Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

On the Semiotic Embodiment of British Satirical Drama Films –Take Chaplin’s Monsieur Verdoux and The Gold Rush as an Example

Yihan ChenNingbo Hanvos Kent school* Furui ZhouGuangdong University of Finance Chenyu ZhuShanghai No.2 Secondary School

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Film semiotics is a theory within the professional discipline of film and television that is rich in meaning. The works of many playwrights can be referred to as textbooks for the application of film semiotics analysis. This paper focuses on two works of drama legend Chaplin’s The Gold Rush and Monsieur Verdoux to compare and analyze the meaning of film semiotics. The Gold Rush, with The Gold Rush as the background and money as the symbol, satirizes human greed and unlimited pursuit of money and power, describes the weakness of human nature and the flaws of society, and reminds people to cherish the present moment. Monsieur Verdoux, with love as the clue and emotion as the symbol, embodies modern people’s pursuit of love and marriage, reflecting the changes and diversification of the concepts of marriage and love in contemporary society, and the pursuit of freedom and independence, reminding people to cherish freedom and independence, and the pursuit of true happiness. According to the research findings, the future research on movie semiotics still needs to be studied in depth.

Keywords: film semiotics; Chaplin; British satirical drama; Verdoux; The Gold Rush
Published: November 28, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/16/20230712
Volume: CHR Vol.16
pp. 235-242
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