Semantic montage: Cognitive insights for understanding film language in Chinese context

Abstract

Semantic Montage, a cognitive linguist source cited from the concept of montage in film theory, is used in this research to investigate the significance of metaphor in the study of film language in Chinese context. By integrating Semantic Montage with contextual analysis, the researchers have charted a novel approach to studying film language, concentrating on three key areas: the theoretical terminology of film language, film title, and film dialogue. This research perspective marks a departure from the prevalent approach in previous film studies, which often treats ‘film language’ as a metaphor without providing a comprehensive explanation. The conclusions were as follows: 1.Validate inconsistencies in the Chinese translation of key terms in Christian Metz’s film semiotic theory; 2. The model verifies translation errors in film title; 3. Three forms of Semantic Montage exist in the dialogue of contemporary Chinese cinema, and they have positive implications for exploring how actors’ dialogue achieves montage effects in film narratives.