Barthes Enigma Code

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, critic, philosopher and semiotician (which is the study of cultural signs and symbols), born in 1915 and died he died in 1980.

'a photograph is always invisible, it is not it that we see'

This quote signifies how Barthes saw media not for what it looked like, but for the meanings we interpret. He theorised that every media text is like a ball of thread, the thread has to be unravelled and once this thread has been unravelled, it opens up different meanings.

For example, you can look at a narrative in a one particular way: one viewpoint, one set of experiences and create that one meaning for that certain text. However, if you look at the text from a different point of view, you can create an entirely different narrative.

Barthes said that texts can either be 'open' (it can have different interpretations) or 'closed' (there is only one obvious meaning).

The theorist then narrowed down how texts were interpreted into 'Five Codes' which are laced into the narrative. These are:

The Hermeneutic Code (HER)

This is the voice of the truth and is the way that the story avoids disclosing the truth or revealing all of the facts. This code helps to create mystery as it leaves clues in the narrative as the film goes on, leaving the audience wanting more and frustrating the audience with the unanswered conundrums.

The Enigma / Proairetic Code (ACT)

The empirical voice which is based on experience or observation rather than a theory or logic. It is concerned with the way tension is climactic and the audience is wondering what is going to happen next.

The Semantic Code (SEM)

This is the voice of the person which is the elements of the text that refer to additional meanings by the connotations that are suggested within the narrative. The elements of semantic codes are called 'semes' and these are the connotational devices in the text which adds a further meaning in addition to the literal meaning.

The Symbolic Code (SYM)

This refers to the symbols within a text, it is similar to The Semantic Code, however gives a deeper meaning by using opposites to show contrast. This creates tension, drama and character development within the narrative. Antithesis is often used to illustrate these 'opposites' and this is where a new meaning is developed through opposing and conflicting ideologies.

Referential Code / The Cultural Code (REF)

This is the voice of science which means anything within the text that links to the audiences use of an external knowledge such as historic, cultural or scientific knowledge. As well as their morality or ideology understanding.


In my opening scene I will incorporate the Hermeneutic Code as it will be a mystery as to how Sarah just disappeared from the garden.
Also, enigma will be created as the audience may wonder what is going to happen next after Sarah has appeared behind Mrs Hobbs and how she is going to approach the situation.
The family photographs in the opening relate to the Semantic Code as they offer a deeper look in to the family dynamic and why the narrative may be altered by the one less family member in the second family photo.
The Symbolic Code, is used in our opening with the iconography of the knives as this creates drama. For example, in this scenario, the knives are used for cooking but as this is a horror film, it is antithesis as generally, they are used for violence, connoting that this is yet to come.