Angel Representation in Transcendental TV Serials (Case Study: A Semiotic Analysis of Malakut)

Transcendental Cinema is one of the sublime genres of the seventh art that had a brilliant presence in the 80s in Iran and aimed to provide a dramatic representation of the invisible world with an educative approach. This innovative genre has, however, disappeared from the current TV programs as a result of non-technical and at times suppressive criticisms. Moreover, the genre has always faced theoretical and technical challenges as much as it has had culturaleducational importance. One of the challenges is its comprising a structured semiotic system. Visual signs of transcendental TV serials must contain powerful means for creating meaning and one aspect of this is their capacity to adapt with Islamic instructions. The present study has adopted a semiotic analysis for investigating the case of representing angels in the serial Malakut by comparing it to the Islamic doctrine of angelology. To do this we have first compiled the required angelology instructions from the Islamic culture with an emphasis on the Holy Quran and Shia's commentators. Then by using a semiotic analysis based on two patterns, namely Aslyn TV code analysis and the simultaneous analysis pattern of Saussure- Straus, we have surveyed signifiers that create meaning in the serial. Some of the salient points derived from this survey are: providing semiotic bases of representing angels and the invisible world in the cinema according to Islamic principles of angelology, criticism of representing angels in two domains i.e. TV codification (in regard to make-up, characterization, visual elements of the scene, …); and semiotic criticism of substitution (contrasting the abstract existence of angels with matter and their guidance after being deviated by Satan…) ; resolving the conflict between the beautiful and ugly embodiment of angels and also defending the adaptation of angel's crying with religious principles as a meaningful and powerful symbol in the media production.