Problems of semiotic interpretation of a meaning in the cinema

Problem of meaning in cinematography had been developed in works of major semiology theoreticians, such as R. Barthes, Y. Lotman, K. Metz and U. Eco. Each theory of cinema and methodology of its analysis has specific features. Researching and comparing of these features will help us to understand the nature of meaning representation in cinematography and visual communications. R. Barthes offers conception of the “Third meaning” for interpretation of cinema. Third meaning is a special instance of meaning that is being held in a film without any signifier. According to the Barhes this makes the “filmique” part of a film, the indescribable meaning that pushes the viewer outside the frame in search of sense. Besides the idea of third meaning R. Barthes insists on the methodology that focuses on the frame or photogram analysis. This approach makes semiotics of film vulnerable to the problem of signifiers relations in motion. Because film is not static we have to pay attention to the signifying role of motion. Another researcher who worked on semi-otic theory of cinematography was Yuri Lotman. He had proposed a model of an adaptive cinematographic code that is able to produce new codes by destroying old ones. His conception could be compared to the K. Metz ideas on the role of a code in construction of a meaning. According to Metz cinema exploits codes that were already created by music, literature etc. Thoughts on film semiotics were expressed by U. Eco. He assumed that visual communications shouldn’t be explained in terms of linguistic. He had described “the third code element” that acts as a complementary element of a two-dimensional code. The importance of U. Eco position should be explained by the role he gives to the third code element. This part of cinematographic code opens a wide perspective for signifying in the film. We can mention that semiotic approach to the visual culture and cinematography has two methodological ways of development. Discrete analysis of a visual phenomenon - is the first way. According to this methodology researcher supposed to divide frame, picture or scene into signifiers and build a scheme of its combinations that demonstrate the process of signification. The other way is to work with concepts of third code element with a purpose of researching if codes interaction in the cinema.

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