1. Structuralism examines the underlying rules and structures that govern language and meaning-making.
2. Raymond Bellour applied structuralism to analyze Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds, focusing on how the sequencing of frames in one scene emphasized an underlying theme.
3. Structuralism can also be used to analyze how a film like The Birds fits into the genre of horror/suspense films, by examining its themes, images, and techniques in comparison to other films in the genre.
1. Structuralism examines the underlying rules and structures that govern language and meaning-making.
2. Raymond Bellour applied structuralism to analyze Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds, focusing on how the sequencing of frames in one scene emphasized an underlying theme.
3. Structuralism can also be used to analyze how a film like The Birds fits into the genre of horror/suspense films, by examining its themes, images, and techniques in comparison to other films in the genre.
1. Structuralism examines the underlying rules and structures that govern language and meaning-making.
2. Raymond Bellour applied structuralism to analyze Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds, focusing on how the sequencing of frames in one scene emphasized an underlying theme.
3. Structuralism can also be used to analyze how a film like The Birds fits into the genre of horror/suspense films, by examining its themes, images, and techniques in comparison to other films in the genre.
1. Structuralism examines the underlying rules and structures that govern language and meaning-making.
2. Raymond Bellour applied structuralism to analyze Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds, focusing on how the sequencing of frames in one scene emphasized an underlying theme.
3. Structuralism can also be used to analyze how a film like The Birds fits into the genre of horror/suspense films, by examining its themes, images, and techniques in comparison to other films in the genre.
!!!!!R ooted in the language-theories of words meaning, so does Bellour insist that the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, relationship between frames in the famous “the structuralism asks us to examine the birds attack” scene supplies the film with its foundations (or “structure”) of language “forward female behavior is bad” theme. In itself—it wants to examine the rules that his essay, Bellour establishes that several govern language. After his death, de successive frames in the scene set up a “this is Saussure’s colleagues assembled notes taken Melanie looking” and “this is what Melanie is APPLICATION of STRUCTURALISM by his students in an effort to preserve his looking at” dynamic; the camera repeatedly— The Birds argument that all language is composed of two as if on a loop—moves from a shot of parts: a “signifier” (i.e. the “sound pattern” Melanie’s face to a shot of what is in her line that is said out loud or thought of silently) and of vision. Once the audience becomes most horror/suspense films. that which is “signified” (i.e. the meaning of comfortable with this back-and-forth the word spoken or thought of). The word movement, Hitchcock interrupts it with a For instance, one could argue that The “trees,” for instance, corresponds to the shocking shot in which he shows us not Birds—like Psycho before it—helps carve out a organic objects that live and grow in soil (and Melanie’s point-of-view, but rather a seagull in subgenre of horror films that do not feature a bear fruit or leaves, etc.); thus, “tree” is a the air—and then moves to a shot of the supernatural villain (such as Dracula, who was signifier and the actual plant is the “signified”. seagull attacking Melanie. Bellour argues that demonic, or The Mummy, who appeared to it’s when Hitchcock interrupts patterns he’s set be supernaturally brought back to life by Structuralism can be applied to film in up that he’s trying to emphasize underlying ancient Egyptian rituals). Moreover, one could multiple ways; one can examine, as Raymond themes within the film; here, Bellour feels the argue that, because the film features a female Bellour did in his famous essay on Hitchcock’s violent attack suggests that Melanie is being protagonist, the film sets itself apart from most The Birds, how individual frames in a relatively punished for looking at a male and, moreover, early to mid 20th century horror films, which brief scene are structured to emphasize for having the impulse to actively pursue him. tended to depict women as helpless damsels in ideologies within The Birds. Though he was distress. criticized for watching The Birds as if it were a Alternatively, one could examine how series of paintings or photographs and not a The Birds fits into—or perhaps does not exactly The lens of structuralism can, ultimately, motion picture, Bellour outlined how fit into—the horror/suspense genre. The goal be applied in dozens of other way as well, Hitchcock’s cinematography suggested that here would be to watch and study massive though the underlying goal is always this: to Melanie, the female protagonist of The Birds, amounts of horror/suspense films, attempt to identify the foundations the cinematography was punished for being romantically forward pinpoint themes and images and cinematic and dialogue establish in a genre or collection towards a male character. Just as de Saussure techniques that crop up across the board, and of films, and then examine how singular films insisted on exploring how the relationship then compare The Birds to this “catalog” or list fit into or subvert these foundations. between words and what they signified gave of essential characteristics that surface within
