Welcome Dear colleagues and fellow researchers. Today, in the discussion on Semiotics, I would like to elaborate upon the concept of Absent Signifiers. Definition: Signifiers which are absent from a text but which (by contrast) nevertheless influence the meaning of a signifier actually used (which is drawn from the same paradigm set). Background: In semiotics and psychoanalysis, the "absent signifier" refers to a missing or absent element that, despite its absence, is crucial for understanding a system of meaning or a concept, often highlighting the structure of that system. Detailed Explanation: Missing but Present: The absent signifier is not simply a blank space, but a significant element that is missing but nonetheless shapes the meaning and structure of a system. For example: Consider the concept of "legality." The "illegal" immigrant is the absent signifier, and their absence highlights the structure of legal citizenship. Not ju...
Hello Dear Film Enthusiasts Today, I would like to talk about the 1990 American film entitled Jacob’s Ladder. The film is directed by Adrian Lyne. Film, upon its release, was not very successful, but gradually it received a cult status, moreover, the special effects and non-linear story-telling became really popular and influential. The film can be identified as a physiological horror, though it is directly associated with the background of war. It is 133 minutes long. It tells a story of Jacob Singer, an American infantryman whose experiences during his military service in Vietnam result in strange, fragmentary visions and bizarre hallucinations that continue to haunt him. As his ordeal worsens, Jacob desperately attempts to learn the truth. The film is portrayed in first person narrative, as we see and experience everything through the character of Jacob. We, as an audience, know exactly what Jacob knows and eventually through his ordeal we understand and experience his trauma, ...