A comparative analysis of the relationship between the artist character and the socio-cultural context in an Iranian and an American film

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammadreza Gharghani 1
Azam Ravadrad 2
1 Department of Communication Sciences, Social Sciences Faculty, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Social Communication Sciences; Social Sciences Faculty; University of Tehran; Tehran; Iran
10.22034/acmj.2026.599487.1021
Abstract
Cinema and feature films have always been regarded as tools for narrative expression. Numerous films have been produced that address art and the artistic way of life. This study seeks to examine two films—Santouri, directed by Dariush Mehrjuei in Iran, and A Star Is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper in Hollywood—using Greimas’s narrative analysis method and Stuart Hall’s theory of representation. Both films are, in different ways, concerned with the issue of the artist and the artist’s lived experience in society. Cinema represents various social themes, and the director and author of the work articulate their perspectives on different issues within the film and present them to audiences and consumers. The aim of this research is to understand the nature of the author’s viewpoint and the manner in which they represent the artist as a subject. The findings show that the artist in Iran in the 2010s (the 1390s in the Iranian calendar) is represented as grappling with diverse challenges rooted in tradition, which are considered major obstacles in the artist’s path. By contrast, the representation in A Star Is Born depicts a kind of commercial aesthetic outlook within the capitalist system and its music industry—an outlook in which not only the artist’s art matters, but also possessing facial attractiveness and a well-proportioned body is essential for professional artistic advancement.
Keywords
Representation
Artist
Narrative analysis
Cinema
Subjects
 
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Art, Culture and Media
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
Autumn 2026
Pages 85-105

  • Receive Date 03 September 2026
  • Revise Date 26 September 2026
  • Accept Date 27 September 2026
  • First Publish Date 27 September 2026
  • Publish Date 23 September 2026