Semiotic analysis of the film "Don't Look Up" as an example of postmodern criticism

Considering the complex communication structure of today's world and the realm of meaning constructed through signs, it is evident that films occupy a significant position within this system of signs. In such a structure where each visual and auditory element carries potential meaning semiotic analyses allow for a deeper understanding of films. For this reason, the film Don't Look Up, released on Netflix a postmodern media platform stands out as an example of postmodern critique. This thesis aims to explain the signs present in the film through a semiotic method of analysis. Issues frequently encountered in contemporary society are addressed in the film's narrative: the notion that time is the only reality, the questioning of modernism's proposition of a "single truth," the manipulation of reality by politics through social and mass media, the prioritization of individual hedonism for being liked and loved over truth and public interest, the inescapability of reality, and the collusion of interests between the wealthy and political actors. In this respect, the film can be viewed as both a documentary and a mirror reflecting current realities. This study particularly aims to interpret the elements of postmodern critique in the film using Roland Barthes' semiotic method. In addition, the film's core narrative, characters, settings, colors, sounds, and other cinematographic elements will be treated as signs. The meanings of these signs will be analyzed through the relationships between signifier and signified, denotation and connotation, myths, and similar semiotic concepts. The semiotic method is preferred because it enables the concrete explanation of these critiques through the film's sign elements. During the analysis, special attention will be given to cases in which the sign itself constitutes the signifier in the signifier-signified relationship. In this way, a consistent semiotic analysis will be achieved.