The example of the common metaphor “life is a rollercoaster” portrays how even such a simple form of the versatile device communicates a profound message, and helps us, language users, to grasp an abstract concept. Metaphor however, is not just a linguistic device, it is indeed fundamental in everyday life (Lakoff and Johnson 3). Even in the medium of film people make use of the device in the form of filmic metaphor. In all these different instances the omnipresent device allows us to understand and grasp abstract concepts by mapping them to another domain.
Pixar’s Inside Out is a valuable example of how metaphor in film is used. The comedy-drama introduces five little figures who are embodiments of the five basic human emotions, and live in a young girls head. In the following paper I will analyse the movie Inside Out as an example of how metaphor in film is used to communicate and clarify human emotions. Prior to the investigation of the device in the computer-animated movie, a theoretical view on metaphor in general will be provided. On this occasion, I will present a rough overview of the conceptual metaphor theory. The concept of metaphor will then be elaborated in reference to film metaphor. Subsequently, I will apply the theoretical basis to the movie Inside Out. Pixar’s use of metaphor in the comedy-drama will be analysed in detail. With the focus on the following emotions: joy, sadness, and anger, I will demonstrate how the metaphor of emotion and brain function is displayed in the movie. Furthermore, the metaphorical visualisation of growing up will be addressed.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. An Overview on Metaphor in General
- 3. How and Why the Linguistic Device is Used in Movies
- 3.1 The Concept of Metaphor Applied to Motion Pictures
- 3.2 Emotion Metaphors Visualized in Film
- 4. Emotions and Brain Function as a Metaphor in Pixar's Inside Out
- 4.1 The Visual Representation of Metaphors
- 4.2 How Coming of Age is Illustrated through Metaphor
- 5. Conclusion
- 6. Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the use of metaphor in film, specifically analyzing Pixar's Inside Out as a prime example. The analysis aims to demonstrate how the film employs metaphor to communicate and clarify human emotions, focusing on joy, sadness, and anger. The paper will also explore the visual representation of growing up through metaphor in the film.
- The concept of metaphor in general, including the conceptual metaphor theory.
- The application of metaphor in the medium of film, particularly in visual and multimodal forms.
- The analysis of emotions and brain function as metaphors in Pixar's Inside Out.
- The visual representation of growing up through metaphor in the film.
- The role of metaphor in understanding and communicating abstract concepts.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the concept of metaphor and its significance in language, thought, and everyday life. The second chapter provides an overview of the conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), explaining how humans understand abstract concepts through less abstract domains. The third chapter focuses on the application of metaphor in film, highlighting its multimodality and the concept of "filmic metaphor." This chapter also explores the use of metaphor in visualizing emotions, particularly the concepts of "happy is up" and "sad is down."
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key concepts explored in this paper include: metaphor, conceptual metaphor theory, film metaphor, multimodal metaphor, emotion metaphor, visual representation, Pixar's Inside Out, joy, sadness, anger, growing up.
- Quote paper
- Lou Maier (Author), 2018, How Film Metaphor is Used. Using the Example of Pixar's "Inside Out", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/438864
