An Analytic Study of Compression in Cinema, Based on Conceptual Blending Theory: A Case Study of Dancing in Dust

Abstract

Compression is one of the key concepts in Conceptual Blending Theory (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002) which as part of Cognitive Semantics seeks to render a general model for meaning construction. Compression helps human beings to perceive diffused consequent chains and logical reasonings. This study aims to analyze the hows and whys of compression in the light of CBT, in "Dancing in Dust", an Iranian film by Asqar Farhadi (1381). Outcomes reveal among the outer space vital relations, the representation is used more frequently than others and the rest of them like analogy, change, cause-effect, part-whole, time, disanalogy, and place consequently follow it. These relations are compressed in the blended space converting to inner space vital relations as uniqueness, identity, analogical time, category, and property. Besides, findings unveil the insufficiency of CBT in disclosing the temporal consequence of narration in the genre of film, although in grasping sophisticated ideas it is efficient.

Keywords

• conceptual blending theory
• integration
• compression
• vital relation
• dancing in dust