Ideology in Eastern European Cinema During the Second World War: A Semiotical Analysis

Muzaffer Musab Yılmaz; Doğuşcan Göker

Article Details

Ideology in Eastern European Cinema During the Second World War: A Semiotical Analysis

Authors:

Muzaffer Musab Yılmaz | Doğuşcan Göker

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Sinema Sosyolojisi

Journal:

Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 1, pp.23-31

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001354038

pISSN:

1305-7766

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Eastern Europe was as an important front during the Second World War. This region was occupied by the Nazi regime for a long time. The art of cinema was also significantly affected by this occupation. Film production decreased drastically and came to a standstill in some countries. In countries that cooperated with the Nazis, however, film production continued. In this study, the extent of cinematic production in Eastern Europe during the war and the ways in which ideological discourse was developed are explored. Accordingly, in order to understand the cinematic production and ideological discourse in Eastern Europe during the Second World War, the Romanian-Italian co-production Odessa in Flames Odessa în flăcări, 1942 directed by Carmine Gallone was analyzed with a semiotic method. The film depicts the recapture of Bessarabia by German, Italian and Romanian troops after the Soviet Union captured the region during the war through the story of a family from Chisinau. Semiotics not only allows signs to be analyzed as a meaningful whole, but also allows their social context to be decoded successfully. The reason why this method is preferred is that it allows for a comprehensive analysis of the subtext of a prominent film at a time when cinema is intertwined with ideology and propaganda. In direct proportion to this, the film was chosen because it successfully reveals the Axis powers view of Eastern Europe. As a result of the study, it has been observed that the film provides an ideological basis for the presence of German and Italian soldiers in Romania, while at the same time conveying the message that the Soviet Union was a common enemy.

 Eastern Europe was as an important front during the Second World War. This region was occupied by the Nazi regime for a long time. The art of cinema was also significantly affected by this occupation. Film production decreased drastically and came to a standstill in some countries. In countries that cooperated with the Nazis, however, film production continued. In this study, the extent of cinematic production in Eastern Europe during the war and the ways in which ideological discourse was developed are explored. Accordingly, in order to understand the cinematic production and ideological discourse in Eastern Europe during the Second World War, the Romanian-Italian co-production Odessa in Flames Odessa în flăcări, 1942 directed by Carmine Gallone was analyzed with a semiotic method. The film depicts the recapture of Bessarabia by German, Italian and Romanian troops after the Soviet Union captured the region during the war through the story of a family from Chisinau. Semiotics not only allows signs to be analyzed as a meaningful whole, but also allows their social context to be decoded successfully. The reason why this method is preferred is that it allows for a comprehensive analysis of the subtext of a prominent film at a time when cinema is intertwined with ideology and propaganda. In direct proportion to this, the film was chosen because it successfully reveals the Axis powers view of Eastern Europe. As a result of the study, it has been observed that the film provides an ideological basis for the presence of German and Italian soldiers in Romania, while at the same time conveying the message that the Soviet Union was a common enemy.

 Eastern Europe was as an important front during the Second World War. This region was occupied by the Nazi regime for a long time. The art of cinema was also significantly affected by this occupation. Film production decreased drastically and came to a standstill in some countries. In countries that cooperated with the Nazis, however, film production continued. In this study, the extent of cinematic production in Eastern Europe during the war and the ways in which ideological discourse was developed are explored. Accordingly, in order to understand the cinematic production and ideological discourse in Eastern Europe during the Second World War, the Romanian-Italian co-production Odessa in Flames Odessa în flăcări, 1942 directed by Carmine Gallone was analyzed with a semiotic method. The film depicts the recapture of Bessarabia by German, Italian and Romanian troops after the Soviet Union captured the region during the war through the story of a family from Chisinau. Semiotics not only allows signs to be analyzed as a meaningful whole, but also allows their social context to be decoded successfully. The reason why this method is preferred is that it allows for a comprehensive analysis of the subtext of a prominent film at a time when cinema is intertwined with ideology and propaganda. In direct proportion to this, the film was chosen because it successfully reveals the Axis powers view of Eastern Europe. As a result of the study, it has been observed that the film provides an ideological basis for the presence of German and Italian soldiers in Romania, while at the same time conveying the message that the Soviet Union was a common enemy.

 Doğu Avrupa, İkinci Dünya Savaşı sırasında önemli bir cephe görevi görmüştür. Bu bölge, uzun bir süre Nazi yönetiminin işgali altında kalmıştır. Sinema sanatı da bu işgalden önemli oranda etkilenmiştir. Film üretimi büyük oranda azalmış, bazı ülkelerde de durma noktasına gelmiştir. Naziler ile iş birliği yapan ülkelerde ise film üretimi devam etmiştir. Bu çalışmada, savaş sırasında Doğu Avrupada sinemasal üretimin hangi boyutta olduğu ve ideolojik söylemin inkişaf etme biçimleri ortaya çıkarıldı. Bu doğrultuda, İkinci Dünya Savaşı sırasında Doğu Avrupada sinemasal üretimi ve üretilen ideolojik söylemi anlamak adına yönetmenliğini Carmine Gallonenin yaptığı Romanya-İtalya ortak yapımı Odessa Alevler İçinde Odessa în flăcări, 1942 filmi göstergebilimsel bir yöntemle ele alındı. Filmde, Sovyetler Birliğinin savaş sırasında ele geçirdiği Besarabya bölgesinin Alman, İtalyan ve Rumen askerleri tarafından geri alınması Kişinevli bir aile ekseninde hikâyeleştirilmektedir. Göstergebilim, göstergelerin anlamlı bir bütün olarak ele alınmasına imkân tanırken, onların toplumsal bağlamlarının da başarılı bir biçimde çözümlenmesine olanak sağlar. Bu yöntemin tercih edilmesinin nedeni, sinemanın ideoloji ve propaganda ile iç içe geçtiği bir dönemde, öne çıkan bir filmin alt metninin kapsamlı bir biçimde analiz edilmesine imkân vermesinden dolayıdır. Film de bununla doğru orantılı bir biçimde, Mihver Devletlerinin Doğu Avrupaya yönelik bakışının başarılı bir biçimde ortaya konulmasından dolayı tercih edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, filmde Alman ve İtalyan askerlerinin Romanyada bulunmasına ideolojik bir zemin üretildiği, aynı zamanda Sovyetler Birliğinin ortak bir düşman olduğu mesajının verildiği görülmüştür.

Article Details

Ideology in Eastern European Cinema During the Second World War: A Semiotical Analysis

Authors:

Muzaffer Musab Yılmaz | Doğuşcan Göker

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Sinema Sosyolojisi

Journal:

Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 1, pp.23-31

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001354038

pISSN:

1305-7766

Second World War

Eastern European cinema

semiology

cinema and ideology

Romaniaİkinci Dünya Savaşı

Doğu Avrupa sineması

göstergebilim

sinema ve ideoloji

Romanya

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Muzaffer Musab Yılmaz | Doğuşcan Göker

Publisher: Trakya University

Main Topics: Sinema Sosyolojisi

Journal: Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 1, pp.23-31

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 6/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001354038

pISSN: 1305-7766

Issues

Authors:

Muzaffer Musab Yılmaz | Doğuşcan Göker

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Sinema Sosyolojisi

Journal:

Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 1, pp.23-31

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001354038

pISSN:

1305-7766