Trust no truth : an analysis of the visual translation styles in the conspiracy film

Abstract

This study investigates the manner in which cinematic visual translation styles can be used to incorporate dominant and subversive historical versions in fictional narratives constructed within the conspiracy film genre. Fictional characters in a conspiracy film are often tasked with a mission to discover the alternative historical accounts, accounts which for all intents and purposes are regularly kept hidden from the public eye. These accounts are presented as a plausible and often unconventional narrative which challenges the dominant version of events. A visual translation style is a term used to describe the various methods in which a film can be shot and edited in order to create a specific aesthetic and communicate a specific idea. These styles can consist of camera movements, shot sizes or editing techniques, all of which aid in communicating a specific idea in a film. This study analyses the conventions of the conspiracy film, with regard to the manner in which the alternative and dominant versions of historical accounts are constructed. Furthermore, the study explores how these alternative and hegemonic historical events are presented and communicated through the use of visual translation styles. Theorists such as Jean Baudrillard and David Bordwell are referenced when discussing the meaning and application of terms such as “truth”, “narrative” and “history” and to problematise these notions in the context of this particular genre. Other key notions investigated include aporia, metalanguage and object-language and notions of genre theory. The conceptual and theoretical framework regarding visual translation styles is further complemented by writers such as Don Fairservice and Ken Dancyger.