Semiotics in Charlie Chaplin Films

This study was produced from my thesis, which I successfully defended as a Master’s thesis at the Department of Western Languages and Literature, Kafkas University, Institute of Social Sciences, on 03.01.2025. This study aims to reveal the complex meanings and social critiques behind Charlie Chaplin’s timeless films by examining his cinematic genius through a semiotic lens. As one of the most iconic figures of the silent cinema era, Chaplin created a universal language and through this language, he humorously criticized universal themes such as poverty, class discrimination, and injustice. By closely analysing how this distinct cinematic language is processed and what kinds of social messages it conveys, this study seeks to understand Chaplin’s artistic brilliance and social impact better. For uncovering the hidden meanings in Chaplin’s films’ images, symbols, and narrative motifs, semiotics provides the ideal instrument. The visual components (costumes, mimics, gestures, and locations) in Chaplin’s films as well as the intended explanation will be thoroughly examined using semiotic tools. This study will also pay close attention to how humour functions as a critical instrument in Chaplin’s films. Beyond just being funny, humour may also be used to challenge social conventions, criticise power dynamics, and provoke thought in the audience it attracts. Based on this, it was concluded that Chaplin films were not only humorous, but also held a mirror to societies. In addition, the fact that the study is one of the few studies that examine Chaplin films from a semiotic perspective reveals the original value of the study.