Week 6 :Film Appreciation – Assumptions and contributions of semiotics

For this week, "The Thin Red Line" by director Terrence Malik was screened. In accordance to the title of assumptions and contributions of semiotics, this movie is a rich "source",so to speak, of said content. In the many things that happen in the short span of the intro, we are allowed to absorb and soak up the ambiance Private Witt is in.As far as signifiers go, crocodiles or any reptiles of that sort are usually sign of danger and usually used to denote impending danger or a negative event. But as we understand, all filmmakers have their own takes on the script and direction of the movie. For all we know he could have just intended for the scene of the crocodile to indicate the literal danger lurking in nature itself, it being such a wild environment,not to mention primitive. And yet in the following scenes we see children freely playing, throwing caution to the wind . A simple act of trying to crack open a nut and swimming in the open waters serves to prove that dangers aforementioned are a norm to the aborigines. It's a clear indicator of the difference in cultures between Private Witt and the locals there. In a way, it's also easy to see why he was willing to go AWOL. As primitive as it seems, the element of nature in its naked form makes it seem like a rebirth, like going back to the start,to the simple things in life. It is safe to assume

he marvels at their naivety and child-like trust even towards a foreign man like himself.

In those moments lies the subtlety of a man questioning the ugliness of war and the ideals he has been brought up to embrace. There is a vast difference between the way he communicates with the locals and the way the other privates and their superiors interact with each other. Where he is in that one moment is a picture of serenity,of a simple paradise without the harshness of modern day life,what more in a discipline and rigid military regime.

oddly enough,despite trying to hide among the locals, he does not go to the extent of dressing like they do, further emphasizing the fact he isn't one of them. This indicates his outward interest towards the lifestyle and nature of their people, but not to the point of practicing it for himself. It's relevant to remember he still wears his army fatigues instead of dressing down. It's not hard to believe that as much as he admires and in a way, longs for the simplicity, he is not ready to fully give up his current lifestyle and everything else he's ever known.

In the end, all these little incidents create a conclusion that many viewers fail to realize that many subtle elements are an expression of the director's perception towards questioning various issues that plague humanity. It also how he projects his opinions through a character that has been there and done that.