Intertextual elements in Ukrainian film titles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58423/2786-6726/2026-1-26-38Keywords:
intertextuality, film title, intermediality, allusion, reminiscence, title discourseAbstract
The article explores intertextual elements in Ukrainian film titles as a specific form of textual interaction within the intercultural space. It is noted that scholarly interest in intertextuality in Ukrainian cinema has so far focused mainly on its realisation within the narrative structure of films. However, intertextuality in film titles remains understudied; therefore, this gap necessitates a more comprehensive investigation and an expansion of current conceptions of film titles as verbal representations of cinematic texts.
The relevance of the study lies in the growing role of the title in shaping the artistic and communicative potential of a film text, as a film title sets the interpretive direction and establishes a bridge between a new work and preceding texts from various cultural domains. The purpose of the research is to identify, systematise, and classify intertextual elements in the titles of Ukrainian films presented on the Takflix streaming platform, as well as to analyse their sources and the types of connections with their prototexts. The material of the study includes the titles of Ukrainian feature and documentary films released between 1991 and 2024.
The results show that nearly one third of Ukrainian film titles contain intertextual elements derived from biblical narratives, classical literature, mythological motifs, and cinematic or artistic works. It is determined that such titles create an additional semantic layer of film perception, enriching its genre-related, philosophical, and national-cultural dimensions.
Future research is expected to focus on intertextual elements in the titles of 21st-century Ukrainian films and on a comparative analysis of these elements across film, literary, and gaming titles.
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