Media Theories Part 5 - Barthes 5 Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes (1915) was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotics (study of cultural signs and symbols) Barthes suggested that there are 5 codes that can be used to describe a text. He said that texts are either open or closed. Open being that it is unraveled in a lot of ways and closed is described as there only being one thread to pull on so to say. Although Barthes used these codes for written text they can be applied to film trailers. The 5 codes are as follows:

Enigma Code
Barthes stated that if a text had enigma codes then it had mystery. There are clues given but no clear answers are given. This sort of code in a text builds the audiences anticipation and leaves them wanting more. Enigma codes can be frustrating to viewers, for example, usually horror and thriller trailers have these as they can show disruptions and murders although you do not know what has caused them e.c.t. This code can solve and set puzzles within a narrative.

Action Code
This code builds up tension, similar to the enigma code. An action code refers to any other action or events that indicate that something else it going to occur, this makes the audience guess as to what will happen next. The enigma and action code usually work together to develop the anticipation being created within a text which keeps audiences interested. In terms of trailers, we can see examples of action codes as in a variety of genres we see several scenes building up to one big main scene, for example, in a horror there could be a scene that it relatively quiet yet the music is building up followed by some suspicious behavior in the clip where the audience might think that something is going to make them jump.

Semantic Code
The semantic code refers to the connotations within a text that give extra meaning to the literal meaning of something. There are endless semantic codes within trailers, particular costumes characters, objects and settings represent something beyond the visual aspect. For example, what does the costume of a particular character say about them? Why are they dressed like that? e.c.t.

Symbolic Code
The symbolic code is similar to the semantic code although it is more diverse. It looks further than semantic codes and looks at deeper meanings of things.

Referential Code
Also known as the cultural code, it deals with texts that refer to common bodies of knowledge which could be scientific, cultural or historical.