The External Hierarchy of French Film Discourse

This study explores the external hierarchy of French film discourse, proposing a model that accounts for the elements generating this discourse and its interactions with other discourses within a hierarchical framework. The empirical material includes French films from 1990 to 2024 and elements of film text embedded in advertising, music, media, internet, and online literature discourses. Addressing the limited research on discourse hierarchy in modern linguistics, the study aims to identify and systematize the external hierarchy of French film discourse. The relevance of this research stems from the growing academic interest in film discourse and the lack of dedicated studies on its hierarchical organization. The author introduces a novel model that not only explains the generative elements of French film discourse but also situates it in a broader matrix of interacting discourses. The study employs discourse analysis, alongside theoretical methods such as generalization, synthesis, induction, and deduction. The findings reveal that the external hierarchy is shaped by generative elements – works of art, folklore, historical events, biographical details, and philosophical ideas – which occupy higher hierarchical levels relative to the discourse itself. Film production is also influenced by the socio-cultural context, emphasizing culturally significant elements and suppressing taboo topics. The research further demonstrates that the hierarchy of French film discourse relative to other discourses is mediated by poly-discursive units. These units function within one discourse while bearing content from another, positioning film discourse hierarchically above advertising, internet, media, online literature, and partially music discourses. This study enhances our understanding of the structural and functional properties of French film discourse and its broader cultural implications.