Transmedia and Cultural-Identity Strategies of Film Representations

Tema ove disertacije je transmedijalna (semiotička i naratološka) analiza kulturalno- identitetskih strategija filmskih reprezentacija. Filmski diskurs pritom se shvaća kao simboličko-materijalna praksa koja je nagovještaj kulture i simptom društva. Disertacija nastoji obuhvatiti analizu metajezika koji pokreću sustavi označavanja odabranih filmova: Noć na zemlji (Night on Earth, 1991) Jima Jarmuscha, Klub sretnih žena (The Joy Luck Club, 1993) Waynea Wanga, Izgubljeni u prijevodu (Lost in Translation, 2003) Sofije Coppole, Adam i Paul (Adam and Paul, 2004) Lennyja Abrahamsona, Gost (The Visitor, 2007) Toma McCarthyja, Blue Jasmine (2013) Woodyja Allena, te Ja, Daniel Blake (I, Daniel Blake, 2016) Kena Loacha. Imajući u vidu pomak strukturalne naratologije prema postklasičnoj naratologiji, u istraživanju se filmske reprezentacije promatraju kao semiotički multimodalni modeli oblikovanja identiteta posredstvom narativa, odnosno filmskog diskursa. U teorijsko-metodološkom smislu disertacija je interdisciplinarna jer kombinira transmedijalnu naratologiju, jedan od smjerova postklasične naratologije koji ujedinjuje naratologiju i sociosemiotiku sa subjektivističkim ili antiesencijalističkim teorijama identiteta. Analiza je u tom smislu usmjerena na propitivanje ideoloških funkcija filmskih reprezentacija i preispitivanje načina i strategija pomoću kojih se konstruiraju njihova značenja u okviru već spomenutih teorijskih koncepata. Ovo istraživanje počiva na sljedećim osnovnim pretpostavkama: film je hibridna umjetnička forma u koju je upisan cijeli niz semiotičkih konotacija; transmedijalnost je neodvojiva od filmskog medija; narativna organizacija filma povezana je s multimodalnom sociosemiotikom i diskurzivnim modusima i odnosima - neizostavnim svojstvima kritičke vizualne multimodalne pismenosti 21. stoljeća. Ta je vizualna pismenost, između ostaloga, i odraz svijesti o konstruiranoj naravi filmskih reprezentacija te znanju o društvenim, kulturološkim i političkim kontekstima u kojima su filmske reprezentacije proizvedene. Ostale komparativne analize filmova uz već spomenutu transmedijalnu naratologiju provedene su primjenom multimodalne sociosemiotičke metodologije obrade u istraživanju.The topic of the doctoral thesis is transmedia (semiotics and narratology) cultural-identity strategies of film representations. Drawing conclusions from the foundation of film discourse perceived as a symbolic-material practice, which reflects culture and is a symptom of society, the thesis encompasses the analysis of the metalanguage employed as a marking system of the chosen films: Night on Earth (1991) by Jim Jarmusch, The Joy Luck Club (1993) by Wayne Wang, Lost in Translation (2003) by Sofia Coppola, Adam and Paul (2004) by Lenny Abrahamson, The Visitor (2007) by Tom McCarthy, Blue Jasmine (2013) by Woody Allen, and I, Daniel Blake (2016) by Ken Loach. Bearing in mind the shift from structural narratology to the postclassical narratology the analysis perceives film representations as multimodal ways of identity formation through the narrative, i.e. the film discourse. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the doctoral thesis, methodologically and theoretically it comprises of transmedial narratology as one of the postclassical narratology directions. As such, it combines narratology and social semiotics together with the subjetive and anti- essentialist theories of identity. Accordingly, the analysis of the research focuses on exploring the ideological functions of film representations; Thus deals with questioning the ways and strategies which assist in constructing the meanings of film representations in the realm of relevant theories and concepts. Therefore, the analytical approach relies on the basic hypotheses as follows: Film is a hybrid art form packed with semiotic connotations; Transmediality is the inseparable trait of film as a medium; Narrative organization of the film is a matter of social semiotics and the discursive modes and their relationships - they are a constitutive part of a critical multimodal visual literacy of the 21st century. As such, it reflects the awareness of a constructive nature of film representations, as well as the knowledge about social, cultural and political context in which such film representations are produced. Along with already mentioned transmedia narratology, some other comparative film research approaches have been employed in relation to multimodal social semiotics methodological research analysis