Archeology of the Mask in the History of Cinema

This chapter offers an archaeological and theoretical exploration of the mask in the history of cinema, tracing its development from early silent film to contemporary digital productions. Beginning with early serial figures such as Fantômas and the criminals of Louis Feuillade, the essay examines how the mask quickly became a powerful semiotic device, functioning both as a narrative tool and as a catalyst of fascination, ambiguity, and identity transformation. Moving through classical, modern, and postmodern cinema - from melodrama and spy films to slasher horror and superhero franchises - the study highlights the mask’s persistent role in articulating tensions between identity and otherness, concealment and revelation, empathy and terror. Ultimately, the chapter argues that the mask operates as a systemic object within cinema: an autonomous, metamorphic agent that reshapes characters, spectatorship, and cultural imaginaries, while continuing to evolve in the age of digital technologies and facial manipulation.