Language and Visual Narratives

 

a. Synopsis

A synopsis is a concise summary of the storyline or subject matter of a film, series, or interview. It provides the plot structure, main characters, and central themes without going into critical judgment.

Example: A synopsis of the film Parasite might briefly explain how a poor family infiltrates the life of a wealthy household, leading to dramatic consequences.

b. Abstract

An abstract is more academic and analytical than a synopsis. It highlights the purpose, themes, and significance of the visual narrative. Often used in scholarly reviews or research papers.

Example: An abstract on Parasite may mention how the film critiques class inequality through symbolic spaces like the basement and the mansion.

c. Drafting a Review

A review goes beyond summary as it combines description, interpretation, and evaluation.

Film review: Discusses plot, acting, direction, technical aspects, and cultural significance.

Series review: Considers continuity, character development, narrative arcs across episodes, and audience engagement.

Interview review: Analyses content, style of questioning, body language, and delivery, as well as the interview’s social or cultural impact.

Factors that Contribute to the Language of Visual Media

The “language” of films, series, or interviews is created not only by spoken words but by visual and technical codes. These include:

Camera Work (Cinematography)

Camera angles, movements, framing, and focus influence how viewers interpret characters and events. Example: A low-angle shot makes a character look powerful; a close-up highlights emotion.

2. Editing

The rhythm and sequencing of shots create meaning and emotional effect. Fast editing may suggest tension (as in action films), while long takes suggest realism or contemplation.

3. Sound

Includes dialogue, background score, sound effects, and silence.

Music can build mood, while silence can intensify emotion.

Example: Hitchcock used sharp violin sounds in Psycho to heighten suspense.

4. Mise-en-scène

A French term meaning “placing on stage.” Refers to everything visible in the frame: setting, props, costume, lighting, colour, space. Example: In The Godfather, dim lighting and dark costumes symbolize power and secrecy.

5. Performance

Actors’ gestures, tone, expressions, and body language shape audience response. Example: Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight became iconic due to his voice, expressions, and physicality.

Together, these elements form a visual grammar that audiences “read” just as they read written texts.

3. Elements of a Good Review, Critical Writing Skills, Reading and Analysing Reviews

a. Elements of a Good Review

Clarity: Write in clear, precise language.

Balance: Combine summary with evaluation—avoid excessive plot retelling.

Context: Place the work in social, cultural, or historical background.

Evidence: Support opinions with examples from the film, series, or interview.

Fairness: Recognize both strengths and weaknesses.

b. Critical Writing Skills

Develop an objective tone, even when expressing personal opinion. Use critical vocabulary: terms like symbolism, narrative arc, diegesis, intertextuality, pacing, tone. Practise comparative thinking: connect the reviewed work with similar films or genres.

Structure of writing : introduction (context), body (analysis), conclusion (overall judgment).

c. Reading and Analysing Reviews

Purpose: Reading professional reviews sharpens analytical skills and introduces new critical perspectives.

How to read: Note how reviewers use examples, balance opinion with fact, and apply theory.

Analytical exercise: Compare two reviews of the same film—observe differences in focus (e.g., one may highlight cinematography, another may stress social themes).

Perspectives and Review

Module 3 - Perspectives and Review

The study of Perspectives and Review focuses on how we understand, interpret, and critically evaluate visual narratives such as films, television series, and interviews. It emphasizes both the technical language of visual media (camera, sound, editing, mise-en-scène, performance) and the art of reviewing (synopsis, abstract, critical writing, and evaluation).

Perspective in visual media studies refers to the standpoint from which a work is viewed and analysed.

It can include:

Narrative perspective: Whose story is being told, and from what angle?

Cultural perspective: How does the work reflect or challenge social, historical, or political contexts?

Critical perspective: The theoretical lens applied—feminist, postcolonial, psychoanalytic etc.

The Role of Review

A review is a form of critical writing that evaluates visual narratives. It does not merely retell the story; it offers analysis, interpretation, and judgment.

 

Reviews serve multiple purposes:

For audiences: They guide choices and provide insight.

For scholars: They act as critical documents that capture how works are received in their cultural moment.

For creators: They offer feedback and perspectives on the impact of their work.

 

The Language of Visual Narratives

Visual media communicate through a combination of spoken words, written text, and audiovisual codes. This creates what scholars call the language of cinema/television. Key components include:

Camera techniques: Angles, movements, and framing that shape meaning.

Editing: The rhythm and flow of the narrative.

Sound: Dialogue, music, and effects that evoke mood.

Mise-en-scène: The arrangement of everything within the frame—setting, costume, lighting, colour.

Performance: The expressive dimension added by actors.

Together, these elements form a visual grammar that reviewers must decode to interpret meaning.

 Academic Tools: Synopsis, Abstract, and Review

Synopsis: A brief summary of the plot or content.

Abstract: A more analytical summary, highlighting themes and significance (used in scholarly contexts).

Review: A combination of summary, evaluation, and cultural interpretation, often written for academic, journalistic, or public platforms.

Critical Writing and Review Skills

A strong review is balanced, structured, and evidence-based.

Essential elements include:

Clarity and conciseness (avoiding unnecessary plot details).

Use of critical vocabulary (e.g., symbolism, diegesis, narrative arc).

Contextual awareness (placing the work in a wider cultural or historical setting).

Analytical depth (noting how technical aspects create meaning).

Reading professional reviews sharpens critical skills, while practising review writing develops the ability to engage with media both as entertainment and as cultural texts.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare - A short summary

 

A violent sea storm wrecks a ship. The crew tries hard to save themselves, but the passengers complain and curse. The ship breaks apart and sinks.

On the shore, Miranda and her father Prospero watch the storm. Miranda feels sorry for the people on the ship and suspects that her father caused the storm. Prospero tells her not to worry—everyone is safe and he did it for her benefit.

He explains his past: He was Duke of Milan but loved studying more than ruling. He left governing to his brother Antonio, who betrayed him with the King of Naples, Alonso. They took over Milan and set Prospero and Miranda adrift in a small boat. Gonzalo, a kind nobleman, secretly gave them clothes, food, and Prospero’s treasured books. They survived and reached this island.

Now, fate has brought his enemies here. Prospero puts Miranda to sleep and summons Ariel, a spirit. Ariel reports that the shipwreck was successful, everyone is safe but scattered, and that Ferdinand (the king’s son) and Alonso each think the other has drowned. Ariel asks for his promised freedom, but Prospero reminds him of how he rescued him from imprisonment by the witch Sycorax and says he must finish his work first.

Prospero calls his other servant, Caliban, Sycorax’s deformed son. They once treated Caliban kindly, but after he tried to assault Miranda, Prospero enslaved him. Caliban now hates Prospero but still has to serve him.

Ariel brings Ferdinand. Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love at first sight. Prospero secretly wants this but pretends to be angry and accuses Ferdinand of coming to steal his daughter. He magically weakens Ferdinand and makes him a prisoner.

On another part of the island, Alonso, Sebastian (his brother), Antonio, Gonzalo, and others wander, confused. Gonzalo tries to cheer Alonso, who believes Ferdinand is dead.

Ariel casts a sleep spell on everyone except Antonio and Sebastian. Antonio persuades Sebastian to kill Alonso so he can be king. Before they strike, Ariel wakes Gonzalo, and the plot fails.

Alonso and his group are led to a magical banquet by spirits, but it vanishes before they eat. Ariel, as a harpy, accuses Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio of deceiving Prospero. He warns them to repent. Alonso is shaken and remembers Prospero’s name.

Prospero blesses Ferdinand and Miranda’s love but warns them not to consummate it before marriage. He stages a magical wedding masque with goddesses offering blessings. 

Prospero prepares to end his magic work. Ariel says the king and others are trapped and suffering. Prospero chooses forgiveness over revenge. He calls them to him, forgives Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian, and praises Gonzalo.

He sends Ariel to bring the ship’s crew. The ship is safe. Prospero promises Ariel freedom once everything is done and prepares to return to Milan, giving up his magic forever.

Subtitles and International Anglification - Henrik Gottlieb

 

 Henrik Gottlieb Subtitles and International Anglification, published in the Nordic Journal of English Studies in March 2004 (Vol. 3 No. S1, pp. 219–230) 

 

Henrik Gottlieb is a Danish linguist and translation scholar, who is most known for his work in audiovisual translation. He is an associate professor emeritus at the University of Copenhagen.

 

Focus of the article: The phenomenon of international anglification through subtitles—that is, how English influences other languages via translated media—and whether subtitling accelerates this process.

 

 

Is Subtitling Really “Translation”?

 

Gottlieb opens with a provocative question: Is subtitling translation? He notes that many in both industry and academia hesitate to call it “real” translation due to:

 

Time-space limitations: Subtitles must fit roughly 70 characters per frame, with a reading limit of about 12 characters per second, forcing condensation and simplification .

 

The common notion of translation as written text to written text (e.g., books), whereas subtitling converts speech to writing.

 

 

He proposes that all interlingual transfers qualify as translation, while distinguishing between:

 

Isosemiotic translation: maintaining the same mode—e.g., speech-to-speech (dubbing), writing-to-writing (texts).

 

Diasemiotic translation: crossing modes—like subtitling, which goes from spoken (speech) to written text .

 

 

What Is Anglification in Subtitles?

 

Anglification refers to the growing presence of English terms—anglicisms—in the subtitles of non-English media.

 

Gottlieb situates this in the broader language-political context of global English influence: even in small-language communities, English is no longer just a foreign language but is permeating everyday media and discourse .

 

 

 Investigating Anglification: Findings & Interpretations

 

While the 2004 article lays conceptual groundwork, Gottlieb’s later research (notably in the chapter Old Films, New Subtitles, More Anglicisms?) provides empirical backing: he compares Danish subtitles of classic English-language films across time to assess levels of anglicism.

 

Key insight: Contrary to expectations, subtitles do not necessarily act as agents driving anglification. Instead, subtitlers may deliberately avoid overly anglicized language, sometimes using less anglicized or more domestically appropriate phrasing than that found in non-screen domestic texts .

 

 

In short

 

 Subtitling and Translation

 

Subtitling is a form of translation, though often underestimated.

 

Moves from spoken mode → written mode.

 

Gottlieb calls this diasemiotic translation (crossing semiotic modes).

 

In contrast, isosemiotic translation keeps the same mode (e.g., books, dubbing).

 

Subtitling is therefore a valid and complex translation practice.

 

 

 

Anglification Defined

 

Anglification is the spread of English into other languages.

 

Happens through loanwords, anglicisms, stylistic imitation.

 

Subtitles are often accused of increasing anglification.

 

Example: American English terms like okay, cool, weekend entering Danish.

 

 

 

Myths about Subtitling and Anglification

 

Myth: Subtitles are a major force behind English domination.

 

Reality: Subtitlers often filter out anglicisms and choose domestic equivalents.

 

Subtitles may contain fewer anglicisms than newspapers or youth media.

 

Subtitling can preserve the target language rather than weaken it.

 

 

 

 

Subtitlers are cultural mediators, not just language transmitters.

 

Subtitling is shaped by choices, audience needs, and cultural policies.

 

English influence is global, but its effect varies across societies.

 

Subtitling shows how globalization and local culture interact.