Therories

This is a research into theories of movie such as Levi-straus's Binary opposite and Barthes' Five Codes using the movie "Sky High" to illustrate:



Levi-Staruss: Binary Opposites

• Normal life vs superhero life
• Superhero job vs normal job
• Villains vs superheros
• Ordinary Will vs his parents power and fame
• Will vs weights
• The robot vs Mr and Mrs Stronghold

Roland Barthes' Five Codes:


Enigma code:

• First we ask questions about these superheros we are being told about e.g why are they the best superheros?
• Are there more superheros, how did they get their powers?
• Who is the narrator, it is the superheros child?
• How will he save the world ?
• What is his biggest problem?
• Why hasn't he got strength like his dad to lift weight?
• Why doesn't his parents know he hasn't got powers?
• Who is that girl to the family, girlfriend of will or related?
• Does she have powers, how comes she does and will doesn't?
• Who is calling and what for ?
• What is the big problem down town ?
• Where does the secret passage lead to ?
• What would the people do with out these superheros?
• What is sky high, and why keep quiet about it, its significance ?

Action code:

• Comic strips of superhero action
• Will tries to do weight
• Father and son talk
• Bed breaks
• Phone ring
• Secret passage open
• Layla heals the flowers
• Robot killed
• School bus arrives

Semiotic code:

• Weights show strength
• Costume, glasses show hidden identity
• Breaking of bed represent destruction
• Blue and red superhero costume, typical hero colours

Cultural code:

• Disney world production- fantasy action film
• Comic strip - action superhero story
• Phones - set in our modern world

Symbolic code:

• Breaking of the bed - maybe he finds strength later in story
• Robot killed- happy ending or too easy defeat more evil villain to come
• Girl heals flower. she will bring life to someone.