Semiotic Analysis of the Film "Pomegranate Orchard" in the Context of Feminist Film Criticism: Where are the Women in Azerbaijani Cinema?

Burak Türten

Article Details

Semiotic Analysis of the Film "Pomegranate Orchard" in the Context of Feminist Film Criticism: Where are the Women in Azerbaijani Cinema?

Authors:

Burak Türten

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.15 Issue 3, pp.845-860

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001326854

pISSN:

1309-7423

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Feminist film criticism is an approach used to analyze the representation and position of women in cinema. Films have features that emphasize and reinforce gender roles. This study focuses on the film Pomegranate Orchard, one of the prominent works of Azerbaijani cinema. The film was selected by purposive sampling method because it contains strong elements of female representation in Azerbaijani cinema. The aim of the study is to examine gender representation in Azerbaijani cinema within the themes of Womens Positioning in Life, Masculine Gender Norms and Sexual Positioning of Women in the movie Pomegranate Garden. In the analysis, gender dynamics, cultural representations of women and men in the film are analyzed in the context of feminist film criticism and Laura Mulveys concepts of visual pleasure and narrative cinema. As a result of the analysis using semiotics, it is concluded that the director positions the female character in the film as a passive object and shows her as a servant at home, as a worker in the pomegranate garden, and only as a means of childbearing and childrearing within the family. In the social plane where the family structure is dominant, the female character is represented only in relation to men and her own identity is ignored. In the context of gender, there is a representation of a woman who cannot determine her own destiny, cannot express her emotions openly, cannot freely experience her sexual impulses and is oppressed.

 Feminist film criticism is an approach used to analyze the representation and position of women in cinema. Films have features that emphasize and reinforce gender roles. This study focuses on the film Pomegranate Orchard, one of the prominent works of Azerbaijani cinema. The film was selected by purposive sampling method because it contains strong elements of female representation in Azerbaijani cinema. The aim of the study is to examine gender representation in Azerbaijani cinema within the themes of Womens Positioning in Life, Masculine Gender Norms and Sexual Positioning of Women in the movie Pomegranate Garden. In the analysis, gender dynamics, cultural representations of women and men in the film are analyzed in the context of feminist film criticism and Laura Mulveys concepts of visual pleasure and narrative cinema. As a result of the analysis using semiotics, it is concluded that the director positions the female character in the film as a passive object and shows her as a servant at home, as a worker in the pomegranate garden, and only as a means of childbearing and childrearing within the family. In the social plane where the family structure is dominant, the female character is represented only in relation to men and her own identity is ignored. In the context of gender, there is a representation of a woman who cannot determine her own destiny, cannot express her emotions openly, cannot freely experience her sexual impulses and is oppressed.

 Feminist film criticism is an approach used to analyze the representation and position of women in cinema. Films have features that emphasize and reinforce gender roles. This study focuses on the film Pomegranate Orchard, one of the prominent works of Azerbaijani cinema. The film was selected by purposive sampling method because it contains strong elements of female representation in Azerbaijani cinema. The aim of the study is to examine gender representation in Azerbaijani cinema within the themes of Womens Positioning in Life, Masculine Gender Norms and Sexual Positioning of Women in the movie Pomegranate Garden. In the analysis, gender dynamics, cultural representations of women and men in the film are analyzed in the context of feminist film criticism and Laura Mulveys concepts of visual pleasure and narrative cinema. As a result of the analysis using semiotics, it is concluded that the director positions the female character in the film as a passive object and shows her as a servant at home, as a worker in the pomegranate garden, and only as a means of childbearing and childrearing within the family. In the social plane where the family structure is dominant, the female character is represented only in relation to men and her own identity is ignored. In the context of gender, there is a representation of a woman who cannot determine her own destiny, cannot express her emotions openly, cannot freely experience her sexual impulses and is oppressed.

 Feminist film eleştirisi, kadınların sinema filmlerindeki temsil biçimini ve konumunu analiz etmek için kullanılan bir yaklaşımdır. Filmler toplumsal cinsiyet rollerini vurgulayan ve pekişmesini sağlayan özelliklere sahiptir. Bu çalışma Azerbaycan sinemasının öne çıkan eserleri arasında yer alan Nar Bahçesi filmine odaklanmaktadır. Film, Azerbaycan sinemasında kadın temsiline dair güçlü öğeler içermesi nedeni ile amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın amacı Azerbaycan sinemasında toplumsal cinsiyet temsilini Nar Bahçesi filmi özelinde Kadının Yaşamdaki Konumlandırılması, Eril Cinsiyet Normları ve Kadının Cinsel Konumlandırması temaları dahilinde incelemektir. Çözümlemede filmde yer alan toplumsal cinsiyet dinamikleri, kadın ve erkeğe dair kültürel temsiller; feminist film eleştirisi ve Laura Mulveyin görsel haz ve anlatı sineması kavramları bağlamında çözümlenmektedir. Göstergebilim yöntemi kullanılarak yapılan çözümleme sonucunda, yönetmenin filmde kadın karakteri pasif bir obje olarak konumlandırdığı ve onu evde hizmetçi, nar bahçesinde işçi, aile içerisinde ise yalnızca çocuk doğurma ve büyütme aracı olarak gösterdiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Aile yapısının baskın olduğu sosyal düzlemde, kadın karakterin sadece erkeklerle ilişkilendirilerek temsil edildiği ve kendi kimliğinin göz ardı edildiği gözlemlenmiştir. Toplumsal cinsiyet bağlamında kendi kaderini tayin edemeyen, duygularını açıkça ifade edemeyen, cinsel dürtülerini özgürce yaşayamayan ve baskılanan bir kadın temsili söz konusudur.

Article Details

Semiotic Analysis of the Film "Pomegranate Orchard" in the Context of Feminist Film Criticism: Where are the Women in Azerbaijani Cinema?

Authors:

Burak Türten

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.15 Issue 3, pp.845-860

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001326854

pISSN:

1309-7423

Azerbaijani cinema

Feminist film criticism

Gender

Pomegranate Garden

Visual Pleasure and Narrative CinemaAzerbaycan sineması

Feminist film eleştirisi

Toplumsal cinsiyet

Nar Bahçesi

Görsel Haz ve Anlatı Sineması

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Burak Türten

Publisher: Gumushane University

Main Topics: İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal: Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.15 Issue 3, pp.845-860

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 8/2024

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001326854

pISSN: 1309-7423

Issues

Authors:

Burak Türten

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.15 Issue 3, pp.845-860

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001326854

pISSN:

1309-7423