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Structuralist film theory is a branch offilm theory that is rooted instructuralism, itself based onstructural linguistics.
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Structuralist film theory emphasizes howfilms conveymeaning through the use ofcodes and conventions not dissimilar to the way languages are used to construct meaning in communication. However, structuralist film theory differs from linguistic theory in that its codifications include a more apparent temporal aspect. In other words, the site of the study (the film) is moving in time and must be analyzed in a framework which can consider its temporality. To that end, structuralist film theory is dependent on a new kind ofsign, first proposed by thePrague linguistic circle, dubbed theostensive sign.[1]
Film theorists associated with structuralism includePeter Wollen,[2]Sol Worth, Calvin Pryluck,[3]Christian Metz.[4] and Will Wright.[5]
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