Semiotics of Film Remakes: A Diachronic Analysis Based on Roman Jakobson’s Theory

This article explores the synthesis of semiotic analysis and R.O. Jakobson’s translation theory for the study of film remakes. By comparing L.I. Gaidai’s original film Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession (1973) and its modern adaptation Ivan Vasilievich Changes Everything (2023), the study reveals the mechanisms of cultural and semiotic transformation during the intertemporal “translation” of a film text. The work consistently addresses the following objectives: determining the dominant recoding strategies (intralinguistic and intersemiotic recoding, and cultural localization); analyzing the transformation at the levels of syntagmatics, paradigmatics, and cultural-ideological meanings; and assessing the balance between formal and functional equivalence. The methodology combines the tools of film semiotics and the theory of cultural codes within the framework of R.O. Jakobson’s typology of translation equivalence. The study demonstrates that the remake functions as an act of dialogue between cultural eras, where a radical renewal of form is accompanied by the preservation of its satirical function through its transfer to a digital context. The results are of interest to researchers in media, semiotics, cultural studies, and contemporary visual studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Observatory of Culture
Published
2026-10-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25281/2072-3156-2026-23-5-548-557
Primary Topic
Semiotics and Representation Studies
Type
article
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article

Semiotics of Film Remakes: A Diachronic Analysis Based on Roman Jakobson’s Theory

Элиф Аладдиновна Шипи, Evgeny A. Kozhemyakin
Observatory of Culture
Semiotics and Representation Studies
article

Semiotics of Film Remakes: A Diachronic Analysis Based on Roman Jakobson’s Theory

Элиф Аладдиновна Шипи, Evgeny A. Kozhemyakin
article en

Abstract

This article explores the synthesis of semiotic analysis and R.O. Jakobson’s translation theory for the study of film remakes. By comparing L.I. Gaidai’s original film Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession (1973) and its modern adaptation Ivan Vasilievich Changes Everything (2023), the study reveals the mechanisms of cultural and semiotic transformation during the intertemporal “translation” of a film text. The work consistently addresses the following objectives: determining the dominant recoding strategies (intralinguistic and intersemiotic recoding, and cultural localization); analyzing the transformation at the levels of syntagmatics, paradigmatics, and cultural-ideological meanings; and assessing the balance between formal and functional equivalence. The methodology combines the tools of film semiotics and the theory of cultural codes within the framework of R.O. Jakobson’s typology of translation equivalence. The study demonstrates that the remake functions as an act of dialogue between cultural eras, where a radical renewal of form is accompanied by the preservation of its satirical function through its transfer to a digital context. The results are of interest to researchers in media, semiotics, cultural studies, and contemporary visual studies.

Observatory of CultureVol. 23(5)
National Research University Higher School of Economics (RU)
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Semiotics and Representation Studies
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