The communicative construction of impression management in cinema: A semiotic analysis of the Shawshank Redemption and the Godfather films

Throughout the history of communication, human beings have developed various strategies to regulate social relations and to construct particular perceptions within their social environment. One such strategy, impression management, is defined as individuals' efforts to present themselves in a certain manner and to influence how they are perceived by others. Impression management can be explained as the actors' deliberate attempts, within social contexts, to strategically shape the perceptions that audiences form about them. This concept is not only relevant in the context of interpersonal relations but also finds resonance in fictional narratives. Within this framework, cinema emerges as a powerful medium that represents the impression management tactics employed by characters. In contemporary settings, impression management plays a significant role not only in everyday social interactions but also in the construction processes of fictional narratives. Films stand out as strong mediums that dramatize characters' identity construction, social roles, and communicative strategies, rendering them visible in distinctive ways. Accordingly, this study focuses on two films ranked highest on IMDb: The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather. Based on Goffman's theory of impression management, the research examines the tactics through which the characters in these films construct impressions on both other characters and the audience. In the course of analysis, symbols, discourses, gestures, facial expressions, body language, and spatial arrangements were evaluated through a multidimensional lens. Employing semiotic analysis as a qualitative research method, the study does not utilize quantitative data; rather, the selected scenes were assessed through multiple layers of signification. The findings reveal that impression management tactics play a decisive role in the construction of characters' psychological depth and social relationships within cinematic narratives.