Star Image in Iranian Cinema: A Case Study of Woman Star in the Second Half of 1990s

The present paper is the result of a study focused on the image of stars in the post-revolutionary cinema. In order to explain the phenomenon of stardom, Richard Dyer's approach, which is based on the ideological function of stardom, was employed as the basis. He regards star attraction as the product of certain meanings which exist within the star. In the present study, Hedieh Tehrani, who was a star during 1990s, was selected. Her first 13 movies were analyzed semiotically through qualitative content analysis in which the unit of analysis was scene analysis. Findings of this study indicated that five components including well-known directors, the star's character, the opposite role, the difference between the star and other female characters of the movie, and the type of her movies contributed in turning her into a star. In addition, Hedieh Tehrani's image contains meanings and values that were then attractive to the society. Hedieh Tehrani plays the leading role in her movies; she is active, employed, socially skilled, materialistic, born in an affluent family, superior to the leading actor, comfortable in her relationship with men, not committed to family traditions, single, self-assured, bold and dressing differently. Therefore, she is deemed a modernist. Her being modernist is a result and a reflection of social transformation in Iran during 1990s. In fact, the time element also plays a significant role in creating the star image.