University of Derby

SEEING SIGNS

How Mise En Scene criticism and Semiotic analysis constitutes one

Jonathan Peace

(100524437)

Image, Industry & Analysis

(4FV505)

Tom Craig

Monday 23rd December 2019

In a film, the actors, sound and dialogue are all telling a story. Yet below the surface, hidden in plain
sight, is another deeper layer comprised of many elements, all which augment and reinforce the
story being told. These include, but are not limited to, the composition of the shot, the props used,
the lighting; even the make-up of the actors on screen. Mise-En-Scene criticism and semiotic analysis
is used to better understand these signs and their deeper meaning in context to the film being
watched and the story being told. It is through the combination of these elements that our
knowledge and appreciation of film media deepens. But where do these approaches come from and
how do they help the viewer better understand the medium of film, and the images being shown?
And is this the best approach to understand the meaning of the moving image? A brief look at the
birth of Semiotics, first introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure and then developed further
incorporating the work done by Charles Peirce followed by an examination of the introduction of
Mise En Scene, complete with examples of how these two approaches are combined in the film
Signs (Shyamalan, 2002) and the deeper meanings we can learn from their use, will answer these
questions.

It was Ferdinand de Saussure who introduced the notion of linguistic signs and deepened the
meaning of the word language. In his lectures, edited together by Charles Bally and Albert
Sechehaye into the book Cours de linguistique générale following his death, Saussure states that
meaning of a sign is gathered from the concept and sound-image, moving from the notion of written
language or linguistics being the only form of language to that of the visual sign 1. James Bignell
describes the correlation between the word cat and its physical counterpart; that the notion of the
signifier and the signified is revealed and the arbitrary connection between the sound of the word
and the image of the object is explored. 2 This approach to ‘reading’ visual images as a language of its
own is important as it is being used to extract deeper, hidden meanings across various media forms
with many different outcomes of importance. For example, Lucero explored this in relation to the
Marc Jacobs Oh Lola fragrance adverts3, while Doctor Rob Johnston discusses the science of
analytical language and semitocis in the intelligence community. 4

1
Saussure, F. (1915 – trans. 1959). Course In General Linguistics. London, UK. Duckworth “The linguistic sign
unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound-image. The latter is not the material sound, a purely
physical thing, but the psychological imprint of the sound, the impression it makes on our senses.”
2
Bignell, J. (2002). Media Semiotics: An Introduction. Manchester, UK. Manchester University Press. “The
linguistic sign ‘cat’ is arbitrary in that it has no connection either in its sound, or its visual shape, with what cats
are really like.”
3
Lucero, M. (2015). Semiotic Analysis of Marc Jacobs Oh Lola Fragrance. Washington, US. Washington
University Press. “There is more than meets the eye when it comes to advertisements. Needless to say a single
image is more than just its literal contexts.”
4
Johnston, R (2005). Analytic Culture in the US Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study. Washington,
DC. Image and Publishing Support. Central Intelligence Agency.
Jonathan Peace | 100524437 Image, Industry & Analysis

As visual language is defined by Saussure beyond the traditional linguistic form 5 it is further
expanded by the introduction of Peirce’s three modes of signifier 6. While this has been argued to be
a simplistic approach to understanding the deeper meaning of images 7 , these three modes; the
icon, the index and the symbol, have allowed scholars to explore the wider contextual and social
implications of the image, both still and moving. 8 Taking rain as an example, the three modes of
signifier would be 1: a photo of rain falling, (icon), 2: dark clouds (index) and 3: an umbrella (symbol).
These three modes of identifying the signified, in the example above rain, are also structured in
layers. Beginning with the obvious, the icon of the actual inferred meaning (the photo of rain), we
then move to a concrete indication of the meaning (dark clouds) or the index, and then finally a
symbolic representation of the meaning (the umbrella) 9. This is important as it opens up the amount
of information taken in at a single glance, and how it can be interpreted. 10 Again, there are
arguments against this approach11, but combined with Saussure’s langue, the visual medium now
takes on a deeper, cultural meaning, especially when integrated with the way that scenes of a film
are presented by the creative team.

With a deeper understanding of visual signs and their meanings provided by Saussure and Peirce,
the medium of film can now be explored with the application of semiotic analysis using Mise En
Scene criticism. First introduced by XXXXX in XXXX 12, this form of analysis looks at all aspects of a
scene and is traditionally broken into many categories 13. The setting of the scene and the props used
can signify a character’s mood or emotion, while the décor might hint at wider social implications. 14
The lighting of a scene could express the time of day or night when the scene is set or go deeper
into a character’s inner turmoil15. Going further, the composition of all the elements of the scene,
the actors, props, lighting etc, will be showcased by the director’s focus, ensuring a balance between
everything or making one element stand out. This is particularly noticed in films such as Nosferatu
(Murnau, 1922), Blue Velvet (Lynch, 1986) and The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) 16. To distinguish between
characters, the costumes they wear and how their make-up is applied can signify many things from

5
Scott, A. (2001). Ferdinand de Saussure’s Course In General Linguistics. Angelfire.com.
http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/saussure.html (8/12/2019).
6
Atkin, A. (2006/2010). Peirce’s Theory Of Signs. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce-semiotics/ (2/12/2019).
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Jonathan Peace | 100524437 Image, Industry & Analysis

social status, state of mind; even their sexual orientation 17. Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976) has
characters low down on the social scale, clothed in dirty, scuffed attire, with similarly dirty makeup.
Does this signify how life has kept them in the dirt? Or was it simply an actor’s choice to portray their
character in such a way? There are arguments against the over-use of mise-en-scene criticism 18, but
if applied correctly, by both director and viewer, this form of analysis breaks down a film from just a
piece of entertainment into an art to be studied. 19

How these two approaches are applied in the film Signs 650

Topic sentence: An example of how these two approaches are combined to tell a deeper story are in
the film Signs (Shyamalan, 2002).

Explanation: a simple story on the surface - aliens invade earth. Deeper story shown through the
analysis of the moving image.

Examples: loss/rediscovery of faith / everything has meaning /

Importance: By using semiotic analysis and mise en scene criticism, the director can give out more
information visually so the viewer gets so much more from the film.

CONCLUSION 250

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bignell, J. (2002). Media Semiotics: An Introduction
Lucero, M. (2015). Semiotic Analysis of Marc Jacobs Oh Lola Fragrance
Saussure, F. (1915 – trans. 1959). Course In General Linguistics

JOURNAL SOURCES
Johnston, R (2005). Analytic Culture in the US Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study

WEBSITE SOURCES
Atkin, A. (2006/2010). Peirce’s Theory Of Signs
Scott, A. (2001). Ferdinand de Saussure’s Course In General Linguistics

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