Justice as Myth: A Barthesian Reading of Keadilan (The Verdict) through Surah An-Nisa: 135
Keywords:
Justice, Roland Barthes, Film Semiotics, Surah An-Nisa, Ideological MythAbstract
This study examines the representation of justice in Keadilan (The Verdict) through Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework, using QS. An-Nisa 4:135 as an ethical and interpretive anchor. Existing studies on Indonesian legal films have largely focused on narrative and social criticism, while limited attention has been given to the relationship between Qur’anic values and cinematic meaning-making. Employing a qualitative interpretive approach, this research analyzes key scenes through the levels of denotation, connotation, and myth. The findings reveal that the film positions QS. An-Nisa 4:135 as a moral reference for justice, yet simultaneously constructs ideological tensions through representations of legal inequality, vigilantism, and the marginalization of idealism. Three dominant myths emerge: law serves the powerful, vigilantism becomes an alternative form of justice, and idealism is sacrificed within corrupt systems. The study contributes to the intersection of Islamic media studies and film semiotics by demonstrating how Qur’anic ethics can function as a critical lens for examining ideological constructions in popular cinema.
Abstrak
Penelitian ini mengkaji representasi keadilan dalam film Keadilan (The Verdict) melalui kerangka semiotika Roland Barthes dengan menjadikan QS. An-Nisa: 135 sebagai jangkar etis dan interpretatif. Kajian mengenai film hukum Indonesia umumnya berfokus pada narasi dan kritik sosial, sementara hubungan antara nilai-nilai Al-Qur’an dan konstruksi makna sinematik masih jarang diteliti. Dengan pendekatan kualitatif interpretatif, penelitian ini menganalisis sejumlah adegan kunci melalui tingkat denotasi, konotasi, dan mitos. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa film menempatkan QS. An-Nisa: 135 sebagai rujukan moral keadilan, namun secara bersamaan membangun ketegangan ideologis melalui representasi ketimpangan hukum, vigilantisme, dan marginalisasi idealisme. Terdapat tiga mitos dominan yang dihasilkan, yaitu hukum berpihak kepada yang berkuasa, vigilantisme sebagai alternatif keadilan, dan idealisme sebagai korban dalam sistem yang korup. Penelitian ini berkontribusi pada kajian media Islam dan semiotika film dengan menunjukkan bagaimana etika Al-Qur’an dapat digunakan sebagai lensa kritis untuk membaca konstruksi ideologi dalam sinema populer.
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