Analysis of Sacred Defense Screenplay Based on Roland Barthes' Theory (Case Study: Gilaneh Film)

Since the 1980s, Sacred Defense cinema has served as a clear manifestation of the ideological discourse of the Islamic Republic, accompanied by portrayals of heroism, myth-making, narratives, and the introduction of war heroes. This discourse was constructed around the Iran-Iraq war, which is generally referred to as the Sacred Defense discourse. Although it emerged from a real war occurring in a specific time and place, this discourse did not remain confined to its immediate context. Rather, it reflected a particular mode of thought that transcended the military struggles of that period. The aim of this analysis is to explore the applicability of Roland Barthes’ theory in analyzing the screenplay of Gilaneh, which belongs to the Sacred Defense genre. Thus, the main research question is posed as follows: To what extent is Barthes' discourse analysis theory applicable to the screenplay of Gilaneh? The findings indicate that Barthes' five narrative codes can indeed be utilized in the analysis of this screenplay. The research method in this study is descriptive-analytical and grounded in Barthes’ theoretical framework.