Denotation and Connotation
These are two important words concerned with the way an audience understands the meaning of a media text. These can also be called the signs and signified meaning, or the micro and macro features.
Denotation / sign / micro feature is the basic, literal meaning of what is in the picture or scene.
Connotation / signified meaning / macro feature means different interpretations suggested by the text, often associated with additional meaning, values, or ideology.
The denotation of this picture is that one man is pointing his finger at the other, with a yellow taxi in the background.
The connotation depends less on the facts as shown in the picture, and more on our interpretation of the scene depending on our cultural knowledge and the signs shown. We see this is Leonard Di Caprio, who is a Hollywood star, so if probably as the protagonist is the hero. He is angry and explaining something, as if he has been threatened. He is known for playing conflicted, intelligent men (Catch Me if You Can, Gangs of New York, The Departed) who are tortured by their inner demons (The Beach, Catch Me if You Can) who have a short temper (Titanic, Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet).
The yellow taxi tells us this that the location is New York, America. We can even look at the costume and hair cuts to tell us that this is based in...
