西方电影中人物语言对人物性格塑造影响

　 摘 要

　 自电影这门艺术形式问世以来,不少杰出的导演为观众打造了一部又一部精彩的电影塑造了一个又一个生动的电影人物这些电影之所以深深地打动了观众的心是因为成功地塑造了一个又一个性格鲜明的银幕人物形象而话语又是人物塑造的关键因此从学角度结合社会语言学在人际交往方面的论述等对电影对白进行分析探索话语分析与电影人物的表现之间的关系

　Abstract

　 From movie birth until today, many outstanding directors have created many brilliant movies for audience. The reason why these films can deeply touched the hearts of the audience is that film have succeed in shaping many vivid film characters. The discourse is the key of the shaping of the character’s figure. In addition, from the linguistic point of view and analyze characters’ dialogue, to explore the performance of the film characters and the relationship between characters and language. And the aim is to study the impact of language character’s nature. This article attempts to explore.

　Keywords: western film; character’s nature; character language; impact

　Contents

　摘 要 I

　Abstract II

　Contents III

　1 Introduction 1

　2 The Formation of Character Language in the Film 2

　2.1 The fundament of movie language——real life in western developed countries 2

　2.2 The tone for different types of movie language settled by the Scriptwriter and script 3

　2.3 The importance of performance by actor on making their words rich and deep 3

　3 The Process of Shaping Character’s Nature 5

　3.1 The character’s nature stereotyped by the scripts 5

　3.2 The key to shaping nature——actor’s performance 6

　4 The Way of Shaping Personality by the Character Language 7

　4.1 The affection of language at characters in different occasions 7

　4.2 The impact of the style of language on personality 9

　 4.2.1 Serious language style............................................................................10 4.2.2 Comical language style.................................................................................11 4.2.3 Pithy language style..................................................................................12 4.2.4 Tactful language style.................. .................................................................13

　4.3 The function of Key language or terms on adding luster to the character’s nature 13

　 4.4 The importance of character language...................................................................15

　5 Conclusion 17

　Acknowledgements 18

　Bibliography 19

　1 Introduction

　Generally speaking, the characterization is reflected by the language of the people in the film. The kind of language is the appearance of the kind of personality. But film is different from it: only through the language and actions of the character the audience can know what kind of the character in the movie is, so is the reverse. Therefore，this paper, figures from the movie to start with the language of the characters explore language shape the impact. The article listed a considerable number of classic movie dialogue for analysis and dialogue will be different types of classification in order to better conclusions. Finally I can refine my point of view. Through this research, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Western films in the implication Significance.

　2 The Formation of Character Language in the Film

　Language, as we all know is a human-specific tools, it is used to express specific symbols or a few relatively fixed meaning. With the passage of time, the progress of society, the type and form of language has been increasing. For example, we have living language, written language, official language, stage language and movie language which we want to discussion.

　From a professional point of view, movie language is a special language arts which to understand and reflect the objective world, transmission of the feeling. Such as the affection by Spielberg and historical details of Kurosawa Akira. But now, we will talk about western movie language which is just means the words by character in the western film.

　Since it is the words by character, so we should know where those words come from. In other words is how character language in the film be formed. And then I will be divided into three aspects to explain the formation of movie language.

　2.1 The fundament of movie language——real life in western developed countries

　Since the birth of the capitalist mode of production, capitalism began to affect the world. Capitalist countries have established and the establishment of the capitalist system has changed the whole world in everywhere all. Initially, application of the steam engine led to the rapid development of the industry, so that the capitalist economy has become dominated around the world. Then development of printing, invention of gramophone, and emergence of movies and so on, led to capitalist culture became fashionable all over the world. Even today, despite the socialist country like us, but it is undeniable that capitalism is still the main impact of this world!

　Capitalism was born for several centuries and in the capitalist countries (the developed western countries),it has formed a unique way of life, including their language. People in western developed countries, the western education, political, culture and so on constitute their real life. In this life, people will be gradually developed into a unique language. Of course, this language is not a new type of language or new language norm, but the language by the community environmental impact.

　The sources of movie language are not baseless, but refined in life. No life no movies, also no life language no movie language! Whatever the nature of the country is, the fundamental source of movie language is our life. Therefore, the fundamental of movie language is the reality of life in the developed western countries!

　2.2 The tone for different types of movie language settled by the Scriptwriter and script

　The script is the basis of a film, or the drawings of the film. So the film comes from the script. A good script can create a great film. Of course, a good script is not just means the grand scene, deep historical background, and complex characters relations. Even if it is a prosaic script, as long as to tell a story by heart, we also could say this is a good script!

　Screenwriter is the soul of a script. No scriptwriter no script! Have just said, even if it is a prosaic script, as long as to tell a story by heart, we also could say this is a good script. The person who tells the story by heart is the scriptwriter.

　With the script and the scriptwriter, the main contents of a film will be structures up, which also include the character language in the film. Character language in the film of the script, called lines. Lines are different from written language, but a life of language. It is the need for by the actor. Life language is also inseparable from the languages of expression and rhetoric scope of linguistics. So movie language is a standardized language.

　The film also has many types. Even a same story which use one type of film to shoot, it can be formed several different scripts. In other words, according to the different types of movies, scriptwriter should write different types of movie language. For example, to shoot a story into a comedy, scriptwriter should make character language very rich sense of humor. This is the reason why scriptwriter and script can set the tone for different types of movie language.

　2.3 The importance of performance by actor on making their words rich and deep

　As we all knows, the well-known American Oscar awards for the greatest concern is the best actor award. This can adequate proved the importance of actor in the film! Why a good actor or a movie star can make film hyper chromic many? Of course, here we don’t talk about the reasons for economics. This is because good actor or movie star with a good quality of performances can depict every aspect of characters in the film better and make movie characters reduction of the script better, even beyond the script!

　Actor in the film performance can be summed up as two aspects: First is limb movements, and second is language. Early films such as Charlie Chaplin's films are silent, limb movements become the only means of the method. With the emergence of movies with sound, and the importance of language will reveal the plan.

　Film language is directly from the creation of the script by scriptwriter, so the actors’ performance should be on the need to show the script. And actor performing is on the quality of the script to be affecting the content of expression. Actors in the performances are not just fluent in accordance with the script of, but need to play. For a good actor who grasp the language will be very accurate, and that is to say he can play better, can make language be enriched and deepened!

　3 The Process of Shaping Character’s Nature

　The character is complex, but has its basic characteristics of the more prominent. To create a good image of character must be able to adhere to these basic characteristics. For example, to create a heroic figure: First of all, his brave is one of the basic characteristics, then we will join the unique characteristics. At last, after enrich the limb movement and language; we will see a vivid hero.

　I just simply talked about the process of shaping a personality. If really want to create character’s nature for good, we need to from many sides to be studied. Next, I will be start from two specific aspects to discuss how character’s nature be formed in the film.

　3.1 The character’s nature stereotyped by the scripts

　We have said that script can set the tone for the language in the film, and script for the characters can be stereotypes too. Is a wide variety of character’s nature, each has a unique personality of each individual. Film from the life and the characters in the film come from life too. So script must be able to portray an image of vivid characters. Such characterization is not just a simple description; it is just like in the novel, but to use a detailed description of movement and language to portray characters.

　In the screen, we can see all kinds of people; these people are not easily arising, but at the request of the script by arise. People out in the script for the choice must be based on the plot of the story. For example, to heighten protagonist image of the heroic, struggling with the bad guys and bad guys be subdued. When they are in their battle for the critical moment, we can’t arrange the police suddenly appeared. But in order to realize the legal community, the police will have to appear after the bad guys are subdued. I talk about the characters come on the stage is not unrelated to shape with character’s nature, but they are directly related. Because the figures in the character in a film are shown by clear it is very difficult. Therefore, only adhere each specific moment which the character will come on stage to describe carefully, we can prominent figures of character’ nature in a limited time of a film.

　Therefore, the formation of character’s nature in the film must be defined by the script. Not bound by the script, there will be no character’s nature forming! This is one of essential conditions which is in the shape of the characters in the film.

　3.2 The key to shaping nature——actor’s performance

　Besides the script for the formation of influential personality, actor's performance is the key to shaping nature. The script is just a text, but to see this text as fresh figures on the image must rely on the actors’ performance to achieve. The keynote of the role is actors to create the image and depicts character’s nature, is the basic guarantee of character’s image which is accurate, clear, and outstanding. Actors through a variety of methods to achieve the figure depicts, including descriptions of character’s nature.

　Characters in the film have a distinctive feature, and this is the nature from abstract characteristics. Characters will be shaped in order to succeed, or to allow the audience to experience the real, we must use professional performance by actors to complete. Certainly not any good an actor can perform a role. If want to depicts the role of personality. First of all actors need to seriously understand the contents of the script, the main thrust of the script; secondly, actor need to read carefully the role played by the language of description, action and expression description about the details; and then need to understand the role of their nature. Finally, actors need to performance these contents with their experience in a film. Audience see on the surface is only a figure, but their actual real sense of the role played by the actor is the distinct nature traits.

　Like a good actor in the film can be deep character’s language, good actors can also shape the character’s nature in the film to be more successful! Good actors have many outstanding performances quality; they can grasp the script and the role with a more accurate and detailed. Usually a good actor can portray a classic film role, this is because good actor can show the role own character traits with their authentic performance, so that the role of a classic! Some people say that the achievements have a role to an actor. But I do not think so, I think a good actor can be a role achievements!

　4 The Way of Shaping Personality by the character language

　We have just talked about the language and character’s construction, the result is to study the impact on people’s shaping personality by character language. However, the characters in the film are a wide variety of language. It can not talk about generally when we look at the language figures on the impact of the characters. We must figure it in language of the classification with different type of standard to study.

　In addition, before we do it, we also have to take into account with another language——related things——occasions. This is because in this society, everyone plays a corresponding role in various occasions. And we should speak differently in different situations. Only in this way can you meet your role. Therefore we study different types of language style, at the same time, should also study the occasion.

　Turn to the impact of language on the character. We can not just say that a certain kind of language style will surely corresponded to be a certain kind of personality. Language is very richful, a figure even if the language is a fixed style, but in some circumstances, particularly only one sentence can make his character more vividly. We also need to study the language or some of the key words in terms of the impact of shaping personality.

　In the following content, I will divide into three main aspects to explore the effect about in the western film personalities shaped the language of the characters.

　4.1 The affection of language at characters in different occasions

　Man, a social animal, will be affected no matter where they are. Social environment can influent peoples all of the aspects, including human language. Therefore, language which people say should be different in different occasions. And language in different occasion also has an impact on the character.

　Firstly, let us look a little period in Independence Day. This is a science fiction film. The main content is that: Human in a year of the July 2nd is attacked by aliens. Human is at stake overnight. In the latter part of the movie, when the people find the aliens weaknesses, and prepared to launch back, the president of the United States who is always referred to a soft man has conducted an outdoor speech. At that moment, many U.S soldiers and some civilian handled aircraft are all at the scene, the atmosphere was very heroic. President of the United States from the house, go out and look around to the people. His eyes reveal the courageous faith, and then he said:

　“Good morning. Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Forth of July. And you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not for tyranny, oppression or Persecution, but for annihilation. We’re fighting for our right to live, to exist, and should we win the day, the Forth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declare in one voice 'We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

　The moment he ended his speech, people all are to the outbreak of cheers. In this way, the image of this president has suddenly become tall.

　In this period, the U.S president’s character seems to have a big change——from the former student image in the film to the latter true hero image. But in fact his character has not changed, and always with the hero’s temperament.

　Just like what I had mentioned, the script should have a deep understanding the characters of each occasion and each time they said. The former part of the movie, human suffered from the alien’s attack terribly, including the United States. Many countries are almost overnight collapse, and people should not know do anything. In this case, although as president of the United States had wholehearted hatred and wanted to fight against aliens in person, he didn’t forget that he needed calm, he needed to let all Americans know that the government still exists, the government had not pumice! Such a choice does not cover up a heroic image of the characteristics. On the contrary, doesn’t make the audience think this is a soft and weaken president of the United States.

　To the latter part of the film, human find the fatal weakness of the aliens. Under leadership of the USA, human prepared to attack the alien in July 4th. At that moment, president of the U.S is facing of the own people full of hate and faith moment. If he show steady and calm, it would not reflect the image and the temperament. At this time, the persident of the U.S needed to roar, and give people courage and lead all the people to fight against enemy. Therefore, the language of the persident would not be able to moderate, but passionate. The speech is clear that this is the president of U.S’ image and the character is fully displayed in front of the audience. And the end of the film, the president combat with the alien by himself driving the aircraft and eventually wined the war. Once again it confirmed his firm and courageous just like character of the hero.

　It’s not difficult to see in the example cited from the movie Independence Day that characters will have a profound impact under the language of different occasions. This impact did not change the character of the figures, but inherence the performance of the characters.

　4.2 The impact of the style of language on personality

　Language is very richful and also various, extensive and profound. To study the language we can not analysis every word, this is not the method of study. To conduct research, firstly we must understand the object of study. We study the language, we must firstly understand the language.

　Language is the natural ability for all the normal human beings. Among different areas, human language is used differently. But everyone must study to get language skills. For this very complex and important concept, language is very difficult to clearly defined. However, most of the people would agree that the language is the system of a set of methods and logical grammatical form to communication and analyse. Many languages through gestures, sounds, symbols and text, aimed at sharing ideas, opinion, thought, meaning and so on. When we try to distinguish these things, the vagueness of language often happened. The concept of language is a very old issue and also the central topic of linguistics. However, since I am not specifically to discuss the content of language itself, so here we are simply to say the language of the definition, and it will give me more help to study this issue.

　There are many kinds of definition of the language, and the main representative of the relatively ones is following:

　Language is the basis of the respiratory audible to convey imformation system symbols, which is the most important communication tools and one way of existence.

　It is a system to express the things, movement, thinking and the status.

　It is a tool to exchange ideas for a realistic way.

　A mutual meaningful human system.

　A symbol of mankind’s unique system. Mutual reaction is to express an intermediary; it’s tool to recognize things between man and rational world; it’s the carrier of cultural information.

　No matter what is human language, human is always the central of language. Human language is a tool for the exchange. After understand the language definition, we then figure it in language of the classifiction. Only in this way can we figure of language in the movie very well to understand how the characters create an impact.

　Here, in order to have a deep study, we will search for different style of classification, and then address these different styles to studied. Firstly, the style is the overall performance style which is subjective and objective factors under the guidence of the language means to expression demonstrated by style and atmosphere. Morden language style include three aspects: vocabulary style, syntax style, rhythmic style. In this respect, the following steps of the institute for: analysis, description and interpretation.

　This article is used by the style of vocabulary and syntax. Therefore, I will divided the people in movie into following: the language of serious style, comical language style, pithy style and language style tactfully to studied.

　4.2.1 Serious language style

　 Seriously, the dictionary interpretation: 1. Solemn; strict; grave; stern; serious; 2. In all seriousness; in all earnestness. Solemn style of the language in real life we still relatively common. For example, we always said that this person was very serious, on the one hand that he looked serious, on the other hand, is that what he said was very serious. However, as a style, is not only to say that a person's language occasionally serious, but also the case. Performance in movies such figures to the language of style must be the language targeting people in these solemn words above. And through a serious word shows people’s character.

　First of all, we should look at a specific example. U.S. movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day on the existence of two robots in the future. One want to kill a small boy (the little boy later became an important figure), and the other want to protect him. In the film Arnold Schwarzenegger played a robot named Terminator. Although a robot, he is different from our modern sense of the robot. He has a high degree of wisdom! The robot played by Schwarzenegger is coming to protect the little boy. In order to facilitate the robot’s character, we will treat Terminator as a people.

　A section of this dialogue, it was the talk between the little boy and Terminator.

　“The Terminator: Why do you cry?

　John Connor: You mean people?

　The Terminator: Yes.

　John Connor: I don’t know. We just cry. You know, when it hurts.

　The Terminator: Pain causes it?

　John Connor: No, it's when there's nothing wrong with you, but you cry anyway. You get it?

　The Terminator: No. ”

　Although this dialogue by the performance of the robot is the lack of understanding of human emotion, we can receive from the Terminator's words in the language that he was full of serious means. In these seven sentences, Terminator uses a word as a sentence in twice. Also words are ---- Yes and No. On the one hand, these words demonstrated robot itself lack of language expression; on the other hand, it can reflect Terminator itself is serious people. In the film, Terminator fights against the villain robot several times. And each time he combats the robot using the most simple and effective action, filled with power in action! The Terminator in the whole film has never laugh too. Combination of these features, together with Terminator’s very serious language style, we can easily know the Terminator character features! If Terminator’s serious style corresponding character is cynical, it is clear that audience and everyone can not accept it. It is not exist in real life.

　In Western movies, serious style is not so common; it is because those westerners are more optimistic on the nature——like humor. So Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the shape of such a cold-blooded and courageous Terminator is a very successful character!

　4.2.2 Comical language style

　Comicality is that people speak very jocularly and make others laugh. As mentioned above, westerners are more optimistic and like humor. Similarly, in western movies, humorous language can be seen everywhere and through humorous language the characters’ personality can be reflected well.

　The American film Independence Day is an example. One of the film’s protagonists Captain Stven Hiller’s words in the whole film are full of humorous atmosphere. He was a pilot. After he struggled with an extraterrestrial spaceship and destroyed it, he clamored for a walk:

　“Captain Steven Hille: That’s what you get! Ha Ha! Look at you! Ya ship’s all banged up!

　[shouts] Captain Steven Hiller: Who’s the man? Huh? Who’s the man? Wait till I get another plane! I’m a line ya friends up right beside you! Where ya at, huh? Where ya at?

　Hiller opens the spaceship, the alien screams, Hiller smacks him in the head

　Captain Steven Hiller: [beat] Welcome to earth.”

　He hasn’t been discouraged because of human catastrophe and treated these invaders as a hast. His words showed disdain to foreign stars. The word “welcome” can show his humorous characteristics in danger.

　Another example is the film The Mask. It tells a bank teller named Stanley Ipkis who got a wonderful mask by chance. One will get strange supernatural power after wearing it. And he used the mask to fight with the bad guys and finally he won the heart of his lover.

　The film itself is a comedy, coupled with humorousness of the character Jim Carrey who acted as Stanley Ipkis. It succeeded in showing us a optimistic and just character. There are many lines of Stanley Ipkis proved it in the film, especially after he putting on his mask. For example:

　“(Thugs shoot at the Mask)

　The Mask: Did you miss me?

　(Takes a drink, and the liquid pours out through holes in his body)

　The Mask: I guess not! ”

　He was not afraid when Stanley Ipkis was fighting with thugs, instead he just talked with them in a humorous way, which made a very tense atmosphere into a very relax one. And we get the result from what Stanley Ipkis said. It’s easy to show the Stanley Ipkis’s character by using humorous words, and to make audiences to remember the character.

　We can see from the two examples above, that characters with humorous style are optimistic and positive. This is the effects it made on human character.

　4.2.3 Pithy language style

　Some people often mix the words “pithy” and “simple” together. It’s obvious that the pithy style refers to spoken or written in strong, direct language without wasting words. But I don’t think we just simple explain the word in that way. In my opinion, a real pithy is that what someone says can directly show the meaning. And it can express various concepts with only a few words. Besides, it must be the best way. It is easy to make a person’s words changeable and colourful in a play, but it is not easy to make the words pithy. There are still some pithy plays in western movies.

　In the movie Brave Heart, it tells us a story about how William Wallace, a hero in Sottish, leaded his people to fight with the people of England, who invade them. And William Wallance played a leading-part in this film. From what he said, we can know his hatred to England and also his love to Scotland everywhere. He also showed his determination and courageous. What’s more, there are no wasting words in his speech. They are very pithy.

　Such as in order to encourage the morale before the war, he gave a speech:

　“William Wallace: Sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace.

　Young soldier: William Wallace is 7 feet tall.

　William Wallace: Yes, I've heard. He kills men by the hundreds, and if he were here he’d consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse. I am William Wallace, and I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny. You have come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight? Ay, fight and you may die, run and you’ll live. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom.”

　Another example, the William Wallace blamed the people who just care for themselves in a meeting.

　William Wallace: There’s a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

　From William Wallace’s discourse, we have seen his conviction, and his conviction has inculcated into everyone’s heart. From his discourse there is no superfluous word, and each word with emotion is so important. This is pithy language style. From William Wallace’s pithy language, we will be able to see his courageous conviction.

　This is the pithy language style’s impact on character’s nature.

　4.2.4 Tactful language style

　People in western countries usually speak very directly, unlike us. We are always subtle when we speak. Therefore, there are few characters appearing in the western movies. But that does not mean th