Semiotics In The Film Thief

“What is this?” “That is my life. And … nothin’, nobody can stop me from makin’ that happen.”
This semiotic analysis will focus on one element throughout several scenes in the film Thief.
First, a definition of semiotics. Semiotics is the study of human communication through the use of signs and symbols. According to Ferdinand de Saussure a sign is made up of two parts; the signifier - the material aspect, and the signified - the mental concept (Cobley and Jansz, 2010:10–11). For example, a drawing of a skull (signifier) can symbolise death (signified).
Thief is a 1981 crime thriller written and directed by Michael Mann. It follows Frank (James Caan), a professional diamond thief as he tries to start a life with his girlfriend Jessie (Tuesday
The house, car, women, and children collectively symbolise Frank wanting a family/domestic life. The women in the collage do not have faces. This is because he is looking for someone to fill that space in his life. Okla is a mentor and paternal figure to Frank. His photo would be included because Frank sees him as part of his family, the theme of the collage. This could also be seen as Frank’s hope that Okla will get out of prison in the future, and be a part of his family. In the collage he is shown with a blue space behind him. The blue space could be interpreted as the sky. If so, it may represent hope to be free from the urban landscape prevalent throughout the
However, it is not clear how these two images relate to one another. “It is often quite difficult to differentiate between visual signs, because often there is no clear boundaries between different parts of an image.” (Rose, 2011:75)
At the centre bottom or the collage is a small image of Life Magazine. This could be a subtle way of literally stating that the collage is a symbol of Frank’s life.
The collage first appears in the scene “Letter from Okla” after the opening heist of the film. In this scene Frank receives a letter from Okla, an old friend, mentor, and father figure. Okla is in prison and writes asking Frank to visit him. After reading the letter, Frank takes the collage out from his wallet and stares at it.
Keeping the collage is in his wallet is significant as it is something he carries with him everywhere. This gives the connotation that his dream is constantly at the back of his mind and the motivation behind all of his actions throughout the film. The collage is ‘hidden’ in the back pocket of his wallet, and is kept behind all of his credit cards and club memberships. An explanation of this could be that the dream is the reason ‘behind’ his financial gain, and is at the foundation of his life. (Figure