Rolan Barthes

Roland Barthes is a french litery theorist, philosopher, critic and semiotician. He
was the one who devised the theory that all media texts have narrative code. These could add deails to the film with are essential, or help tell the story line of the film.


Action Codes - this applies to any action within a film.
e.g a character reaching for knife means action scene is coming up.

Semantic Code - This is how the audience might interpret something and is personal,
e.g the suggested meaning.

The Cultural Code - Elements relating to the audience based on their knowledge.
e.g a film where a character is dressed as santa clause, we know that he is santa clause without anyone having to say.

Enigma Code - An element in a film that is not explained, and raises a problem within the storyline.
e.g something within a film that makes the audience think.

The Symbolic Code - This is the middle meaning, and it is linked very closely with Binary opposites.