Luc Besson'un Angel-A filminin yapısalcı çözümlemesi

This work titled as «Semiostructural analysis of Luc Besson's movie Angel-a» includes the theoretical illustration of the semio-structural analysis method of Julien Algirdas Greimas, and its application on Luc Besson's movie Angel-A realized at 2004. The Linguistic, who owe his autonomy as a social science to the famous Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure's works, includes many sub-disciplines based on the necessity of the synchronic approach to the analysis and the approach to the observation object. The Semiotics as one of the side disciplines of the linguistic is developed by Lithuanian linguist Julien Algirdas Greimas who's method is based on Danish linguist Louis Hjelmslev's and Russian structural analyst Vladimir Propp's methodologies. This method, as adopting the principal of synchrony of the linguistic, also takes in first plan the dichotomic character of the structuralist methodology. The function of a system is possible only with the relation of opposition and difference between its units. The dichotomic character of the scientific method of Greimas is based on this principal relation form. In the first chapter of this work, to establish a comparatively stable position, the focus has been on the definition of the notions and their transfer. Since the main objective is to observe the meaning in and for itself, it has been deemed appropriate to use the Larousse and the Semiotics and Language: An Analytical Dictionary Julien Algirdas Greimas and Joseph Courtès. It is preferred to transfer the explanation of the notions deductively, the application forms of the theories and as it is realized in this work, by basing of this application to one specific movie chosen. Therefore, first we explained the theories and we did their definitions and explanations, and then we realized the applications of these methods on a specific movie. xvii helps the hero, is called adjuvant, and that puts him obstacles during his quest called the opponent. The narrative component includes then, the contents of the language, by the succession of states and transformations. The discursive component is the one that describes the form of these contents observed in the narrative component. The actantial roles and their functions in the text are qualified by the figures which are the units of the stable content. The figures have two aspects, the virtual aspect that includes the work of a dictionary by referring to the memory; and the aspect realized referring to a discourse or to a context. The figures can be evaluated by a paradigmatic point of view that is by forming a discursive configuration or a syntagmatic configuration by following the path figurative. The path figurative reduced to the discursive roles describe the character, what is called thematic roles. The superficial level that consists of two components is structured by a logical order. The deep level, whose analysis follows that of the first one, consists to clarify and decode the logic that holds it together. The semic analysis whose object of analysis is the seme which is the minimal unit of the signification, make the signified return to the semic features. The difference and the opposition between the semes produce the effects of the meaning and the signification. This effects of the meaning define a figure who's decomposition gives us the nuclear semes and the classemes or the contextual semes. The nuclear semes compose the minimal units of the signification who belongs to the lexis, named «the lexeme». The contextual semes or the classemes guarantee the attachment of the figures in the same context. The isotopy ensures the homogeneity of a message and makes possible the coherence of a subject. The permanence of the minimum features recures and repeats itselfs give coherence to the figuras of the text. This permanence and repetition is called «the redundancy». Following the distinction between the nuclear semes and the contextual semes, and the function of the concepts of the permanence and repetition, we will distinguish the isotopies in two parts; the semantic isotopy, provided by the xviii redundancy of the classemes and who allow to disambiguate the utterances produced; and the semiotic isotopy, ensured by the redundancy and the permanence of the nuclear semes, making possible the word games and the metaphors. The semes articulate and but themselves in a relation of opposition and difference for getting organized in a whole around a message. The model created to define these relationships is represented by a scheme called "The Semiotics Square." The semiotic square is the establishment of a relationship of opposition by the articulation of two elements on the same semantic axis. For example, the opposition man/woman based on semantic axis "human". This game of opposition is formulated by a system of relation of opposition; which is the relation established between man/woman, and non-man/non-woman; and also a relation of hierarchy, which is the relation between man/woman with a semantic axis called «human». The model thus constructed can be considered as the basic structure of the meaning and organizes three kinds of relations in logic-semantic order: the relation of contradiction, the relation of contrariety, the relation of implication. The Greimasian methodology based on relations of opposition and difference by establishing the smallest units of the semiotic system and arriving at the superficial level, ends with the creation of the semiotic square which can be regarded as the seed of the structure. After representing this method we then moved to its application on the film we chose to analyze. The objective of our work was to show that the Greimasian method is applicable to each signifier whatever its structure or nature. The definitions and explanations that we used in the analysis showed us the utility and the necessity of a methodology in a systematic work aiming the scientific objectivity. The film we chose to analyze is a film by Luc Besson, the French director known for his films "Leon", "Nikita", "Jean d'Arc." Our film is called Angel-A, made in 2004 and tells the story of an Algerian man living in Paris by hiding his scams with his so-called work, its so-called kindness and his supposedly being. As in other famous films of the director, our hero is saved by a figure of a strong woman at the end of a journey divided in two.xix Unfortunately we did not get a chance to find the script, even if we have written many times to the offices of companies who produced the film. To compensate that, we have written the subtitle of the film by enriching it the description of the attitudes, facial expressions and body language of the characters for being able to see and feel the flow of the story. As we watched the movie on its DVD, we were not obligated to segment it, since it was already segmented in twelve sequences in total. We divided the practical part in two levels following the Greimasian method; the superficial level and the deep level. We treated the superficial level by combining it with the classical schema narrative of Paul Chevrier. We then divided the plot cinematic into five sections, which we have explained and classified by placing them into the schema. The first two sequences of the film, with their six scenes form the starting point of the plot, where we meet the main character, his routine and his impasse. The four sequences that follow, by their four scenes contain events of provocation showing the course of the plot by preparing the sequel of the journey of the main character by questioning various objects of value at the beginning of their circulations between different characters in the story. The turnaround of the situation, realized by the gain of the consciousness of our hero consists in one sequence of one scene, which is the seventh, and which introduces into the plot a different aspect of what is real or surreal. The completion of the performance, following the events of resolution, is made in three sequences of three scenes that follow. The events of this sequence prepare the total resolution and unification of all the dichotomies that will take place in the next section. The last two sequences with its three scenes consists the closure of the program, the resolution of the plot and the unification of all oppositions, all differences, all dichotomic elements until now discovered. A total balance is established in this last sequence, internally and externally.xx We also analyzed the component narrative and the component discursive in this part of the application of the method. The plot cinematic which we have studied the structure is a story that evolves from a state of disjunction to a state of conjunction, in a situation of the TRUE and realizing the following narrative programs; -The confrontation of reality. -The acceptance of reality. The study of the deep structures is to say the dynamics that define the figurative paths and the narrative programs, forming the superficial structures of the text cinematographic. We then stabilized the figurative path and the figures in whose organization prepares the dominant idea of the film narrative. The figurative paths that we have developed in the first place are "lie", "disequilibrium", "weakness", and "flight". These give us the semic oppositions such as; / honest / vs / dishonest / and / inside / vs / outside /. Following the semic oppositions, we noted the semiotic isotopes where the effects of the meaning derived as; individual / economic / relational. The oppositions of the semiotic registers will be followed by the spotting of the semantic isotopy which makes possible and ensures the consistency of demonstration of registers of the meaning. Taking into account the semic oppositions and the semiotic isotopies, we have stabilized the semantic isotopy as equilibrium/disequilibrium. The gathering of the oppositions stabilized in such with the differential character of the semantic values, thereafter is projected on the semiotic square. We must recall that we have indicated two narrative programs that perform successively, "the confrontation of reality" and "the acceptance of reality." We can therefore summarize the reading of the semiotic square as follows: - / Non-equilibrium / → / disequilibrium /: This passage is realized by the narrative operations of "troubles" of Andre who owed money "throughout Paris." He lies, and he is not respected.xxi - / Disequilibrium / → / non-equilibrium /: This passage is realized by the narrative operations as the "research" of flight of André. American justice, the French justice, the religion and then death. - / Equilibrium / → / non-equilibrium /: This passage is realized the narrative operations of the "flight" of André. He was lying himself and was not accepting anything. - / Non-equilibrium / → / equilibrium /: This passage is realized by the narrative operations of "introspection" of André, which leads him to his purification and liberation. Our work ends in a state of conjunction, where Andre confronts himself, accepts himself, and mixes with his opposite, ending up in balance. The structural method described and applied to the film Angel-A by Luc Besson, is the formula of decoding the meaning constructed, hidden and shown. No doubt, an analysis cinematic by its multidimensionality demand a work much more deeply accomplished. We only realized the textual analysis to uncover the structure of the meaning, the essential of the movie Angel-A, that we could diversify and deepen following the different objectives, depending on the specific method, without ever losing our scientific objectivity.