BRGS Media Studies

Roland Barthes (12 November 1915 – 25 March 1980) was a French literary theorist and philosopher who devised the idea of the Enigma Code. This theory suggests that a text (film, poster, television) portrays an element of mystery to entice the audience, thus intriguing them further to watch or read said text. It may pose ambiguous or philosophical questions; it may present a concealed image, or an image that is distorted.

The narrative will establish enigmas or mysteries along multiple threads as it goes along. Essentially, the narrative functions to establish and then solve these mysteries. For example the opening of Se7en shows a crime scene but not the criminal, it establishes various facts and ideas about Detective’s Somerset and Mills but leaves other aspects unrevealed and establishes the presence of an apparently psychotic killer but does not reveal their identity therefore creating enigmas to entice the audience.

Discuss how the thriller openings you have watched have established enigmas along with your other conventions questions.