Cinema as a phenomenon of visual communication: from semiotics to philosophy of perception

The article focuses on the examination of cinema as a phenomenon of visual communication. The author approaches the topic from a semiotic perspective, viewing cinema as a communicative system based on a specific code. The study highlights the challenges that hinder semiotics from being a universal tool for studying visual phenomena, particularly cinema, mainly due to the limited consideration of perception in semiotics. Drawing from film theory, the article suggests that cinema can provide the explication of a phenomenological interpretation of perception as an active constitutive process of creating meaning. It emphasizes that the structure of a film involves various elements that require the active engagement of viewers, such as framing, spatial depth of the frame, cinematic meaning, and time. Accordingly, what appears on the screen reflects the intentional input of both the author and the viewer through their dialogue, where communication is seen as a complex interplay between at least two texts: the pre-existing narrative and the viewer’s interpretive response.