Philippine E-Journals

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Selected Film Titles From Decades 1950s-1960s

Hanna Grace Fuentes | Rebecca Ronnithe Roque | Monina T. Bello

 

Abstract:

Early Philippine cinema is known for its long and excessive film titles that may mean one thing or another. These film titles are a form of art made by man that may present sociological factors, subconsciously or consciously, when analyzed and perceived as a whole. This research presented a critical discussion that analyzed the correlation of the selected film titles with the social phenomena, issues, and events of its milieu, and constructed substantial interpretations. Inspired by the phrase “giving meaning to what is perceived as meaningless”, the quantitative-qualitative study presented a collected data of film titles that reflected social issues based on the most commonly used and recurring words in the films titles of the Philippine Cinema from the decades 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and the 1990s. Upon narrowing it down to the film titles in which these recurring words appeared, the study operated using critical discourse analysis and semiotics to present the film title’s denotative meaning through textual definition, to illustrate an analysis of the film title’s possible relation to the discourse practices and events of the milieu, and to compose a connotative analysis by interpreting the film titles. As a result, the study revealed that with the use of critical discourse analysis, the researchers achieved a concrete analysis of how the selected film titles can reflect the social issues and themes of a decade, and the researchers proved that film titles can indeed depict social issues, even in hindsight.