Problems of denotation in the fiction film

Cinematographic signification is always more or less motivated, never arbitrary.

Maximum difference between language of film and language itself are two points: problems of motivation of signs and continuity of meanings.

Cinematographic signification is always more or less motivated, never arbitrary. Motivation occurs on two levels: on that of relationship between the denotative signifiers and significates (by analogy - sound or image/ from photography and phonograph - is mechanical duplication), and that of relationship between the connotative signifiers and significates (is always symbolic) - motivated overtaking.

The partial motivation of filmic connotation giving rise to codification. (tune etc.) Principle: a visual or an auditory theme - or an arrangement of visual and auditory themes - once it has been placed in its correct syntagmatic position within discourse that constitutes the whole film, takes on a value greater than its own and is increased by additional meaning it receives.

The connotative meaning extends over the denotative meaning, but without contradicting or ignoring it.

In any event are at least two types of signifying organization: cultural codes and specialized codes. (for example - for english native speaker for USA there is no need to explain gesture, words, but for the language deaf people he needs specially taught.

THE CINEMA IS SUCH HAS NOTHING CORRESPONDING TO THE DOUBLE ARTICULATION OF VERBAL LANGUAGES

Cinema has no distinctive units. Even with respect to the signifying units, cinema is derived of discrete elements. Blocks of reality are shots in the film. Montage is a sort of articulation of the reality. And it’s not true articulation in the linguistic sense.

5 radical differences between filmic shot and word:

- shots are infinite in number, contrary to words, but like statemnets, which can be formulated in a verbal language

- shots are creations of filmmaker

- shots present the receiver with a quantity of undefined information

- shot is actualized unit, a unit of discourse

- only small extent does a shot assume its meaning in paradigmatic contrast to other shots that might have occurred in the filmic chain.

Therefore the filmic shot resembles (but it’s not equivalent) to the statement.

THE LARGE SYNTAGMATIC CATEGORY OF THE FILMIC IMAGE TRACK

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