POST MODERNISM MAX SMITH

Introduction to Postmodernism. Postmodernism in film is a type of production that always makes sure the audience is aware they are watching a construction. For example the film Alfie, 1966 Lewis Gilbert at the opening of the film the main character addresses the audience. He breaks the fourth wall, therefore the audience is departed from the reality of the film. This is one of the many conventions used to create postmodernism. Click the link below to see the clip from Alfie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0FZhLeHy7A Hyper-realty is a factor of post modernism, for example if a trailer uses text on screen such as the trailer for Snatch, 2000 Guy Ritchie. This departs from what is real and impossible and the audience are fully aware of the fact they are watching a film. Typically postmodernism challenges conventions of film. Broken narratives or order of time are examples of this. Like in Pulp Fiction, 1994 Quentin Tarantino The story takes place in an unusual and not-chronological order. This idea as part of postmodernism assists the depart from reality and standard conventional film.

Conventions of Postmodernism The following techniques are typical conventions of postmodernism: Pastiche: Pastiche is when a director will use elements of another movie in their own. For example when Quentin Tarantino uses a yellow jumpsuit as costume for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. This costume is the same as Bruce Lee wears in Game of Death, 1973 Bruce Lee. The use of pastiche in postmodernism in film is to pay homage to someone or something. Here Tarantino is showing respect and admiration to Bruce lee and Game of death. “I steal from every movie ever made.” - Quentin Tarantino

Watch both trailers With these links: Intertextuality: When a director is influenced by another media text. Pastiche does intertwine with intertextuality. Often this will lead to other movie references hidden within a production. For example the original movie Django, Sergio Corbucci 1966 is referenced by Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino 2012 when the original actor Franco Nero who played Django in the original film makes a short appearance in Django Unchained. The 2012 Django Unchained also has the exact same theme song form the original Django. This is Tarantino using intertextuality and pastiche in a modern production. Watch both trailers With these links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Ge2hmSTbo – Django, Sergio Corbucci 1966 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow – Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino 2012 The pictures above show Franco Nero in both productions of Django and Django Unchained.

Click the link below to watch this scene: Hyper-reality: To make an audience aware that what they are watching a construction is one of the biggest challenges of postmodernism. As previously mentioned with Snatch, Guy Ritchee 2000 and Alfie, Lewis Gilbert 1966 hyper-reality is unrealistic elements that will depart an audience from the reality of the film. This can be done in a number of ways for example in The Matrix, 1999 The Wachowski Brothers the “bullet time” scene uses unrealistic action events and special effects such as slow motion and CGI animation to create a hyper-real scenario where Neo Keano Reeves dodges bullets on a rooftop. Click the link below to watch this scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFKLxAQBbc Similarly Slow motion is also used in the poker scene of Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels, 1999 Guy Ritchie. In this instance it departs the audience from the reality of the poker game and gives an insight to how the character is feeling. This is a method of raising the tension and separating the real from the unreal. Click here to watch the poker scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56jekYL2h7k

Anti Narratives: Finally anti-narratives are a postmodern technique used to depart the audience from reality; they work in conjunction with hyper-reality. Anti narratives are when the story or narrative is mixed up and not always in chronological order. This often challenges typical film narratives; examples of films that use this technique are: Pulp Fiction 1994 Quentin Tarantino and Momento 2000 Christopher Nolan. Anti-narratives are often referred to as non-linear narratives and directors have used this technique to confuse and grip audiences. Nolan’s Momento is famous for playing each scene in backwards or reverse order. This difference intreagued audiences and made Christopher Nolan the director he is today.