Semiotics

1) What meanings are the audience encouraged to take about the two main characters from the opening of the film?

The audience is encouraged to form the opinion that the two main characters are bad, unproductive people who are unemployed and are both violent and antisocial. This is implied as they are dressed in tracksuits and are hanging around a park during the day; they also refuse to be quite when an elderly homeless man tells them to be quiet.


2) How does the end of the film emphasise de Saussure’s belief that signs are polysemic – open to interpretation or more than one meaning?

At the end the two boys go back to the homeless man and give him a bunch of bananas to replace the one that they took, which means it could be interpreted that they feel guilty about what  they did or that were good people all along. It is also revealed in the ending that both boys are hearing impaired or deaf, This could be interpreted that they did their actions out of anger due to people discriminating against them or that they did what they did to be kind even though people aren't kind to them.

Media Magazine theory drop: Semiotics

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?

The Signifier and the signified.

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

Have more than one meaning/interpretation.

) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?

When interpretations are accepted in society.

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural.

Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

ICON

INDEX

SYMBOL

• 2)