Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Sleepy Hollow Opening Sequence Barthes' 5 narratiative code



  • Who are the people signing the last will and testoment?
  • Who are the 'Van Garrets'?
  • Who is the man killed at the beginning?
  • Why is there pumpkin scarecrow?
  • Who is Ichabod Crane?
  • Where is Sleepy Hollow?
  • Who is the Murderer?
Action Code

  • Pumkin scarecrow getting blood splattered on face
  • Wax being melted, looks like blood
  • Family crest in wax 
  • Carriage driver and man in carriage has head chopped off
  • Setting the Cardinal Free from the cage
  • Heads cut off but not found, only body.
  • Trvelling though dark and eerie country side, where is he going?

Semiotic Code

  • Clothing suggests 1700-1800's
  • Carriage shows power, weath 
  • Family crest signifies history
  • Weather-Dark, Gloomy suggests mystery and horror 
  • Overcast sky
  • Colours are plain and flat, no bright colours singifies fear
  • Scars on Ichabod's had suggests bad memories, past
  • Pumpkins associated with halloween, horror, fear
  • Lighnening signifies uncertanty and unrest

Cultural Code

  • Builds on our knowelege of the killings and the families
  • First Killing shows how the murderer exhists
  1. Pumpkin Head on Scarecrow with blood splatter
  2. Improtant family member being killed
  3. Ichabod using new methods in the court

Symbolic Code

  • Pumpkin representing halloween
  • Horseman reperesenting fear and unrest in the community of sleepy hollow
  • Ichabod representing justice and reality

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