Oxymoron in Turkish cinema film titles

This study aims to systematically examine oxymoronic structures in the titles of Turkish films from both linguistic and semantic perspectives. An oxymoron is a rhetorical device formed by bringing together words with opposite meanings, enhancing the effectiveness of expression while evoking surprise, curiosity, or intellectual reflection in the reader or viewer. In this study, following an overview of the origins of the oxymoron concept and its literary and artistic functions, 245 Turkish film titles—compiled from various databases—are analyzed specifically within the context of cinema. The structural and semantic analysis reveals that oxymorons are preferred in film titles as an aesthetic, attention-grabbing, and thought-provoking narrative strategy. In this context, oxymorons are examined within a framework constructed by synthesizing previously established theoretical classifications and are categorized as explicit, implicit, and visual. The findings show that oxymorons in film titles serve not only as introductory elements but also as multi-layered tools for conveying meaning and emotion. In this respect, the thesis highlights the potential of Turkish film titles in terms of linguistic creativity and narrative construction, offering an original contribution to the literature on the cinematic uses of oxymoron.