Analysis of Speech Acts in Movie Dialogues on the Example of Ridley Scott's Bladerunner (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Communications - Movies and Television, grade: keine, University of Münster (Englisches Seminar), language: English, abstract: This survey will show that stylistic theories, especially the analysis of dialogues in terms of speech acts, turn taking and politeness, can be applied to movies. The intention is to show that these theories, previously applied to literature, enable us to access a complete new level of movie analysis. Language and narrative features in movies are similar to the features in written fiction like novels and can be valued under same criteria. The analysis will focus on two interrogation scenes using the effect of speech acts combined with performance features in order to create a realistic picture of the Replicant itself. This fictional artificial lifeform has a decisive role in the plot of "Bladerunner", for the difference between humans and Replicants can only be made out from deviations in language, gesture and reactions. These criteria will be looked at in reference to Mick Short's and Michael Toolan's basic stylistic theories. The primary objective is to reconstruct the way Scott uses language to outline the characteristics of Replicants from human behavior. Another ambition is to reconstruct the development of realism in sci-fi, in respect of the given criteria, and to show that it has increased over the last decades.