Research: Representation

1. Roland Barthes Mythologies (1964):

This image depicts the front cover of a French magazine 'Paris Match'. The front cover consists of a young, negro boy in French military uniform, saluting to (probably) the French flag (the tricolour) or maybe a commanding officer. This cover is trying to connote unity within France with all of the French people but at the same time it is showing France as a completely unified country. Roland Barthes is saying that this is a Myth. He is saying that it is a myth because at the time of the release of this magazine (1964) the people of France were not united. There was racism and there was disgust between races and the people of France we unable to get along with one another.







2. Roland Barthes The Rhetoric of the Image (1977): 

Captain Phillips: Representation



These screenshots show the scene in Captain Phillips in which he has been rescued and now the medical staff are checking him and asking him questions and he is unable to control his emotions and bursts into tears thanking the medics.

Both of these screenshots represent gratitude, love, relief and happiness. You can tell this from the look on his face in the first screenshot. He is crying because he has been rescued from an incredibly traumatising situation. His tears show his unbelievable happiness and relief that he is now safe and doesn't need to worry about returning to his wife and family safely.
This second screenshot shows his pure shock that he has survived what has just happened and that he is now safe and he just cannot believe it.
The use of close up on Tom Hanks' face allow the audience to get up close and personal with a man who has just been rescued from a very traumatic situation and really see and feel his emotions.