CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURES IN MAGIC REALISM MOVIES – THE GREEN MILE
CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURES IN MAGIC REALISM MOVIES – THE GREEN MILE

Summary/Abstract: This paper investigates conversational implicatures within the context of magic realism cinema, with a specific focus on Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile. In the genre of magic realism, where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur, understanding the deeper layers of dialogue is crucial for deciphering thematic elements and character motivations. The film, which blends supernatural events with human drama, serves as an ideal case study for exploring how conversational implicatures shape meaning and viewer interpretation. Using Grice’s Cooperative Principle as the theoretical framework, the study analyzes how characters’ dialogue conveys implicit meanings beyond the literal interpretation. The Cooperative Principle posits that conversational participants collaborate to communicate meaning, and from this, conversational implicatures emerge—hidden messages that are interpreted based on contextual clues and shared knowledge. The research method involves a corpus analysis of selected dialogue excerpts from The Green Mile, focusing on the pragmatic strategies employed by characters. The study’s results demonstrate that conversational implicatures significantly enhance the portrayal of supernatural phenomena, moral dilemmas, and thematic motifs in the film. For example, specific scenes reveal how subtle dialogue choices allow viewers to grasp deeper moral and emotional undertones. By dissecting key moments, the analysis highlights how these strategies engage the audience, enriching their understanding of the narrative. Beyond The Green Mile, the findings also offer broader insights into the relationship between language and meaning within the magic realism genre. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse in film studies by illustrating the importance of pragmatics in cinematic storytelling, particularly in genres where reality and the supernatural intersect.

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