souls’ in this way, as well as through their attachments to each other.   

There is also a lot of religious symbolism within the narrative. Roy, who is shown to have a dual nature, is shown on the one hand to be Lucifer and the other replicants are fallen angels because they were inherently benign creatures who became violent only through the neglect of a corrupt society. 

Roy paraphrases part of William Blake’s “America: A Prophesy” which supports the theory that the replicants are representing the fallen angels.

Roy:  "Fiery the angels fell, // Deep thunder roll'd around their shores // Burning with the fires of Orc." 

Blake: "Fiery the angels rose, // And as they rose deep thunder roll'd // Around their shores: indignant burning with the fires of Orc."

In the light of this idea the screenwriter plays with the idea that these human creations show us more about the ugliness of man then they do of the created.

On the other hand, Roy can be shown to be Christ. As he begins to cramp and die Roy puts a nail through his palm – a symbol of crucifixion. The society was not ready for replicants on Earth and so programmed them to die after only a glimpse of the world. When Roy dies it is a release from his torment. 

V for Vendetta

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as “V.” Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

 

V

The masked vigilante known only as codename “V” is an eloquent, hyper-intelligent and incredibly cultured man who was horrifically tortured and experimented on, and as a result gains impossibly fast reflexes and fighting skill, and an unstoppable vendetta towards the corrupt Fascist government.

His costume consists of an iconic Guy Fawkes mask, which he wears at all times, a long brunette wig, a black Guy Fawkes hat, a long black cloak, and black tunic, gloves, trousers and boots. The mask and the emphasis on the black add to his air of mystery, whilst remaining practical and allowing him to be camouflaged in darkness. The mask connects him to his inspiration, Guy Fawkes, but also gives the viewers a human face to connect with, whilst the large grin adds an unnerving quality to the scenes of violence.

High Chancellor Adam Sutler

Sutler is the leader of the Norsefire party and the dictator of Britain in the dystopian future. He lives in an underground bunker in self-imposed exile and leaves the day-to-day operation of his empire to his lieutenants. For most of the film he is only seen on television, until the end when he finally appears in person. He reaches the position of Prime Minister by promising to restore order to the country after terrorists supposedly killed 80,000 people with a self-ignited bioweapon that created a viral epidemic - a bomb that he planted himself. Sulter is conniving and manipulative, but his erratic temper and increasingly extreme measures of "keeping peace" cause even his subordinates to turn on him. His name is a portmanteau of his name in the comics, "Adam Susan" and "Hitler", an indication of the sort of politician he is supposed to evoke connotations of. 

Evey Hammond

Every is a strong, intelligent, emotional woman who acts as the moral core of the narrative. V saves her from an attempted rape, leading her to attack an officer of Norsefire to save his; he hides her in his underground palace of contraband artifacts, and although she is afraid and wary of him, she soon learns to sympathise with his cause. She is not so much the "romantic interest" - although V does confess to having fallen in love with her shortly before he dies - as a secondary protagonist, but she has the classic traits associated with that role. She is young, attractive and incredibly loyal, enduring weeks of psychological and physical torture to keep V's whereabouts hidden, emerging from it completely "fearless".

Symbolism

V's rebellion symbol is a bright red "V" cutting through a circle, reminiscient of the anarchy symbol. The bold red on the black again brings connotations of blood and violence. The symbol is also the most iconic, memorable and well-known part of both the trailer and the film, as it is seen scrawled and painted all over walls and propaganda posters. We tried to replicate its iconic nature in our own rebel symbol.

The Norsefire symbol is a red on black double-barred cross shape, resembling the Croix de Lorraine. Again, the colours invoke blood and violence; the Norsefire party are obsessed with patriotism ("As always, England prevails!"), and their symbol is very similar to the English flag, but with black instead of white. This inversion suggests how England has been corrupted.

'Gattaca' Semiotics

Semiotics:

Vincent’s dreams to go to space are symbolic of his high aspiration,
-a metaphor showing his desire to ignore the limit society has given him, the sky is not his limit (in contrast with the saying).
- Stars are a global symbol of wishes or dreams.

A motif of identification and being categorised.
- a catalyst of much of the film’s tension,
- serves to emphasise this society’s aim to remove individualism.

The advanced scientific technology (for Vincent to hide his true identity) is not so far removed from that available today that the words from the beginning of the film “In a not too distant future” ring true and the audience’s disbelief is suspended.

Futuristic conventions: - the technology
- the clean and clinical looking environments 
- remind the audience of a science lab implying that the whole world is now scientifically focussed.

Jerome’s silver medal is symbolic of his perceived short-comings and of the world that made him feel that way.
It is significant therefore that in the final image of Jerome he reclaims the medal as a possession of pride and it is the last thing the audience is shown of him.

There is also a motif of light and dark :
- hints at secrecy and mystery.
- brighter, naturally lit scenes are generally those in which Irene and Vincent connect.

Action Sequences: As a thriller tension and mystery are generally substitutes for actual action.
The only really violent scene, the murder of Gattaca’s mission director, is not shown on screen. In one scene Victor attacks a policeman in order to escape. This is in contrast with his almost continuous composure in ‘public’ and is therefore all the more surprising.

1984: Semiotics, Gang Culture and Speeches

Semiotics:

-          Use of light and dark during scenes to illustrate Winston’s struggle for truth in a world of ‘Untruth’. Light is used to emphasise the loveliness of the fields and nature but is also seen to be used deceptively through the constant uncomfortable light in the torture rooms.

-          Crossing arms over their heads, a symbol for Oceania, shows their conformity.

-          In the announcements the Party use a “cancer” metaphor for Goldstein and the Brotherhood

-          Big Brother’s face is present in nearly every scene either on the telescreens or as a poster and intimates the oppressive nature of ‘His’ regime. He is made almost God-like through the repetition of his image.

-          Eyes watching are a symbol seen throughout the film. Either they hint at the rebellion of certain characters, connecting them because eyes cannot lie or to highlight the constant surveillance. There is even a POV shot looking out of the telescreen to impress this.

-          The monotonous grey and dilapidated buildings have implications of jails/prisons and can be seen as a metaphor for the character’s imprisonment.

-          The red ‘V’ for Victory is the symbol of Ingsoc., The Party, and can be seen on posters, flags and gin bottles, constantly presenting a false ideology to the society.

-          Glasses, worn by principal characters O’Brien and Winston, are supposed to make you see clearly. This idea presents the debate as to which of these characters sees the truth as they act as foils for one another.

-          There is a motif of mortality, introduced and repeated by Winston who signs his first diary entry “from a dead man”. This foreshadowing is used to create tension but could also imply that the characters are not alive, not living, they merely exist in the world (although O’Brien believes that even that is not the case).

-          The numerous ‘Newspeak Dictionaries’ should be enhancing communication but actually it is being reducing it because of the Party’s sinister motive of reducing words.

-          Acts to dehumanise can be seen and heard presented through announcements, for example control of natural impulses like sex. This then becomes an act of anarchy.

-          Julia’s handwritten note and Winston’s diary highlighting their wish to communicate and connect. They are also symbols of rebellion of thought and feeling.

-          The coral paperweight, which is an object meant just for beauty alludes to the perception of the beauty of the past (before Big Brother). The coral is suspended, unchanging in glass, potentially a metaphor for Julia and Winston’s fragile state as they try to exist outside of the Party. Nothing about the ‘new’ world is real, but the old object Winston explores is presented through the senses and makes them seem more real to him. This interest in the ‘Old’ world is a form of rebellion and so in some ways the coral is a symbol of this rebellion. Later in the film it is smashed when Julia and Winston are caught.

-          There is a Chess board around which Winston sees those who are already beaten by society sitting around it (later he would find himself in that very place. This highlights the unwinnable nature of the game the Party plays and that all the characters are just pawns with no actual control.

Anarchy and rebellion are not overtly seen in ‘1984’ because it is not particularly physical; the battle for freedom is mainly on an emotional and psychological level.

Gang culture and graffiti:

-          There is a mob mentality displayed by the masses due to their indoctrinated of hateful ideas leaving them incapable of free thought.

-          One moment the crowds are riled into hate – shouting and displaying violent emotions, almost animalistic in their actions and then, the next they are chanting in rapture the word “Big”, praising Big Brother (cultish). These extremes of emotion are dictated by the speeches.

-          The unity of the masses is highlighted visually by the timed marching and uniform dress code which further presents the oppression.

-          There is not graffiti despite the dilapidated appearance of the city but Big Brother’s posters appear everywhere.

Speeches:

-          There is constant radio and screen announcements used to incite hatred (It is even named the ‘2 Minute Hate’. The main aim of these speeches and, indeed, the telescreens are to show propaganda videos and inspire love for Big Brother and patriotism.

'Franklyn' Film Poster Deconstruction

The poster for 'Franklyn' uses dull colours to emphasise the dark nature, and mood, of the film. The smoky texture and city image at the bottom (which includes Big Ben) is reminiscent of London during the Industrial Revolution. The texture of the poster is also quite grainy, and this shows that the film is not a clean and sharp picture, adding realism to it. The characters' costumes too use dull browns and greys, and even the light streak, which cuts across the poster, isn't excessively bright.

The expression of the two men tell the audience about their characters. Ryan Phillippe's character, who is centred with an aggressive slanting stance and a stern facial expression is obviously the more masculine of the men. Sam Riley's character looks more worried and has his hands in his pocket. His head is slanted forwards and he is looking up and out of the poster at the audience (the only character to do this). This gives the audience the impression that he is the more sensitive, or less masculine, character and that he is the character who the audience is likely to sympathise with.

The blending of the light, the characters and the city in the poster suggest a narrative that involves a less clear-cut sense of boundaries. Indeed, the narrative of the film is set in two “worlds”, present day London and a dystopian fantasy world, and the characters and narrative are intertwined between these worlds. The colour and font of the typography also blends into the grey and white lighting of the poster, with the three actor's names spaced above title of the film. The size of the spacing between the letters in the film title also suggests a fantasy, or sci-fi theme.

Death Note

Whilst there is a film adaptation of the Death Note manga series, the manga gives a stronger sense of the gritty, dystopian future that we are trying to capture. The first volume was published in 2003, but the world was set in 2006-11, giving it the Soft Sci-Fi element that we ourselves are using. Death Note is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Yagami Light, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk. The Death Note grants its user the ability to kill anyone whose name and face they know, by writing the name in the notebook while picturing their face. The series centers around Light's attempt to create and rule a world "cleansed of evil" as "God" using the notebook, and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him.

LIGHT YAGAMI
Technically, Light is the protagonist of the Death Note series, but as a result of its highly complex storyline, it depends entirely on the reader’s character interpretation and beliefs as to whether he’s the protagonist, or L, Near and Mello’s antagonist. He is a highly intelligent Japanese student, disillusioned with life, who takes a chance to try and make the world into what he believes will be a better place, by killing off evil-doers as the self-declared god, Kira. The plotline follows him as his personality and morals become corrupted, and he slowly goes insane; he must kill L and L’s heirs before they can unmask him and find proof of his murderous ways.
As Light leads the world-dominating, fear-controlled dystopia, in regards to our own plot, he would be the antagonist. He fits the image of the antagonist from the other films that have deconstructed; he is a highly charismatic, highly intelligent young man who dresses smartly and manipulates and uses everyone around him to create his image of the ideal world.

L
In regards to our narrative, as Light would be considered the antagonist, L would be the protagonist. L is an eccentric recluse and the world's greatest detective. He is called upon when "Kira" starts mass-murdering, and makes it is personal quest to stop him. He spends several years working closely alongside Light in a secret battle of wits; L knows Light is Kira, and Light knows that L knows he is Kira, and so the race begins to discover who can catch other out - and kill them - first. In terms of appearance, he is not a stereotypical resistance-leader, however, one of his heirs, Mello (pictured below) fits the typecasting better. He does have the intelligence, physical capabilities and emotional detachment associated with the role though. 

Mello

As previously stated, Mello fits the "rebel" archetype much more than L; he is conventionally attractive and physically fit, emotionally detached, and with enough intelligence and a strong enough personal vendetta against the antagonist to stage an effective revolution. He also wears dark colours, leather jackets and sunglasses, superficial trademarks of the rebel archetype. 

Misa and Takada

Misa is Light's girlfriend and, later, fiancée, and fits the love interest archetype insofar that she wears tight, dark clothes, is conventionally attractive (she is an actress and a model) and aids Light with his cause. She is very emotional and fiercely loyal, which enables Light to horrifically manipulate her. When compared to the hyper-intelligent men she is surrounded by, she is perceived to be rather stupid and superficial, and more of a burden than helpful; however as she is an incredibly proficient actress, her perky goth "Misa Misa" personality has been widely debated to be merely an act, to avoid suspicion. Takada, the news anchor that Light begins an affair with and eventually murders, fits the archetype better as she is calm and highly intelligent, as well as being dark and conventionally attractive.  

'1984' Film Deconstruction

1984 (1984)     Director: Michael Radford     Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

 ‘1984’ is the film adaptation of George Orwell's novel of “a totalitarian future society in which a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love”. The government of the totalitarian society in Oceania, Ingsoc., has perfect the means of retaining power, absolute power, for eternity. Love, Peace, Trust, Freedom, Worship and Humanity have all been distorted in the novel, all that is left is a cruel and endless hierarchy imposing poverty, fear and immorality –in short a society built on hatred where even family no longer matters. The eradication and manipulation of the past and the brutality of the Thought Police creates a horrifying dystopia, and looming over this horrific world is the face of Big Brother: ruler, dictator, idol. The audience follows Winston Smith who attempts to take back a part of his freedom and humanity by allowing himself to feel. (Click here to read about the novel)

Title:
- ‘1984’ is the year the protagonist, Winston Smith, believes he lives in –therefore it is the year the film is set in.
- Orwell’s suggestion?
if the totalitarian model of government wasn't discredited and abandoned, the world might look this way in 1984.
- Original novel was written in 1948, idea came from flipping the last two numbers.
- The original title for the novel was ‘The Last Man in Europe’, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ was more enigmatic.
- Potentially an allusion to the poem ‘End of the Century, 1984’ by Eileen O’Shaughnessy who was Orwell’s first wife.

Due to the success of this novel the phrase ‘Orwellian’ has come to describe a totalitarian dystopia characterised by government control and subjugation of the people.

Tagline: 
‘Big Brother is watching…’
- motif of posters  throughout the film of Big Brother which bear the inscription “Big Brother is Watching You”.
- The idea of being watched creates an element of uneasiness and a pervading sense of fear.
- Epitomises the film =  the quest to allude being seen, yet it is also a core ‘truth’ in the film’s society.

The term ‘Big Brother’ has become synonymous with the idea of abuse of government power, often at the expense of civil liberty, particularly relating to mass surveillance.

Characters:

Big Brother is the embodiment of The Party who rule Oceania and is at the top of this social hierarchy. In both the novel and film it is not clear whether Big Brother is alive or dead, or even existed – some comments allude to him being merely a fictional character created to personify the Party, and used a substitute for a God or idol.
- The Party claim that he was one of the original founding members of the Party
- devotion is shown through the ‘Two Minutes Hate’ depicted in a cultish way.
Love for Big Brother is controlled and created by the three ministries: the Ministry of Peace – which deals with war,
the Ministry of Love – which is to do with surveillance and torture and
the Ministry of Truth – where propaganda and subversion of history occurs.

Costume: Big Brother’s clothing is never actually seen. His face fills the telescreen in an intimidating manner and he is only a dominating presence throughout the film and book -never met in the flesh.

Type-casting:

Big Brother has slicked back hair and a clipped moustache.

Appearance - bears a resemblance with some infamous European dictators such as Stalin and Hitler.

Age - difficult to gauge because of his features but also because his intense eyes draw the audiences’ gaze in an almost hypnotic way. He is an imposing character and, on sight, one to be feared.

It is believed that the film version Big Brother was partially inspired by the WW1 Lord Kitchener poster.

Winston is the protagonist of the film and it is through his eyes that we discover the world of 1984.
- appears to have strong moral values 
- a man of belief although he is unsure in what exactly he believes in.
- In Winston Orwell explores the concept of humanity and human instinct, whether it is inherent or whether it must be sought and through Winston’s description as the ‘last man in Europe’ the society is presented as lacking this sense of humanity and duty to one another.

Winston records his awakening to the disturbing present he lives in and the audience sees as he verbalizes and finally takes action to rebel against oppression and hatred.
Winston is revealed to be a very noble and selfless hero as he takes these life endangering steps without hope that he will live to see the change he fights for and also without knowing if anyone else will.
He struggles to be human in an environment that is designed to dehumanize. He gives up his life and eventually his soul and spirit so that he can live and think, even for a short time, as a human being, emphasising that the struggle in itself is valuable.
It is his love for Julia that allows him to have this courage and despite being isolated and broken he still believes in his own truth.

Costume: Winston
- a dirty, blue, generic jumpsuit,
- synonymous with physical labour.
- In some ways ironic, Winston strives to be different from everyone else by reclaiming his humanity and control over his feelings yet he is dressed exactly the same.
- His dress also alludes to the poverty endured by the nation.
- Whilst under torture, both physically and mentally, he is denied the human right of clean clothes in order to degrade and humiliate him.

Type-casting: John Hurt, who plays Winston, is middle-aged –fitting the description in the book, and is made to look neither ugly nor handsome.
- aligned with an everyman.
His haircut is eerily similar to George Orwell’s in the photo used for the trailer, perhaps to subtly allude to the author throughout the film.

Julia is a complex character.
- On the surface a true advocator of the Party and their principles
- underneath she rebels and rages at the injustices of the society although not on the intellectual level that Winston does.
- confident,
- sensual and
- athletic character all of which draw Winston to her, initially due to hatred because she is unattainable, at the start of their love affair.
- Her way of rebelling is by reclaiming the right to her own body and experiencing the feelings of intimacy through companionship.
- She lives the rebellion in her present and tries to convince Winston to make the most of their one life without worry about the future.
- Her feelings of self-preservation and self-confidence are greater than Winston’s, making her better adapted to active rebellion in a way that he does not have the capacity for, albeit through minor crimes.
- Both Winston and Julia believe that their hearts cannot be broken by the Party and they cling together to protect their human selves.

Costume: Julia
-  the same blue jumpsuit as Winston,
-  hers is cleaner highlighting that she hasn’t been broken by the society yet, as he has.
- no makeup
- a red sash, worn around her waist. It is, ironically, to show her ‘abstinence and celibacy’; however, red is the colour of passion, love and lust.
- Winston and Julia's sexual relationship mean that they are often shown naked together. The clothes, then, become symbolic of them shedding the oppression of the society.


Type-casting: Julia
- dark hair 
- pale skin,
- just as Winston could be any man, she could be any woman.
- her youth and vitality which makes her desirable and beautiful to Winston. - Her hair is usually neatly pinned back, another way of reducing individuality and highlighting how society imposes on even the smallest details of the character’s lives.

References:

http://www.itiscannizzaro.net/Ianni/booksweb/sito1984/papers/characters.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four#History_and_title

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087803/

http://callcenterpurgatory.blogspot.com/2004/11/winstons-struggle.html