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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. An Overview of 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 Metaphor
4.2 How Coming of Age is Illustrated through Metaphor
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objective and Key Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to analyze how filmic metaphors are employed in Pixar’s "Inside Out" to communicate and clarify complex human emotions. By exploring the conceptual metaphor theory and its application in film, the work investigates how abstract internal states are mapped onto concrete visual domains.
- Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and its adaptation for non-verbal media.
- The emergence of "multimodal" and "filmic" metaphors in animation.
- The visual embodiment of emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger) as ontological metaphors.
- Representation of cognitive development and the "coming of age" process via visual console growth.
- The function of audio-visuality in making abstract psychological concepts accessible to the audience.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Concept of Metaphor Applied to Motion Pictures
With reference to the CMT, the theorist Charles Forceville goes even further and suggests that conceptual metaphor is neither restricted to the field of language, nor to thought or action (Forceville 22). He points out that metaphor can be expressed non-verbally and has multimodal appearances (ibid. 21). This claim suggests that metaphor can also be displayed trough an unconventional medium, such as image or film. Thereupon, Forceville differentiates nine different modes of depiction which shall display how the metaphor appears to the human senses. These different modes emphasize how multifarious a metaphor in film can be. In contrast to conventional literary metaphors which usually only manifest themselves as “written signs” to the perceiver, the metaphor in film can appear in pictorial sign, spoken sign, written sign, gesture, sound, and music (ibid. 23). Furthermore, Forceville introduces the term “multimodal metaphor”, which entails the types of “metaphors whose target and source are each represented exclusively or predominantly in different modes” (ibid. 24). Forceville illustrates this term with the example of the metaphor “cat is elephant” cued in an animation movie. If an animated cat is called an “elephant” in the diegetic world, then the metaphor is triggered in two modes; language and sound, which are different from the source domain's mode; a visual elephant (ibid. 25). This matter results in a “multimodal metaphor”.
Moreover, the term “filmic metaphor” can be applied when “the filmic level is essential to identify the metaphor” (Coegnarts and Kravanja 103). As a result, a pictorial metaphor in an animated movie can, in all cases, be labelled as “filmic” because the filmic level is essential for the visual diegetic world to even exist.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core subject of filmic metaphors and states the intention to analyze Pixar’s "Inside Out" as a primary case study.
2. An Overview of Metaphor in General: This section provides a theoretical foundation by discussing the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) developed by Lakoff and Johnson, explaining how humans map abstract concepts onto more tangible source domains.
3. How and Why the Linguistic Device is Used in Movies: This chapter explores the transition of metaphors from linguistic to multimodal and filmic formats, citing theorists like Forceville to explain how non-verbal media convey meaning.
4. Emotions and Brain Function as a Metaphor in Pixar’s Inside Out: The main analytical part of the paper, where the specific character embodiments and the "control panel" metaphor are examined as tools to visualize human psychology.
5. Conclusion: The author summarizes the findings, confirming that the movie successfully uses complex filmic metaphors to make abstract emotional experiences relatable and educational.
6. Bibliography: A list of all cited printed sources and film material used in the paper.
Keywords
Filmic metaphor, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Inside Out, Multimodal metaphor, Ontological metaphor, Pixar, Cognitive linguistics, Source domain, Target domain, Embodiment, Film analysis, Animation, Emotion representation, Human psychology, Visual storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the use of filmic metaphors in the Pixar movie "Inside Out," focusing on how abstract human emotions and cognitive processes are visually represented.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), the transition of metaphors from language to multimodal filmic modes, and the psychological representation of emotions and growth.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to demonstrate how "Inside Out" uses visual storytelling as an ontological metaphor to make complex, insubstantial human experiences, such as emotions and maturity, understandable for the audience.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative, analytical approach based on cognitive linguistics and film studies, applying established theories (specifically CMT and Forceville’s multimodal metaphor framework) to analyze specific scenes and character designs.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body transitions from a theoretical overview of metaphor to a detailed analysis of "Inside Out," specifically looking at how the characters represent emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger) and how the "control panel" serves as a metaphor for maturation.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Filmic metaphor, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Multimodal metaphor, Embodiment, and Pixar's Inside Out.
How does the movie use the "control panel" as a metaphor?
The control panel acts as an ontological metaphor for brain function. Its evolution from a simple button to a complex console visually illustrates Riley's transition from childhood to puberty.
Why is the color design of the characters considered a metaphor?
The characters' colors, such as blue for Sadness or red for Anger, serve as pictorial metaphors derived from conventional folk theories, effectively communicating the nature of the emotion to the viewer.
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- Lou Maier (Autor:in), 2018, How Film Metaphor is Used. Using the Example of Pixar's "Inside Out", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/438864
