The technology of producing meaning created by showing the image in motion is called cinema. Since its emergence in 1895, motion pictures have been an art that causes people to think, to learn about different cultures and even to establish emotional bonds with their actors. With the controlled combination of sound and image elements, movies begin to gain a story. Between 1939 and 1945, the use of radio for propaganda purposes and its effects on society during the Second World War showed the importance of media tools. In the post-war period, motion pictures gained functionality due to their ability to convey messages quickly and reach the masses. The development of the cinema industry has also improved the script writing processes and made it compulsory for films with limited time to be conveyed with narratives that can convey messages in the most effective way. Instead of giving a direct message through direct expression, alternative narrative forms such as the use of various symbols, camera angles, and even acting and costumes have been used to enrich the content. These elements that enrich the content in terms of narrative are presented to the audience as signs. This article analyzes the film based on semiotic analysis methods. The film analyzed semiotically by making use of Ferdinand de Saussure’s understanding of sign and Roland Barthes’ management of signification is the 1996 film Eşkıya, written and directed by Yavuz Turgul. Specific scenes, events and characters selected from the film will be analyzed semiotically.

Eşkıya, Bandit, Turkish Cinema, Semiotics, Film Analysis.