Assistant Professor of Cinema Department, Faculty of Arts, Soureh International University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study, grounded in the later philosophy of language by Ludwig Wittgenstein, examines the role of naming and the absence of names in the construction—or suspension—of identity in two films: mother! by Darren Aronofsky and M by Fritz Lang. Within the theoretical framework of “language-games,” the analysis addresses how the act (or omission) of naming contributes to the formation of meaning and the viewer’s experience. The research explores how the lack of personal names leads to shifts in narrative and linguistic signification, introducing new kinds of language-games into the cinematic world. In both films, subjects are not erased in the absence of names; rather, they are relocated to the center of linguistic and social tension, where language ceases to serve as a transparent medium and becomes a source of ambiguity, judgment, and power. The primary aim of this study is to explore the function of naming in artistic works through the lens of Wittgenstein’s language-games. Methodologically, the research is applied in nature, based on library-based data collection, using qualitative analysis with a descriptive-analytical approach.
Shahbazi, R. (2025). The Absence of the Name, the Construction of Identity: A Wittgensteinian Reading of the Language and Language-Games in the Films mother! and M. Pazand Quarterly, 19(70 71), 59-76.
MLA
Shahbazi, R. "The Absence of the Name, the Construction of Identity: A Wittgensteinian Reading of the Language and Language-Games in the Films mother! and M", Pazand Quarterly, 19, 70 71, 2025, 59-76.
HARVARD
Shahbazi R. (2025). 'The Absence of the Name, the Construction of Identity: A Wittgensteinian Reading of the Language and Language-Games in the Films mother! and M', Pazand Quarterly, 19(70 71), pp. 59-76.
CHICAGO
R. Shahbazi, "The Absence of the Name, the Construction of Identity: A Wittgensteinian Reading of the Language and Language-Games in the Films mother! and M," Pazand Quarterly, 19 70 71 (2025): 59-76,
VANCOUVER
Shahbazi R. The Absence of the Name, the Construction of Identity: A Wittgensteinian Reading of the Language and Language-Games in the Films mother! and M. Pazand Quarterly. 2025;19(70 71):59-76 (In Persian).
