2nd Assignment!

Choose a TV show or movie and apply the five tools of Barthe. Write a short paragraph for each code.

I choose the movie called "Dancer in the dark" which got prizes from Canne's film festival. Before I answer to this question, I want to introduce short story about this movie. Selma who imigrated from the Czech republic is a needy worker at the vessel factory located in one of the countrysides of U.S. She really loves musical and it gives her the energy of life. And Selma has a illness makes her going to be blind. Besides, her son, Gene inherited a disease from his mother. If he don't be operated on for it, he's gonna be blind, too. So Selma has saved money for his son's surgery. But Bill, the police offcer who has a extravagant wife, has designs on Selma's money, finally he steals it. So Selma aim at Bill with gun, and her life is going to be tragically.



1. Engima Code of this movie is money. Selma has saved money for his son's surgery, and Bill-Selma's friend who works at police station- really needs money to satisfy his wife, Linda. He was already bankrupt, but he doesn't have courage to say about it to his wife. So he asks Selma to keep a secret he's in debt, and begs her to lend but she refuses it. Bill makes bad use of her eyesight, finds where she keeps her money, and finally steals it.  She requests him to money back, but he says "If you want this money, just shoot me."  So she has to shoot him to get her money for Gene's surgery.

2. Action Code of this movie is Selma's characteristic. She is good-natured person so she keeps a secret (never say to anyone that Bill is bankrupt) to the end even if she is sentenced to death . However Selma's friend,  Kathy finally finds out she is innocent and that money is hers. So she asks for an attorney using Selma's money. But Selma refuses it strongly and be executed a death sentence finally. She loves his son so much,  then she wants to use money for her son's surgery instead of her life.

3. There's many Character codes. As I answered question 2, she never tell people the money belongs to her because of promise. Actually she doesn't have to keep promise because Bill's gone, but she finally doesnt' tell the truth. So she has sweet temper like an idiot. And we can know her diligence. She is prompt in paying her rent and saves money regulary. Also, this movie shows mother's affection according to Selma's sacrifice from beginning to the end. She finally quits appointing the lawyer, so Jeff who loves selma asks her why don't you use that money for herself,  and she replies, "I've seen it all.". It means, She is willing to be blind, further more she doesn't care even if she's gonna get death panalty.  Just Gene isn't going to be blind, she can give up everything . And this clip is the song named "I've seen it all" which represents her feeling.

4. Many Symbolic codes are included in this movie. Her coke-bottle glasses represent her eye sight is worse, this director sets up Bill's job as a pollice officer so Selma can use the pollice gun to kill him. And her hobby is musical, this movie centers on musical. In Selma's imagination, in other words her imagination works, everything is changed. People are dancing and singing happily.

5. She is a worker of vessel factory and it means the time background of this movie is past. Beacause nowadays just few americans work at vessel factory. Almost every factory employs Chinese, Vietnamese, or low-cost countries for low wage. And Selma's nationality is one of the cultural code, too. She is Czech and In 1960s, many people emigrated into the States for american dream. Also , finally she was died by dance on air. Many democratic abolished capital punishment, but the United States and some countries retained it.