The DECODER series — to which SEMIOVOX has invited our semiotician colleagues from around the world to contribute — explores fictional semiotician-esque action as depicted in books, movies, TV shows, etc.
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (2010) and Brad Anderson’s Fractured (2019) offer compelling portrayals of delusional interpretation, providing insights into the concept of delusional semiotics. This phenomenon involves a fundamentally flawed or distorted process of interpreting signs and symbols, extending beyond clinical delusions to encompass various forms of cognitive bias and misinterpretation in everyday life.
In Shutter Island, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates a disappearance at Ashecliffe Hospital, a psychiatric facility. As the story unfolds, we learn that Teddy is actually Andrew Laeddis, a patient engaging in elaborate role-play. Andrew’s entire experience is shaped by his delusional interpretation of reality, constructing an alternate identity and conspiracy theory to avoid confronting the traumatic truth of killing his wife after she drowned their children.
Throughout the film, Andrew interprets signs and symbols to reinforce his delusion, exhibiting apophenia (seeing patterns in random data) and pareidolia (perceiving familiar patterns where none exist). Teddy constantly connects unrelated events and objects to support his delusional narrative. The film’s ambiguous ending reflects the blurry line between interpretation and misinterpretation in real life.
Fractured presents a similar exploration of delusional interpretation. Ray Monroe takes his family to the hospital after his daughter’s injury. Upon waking from a nap, Ray finds the hospital staff denying any knowledge of his family’s admission. The film reveals that Ray accidentally killed his wife and daughter, and his trauma triggers a delusional state.
Ray’s mind constructs an alternate reality where the hospital becomes a sinister place. He misinterprets mundane activities as evidence of a conspiracy, focusing on elements that confirm his suspicions while ignoring contradictory evidence. By challenging the audience’s perception of reality, the film encourages reflection on the nature of truth, memory and reality.
The film ends with Ray seemingly accepting his delusion fully, driving away with his “family.” This illustrates the power of delusional thinking to override even the most concrete contradictory evidence.
Both films structure their narratives around the protagonists’ delusional interpretations, immersing viewers in distorted realities. They showcase how traumatic events can trigger elaborate false narratives as coping mechanisms, blurring the line between reality and delusion for both characters and the audience.
These cinematic examples, while extreme, highlight aspects of semiotic interpretation present in everyday life. Common cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, represent milder forms of delusional thinking in daily semiotic activities. In the larger cultural context, collective delusions like conspiracy theories or false historical narratives demonstrate how shared misinterpretations can shape social reality. The influence of media, propaganda, and marketing also plays a role in manipulating perception.
By studying delusional semiotics, we gain valuable insights into the complex processes of human meaning-making and the malleable nature of perceived reality. Recognizing the potential for self-deception and misinterpretation in our daily lives can lead to more nuanced and self-reflective approaches to understanding the world around us.
Ultimately, the exploration of delusional semiotics encourages us to question our own interpretative processes, fostering a more critical and aware engagement with the signs and symbols that shape our understanding of reality.
DECODER: Adelina Vaca (Mexico) on ARRIVAL | William Liu (China) on A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | Tim Spencer (England) on VURT | Ramona Lyons (USA) on BABEL-17 | Rachel Lawes (England) on NICE WORK | Alfredo Troncoso (Mexico) on THE ODYSSEY | Gabriela Pedranti (Spain) on MUSIC BOX | Charles Leech (Canada) on PATTERN RECOGNITION | Lucia Laurent-Neva (England) on LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY | Whitney Dunlap-Fowler (USA) on THE GIVER | Colette Sensier (England / Portugal) on PRIESTDADDY | Jamin Pelkey (Canada) on THE WONDER | Maciej Biedziński (Poland) on KOSMOS | Josh Glenn (USA) on LE GARAGE HERMÉTIQUE | Antje Weißenborn (Germany) on BABYLON BERLIN | Ximena Tobi (Argentina) on SIX FEET UNDER | Mariane Cara (Brazil) on ROPE | Maria Papanthymou (Greece) on MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS | Chirag Mediratta (India) on BLEACH | Dimitar Trendafilov (Bulgaria) on THE MATRIX | Martha Arango (Sweden) on ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE | Becks Collins (England) on THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY | Ivan Islas (Mexico) on THE NAME OF THE ROSE | Paulina Goch-Kenawy (Poland) on THE SENSE OF AN ENDING | Eugene Gorny (Thailand) on SHUTTER ISLAND & FRACTURED.
Also see these international semio series: COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | MAKING SENSE WITH… | COLOR CODEX | DECODER