MY CHOSEN THEORY:
I have chosen to research the 'Post-modernism' in depth
What is post-modernism?
Post-modernism stands in order to revolt against views offered by traditions and cultures and instead they want to replace old ideas with fresh revolutionary ideas. This means they want the films to be way more magnificent than old films. Directors want it to contain extraordinary version, become larger and bolder especially with the aid of cutting edge technology. There are numerous of ways to approche visual arts as you can always improve a video from its original roots which will lead to your audience amazed with the work you create.
Origin and evolution of the modernist movement
The 'postmodern' term was first distinguished by a German philosopher named Rudolf Pannwitz in 1917 which helped to describe 'nihilism' which is the rejection of all types of religious; belief life is meaningless. He took this Western culture theme off from Friedrich Nietzsche. There was an evolution before postmodernism which is how it reached the current way of how we recognize it.
- Pre-modernism – Pre-modernism was originally taken over by religious beliefs. This meant that everyone was influenced by their beliefs,habits, moral values and orientations which stayed as their own general government. This meant that everyone showed how they grew up through their individual upbringing which they take into consideration when becoming mature adults therefore passing it onto their generation and this process continued.
- Modernism – This is what is classified to be an classicistic cultivation which generally ignores any type of established observance. This means that anything which was related to pre-modern was developed based on speculations of self-determining human beings and then the original abstract idea is changed to fit how the “real world” sees it and sometimes it gets even more magnified till it matches the sensibility of a particular event in life and or cinematic arts.
- Postmodernism –Post-modernism doesn't really have a solid explanation to it. Generally, it is classified to be quite systematic. It try's to eliminate the fact people believed that realism was just reflected through a person’s individual idea's of what was considered to be “real”. So as a result, they decide to create a new truth and they show it through films making their audience feel like this is what is now considered to be true.
Stephen R. C. Hicks, an Canadian - American philosopher also created a chart which he used to explain post-modernism from Rousseau to Faucault:
Area |
Pre-modernism |
Modernism |
Post-Modernism |
Metaphysics |
Realism - Super - Naturalism |
Realism, Naturalism |
Anti-Realism |
Epistemology |
Mysticism and/or Faith |
Objectivism, Empiricism and reason |
Social Subjectivism |
Human Nature |
Original sin, Subject to God's will |
Tabula Rasa and Autonomy |
Social Construction and Conflict |
Ethics |
Collectivism, Altruism |
Individualism |
Collectivism / Egalitarianism |
Politics and Economics |
Feudalism |
Liberal Capitalism |
Socialism |
When and Where |
Medieval |
The Englightenment, Twentieth Century |
Academia in the Modern Time |
ideological key terms in post-modernism
In postmodernism there are a lot of diverse and rich facets which are classified as postmodern ideas. Some ideas, structure, aesthetic styles and characterization which I read in a book called ''Understanding film theory'' by Christine Etherington-Wright and Ruth Doughty is written below:
Ideas
- Distinction between high and low culture challenged
- Rejection of Grand Narrative (Lyotard)
- Meaning of signs no longer stable
- Originality questioned (Baudrillard)
- Reality replaced by simulation (Baudrillard)
- Self-reflectivity (aware of own artificiality)
Structure
- Intertextuality and bricolage (art recycles ideas)
- Eclecticism
- Hybridity (generic conventions no longer fixed)
- Non-linear/fragmented narratives rather than traditional formats
Aesthetic Style
- Pastiche (old styles reworked)
- Parody (tongue-in-cheek humour)
- Irony (playful challenge to seriousness of Modernism)
- Camp and kitsch (celebration of naffness)
Characterization
- Multiple and fractured identities
- Traditional notions of good and bad blurred
Strinati's theory - how to spot a post-mordern text
The theorist Dominic Strinati has identified five ways to define post modernity in a range of texts.
He quotes: "Postmodernism tries to come to terms with and understand a media-saturated society. The mass media, for example, were once thought of as holding up a mirror to, and thereby reflecting, a wider social reality. Now that reality is only definable in terms of surface reflection of the mirror" (1992)
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1. Mediaization (The breakdown of the distinction between society and culture)
This questions what reality is and how the media do not reflect reality in a reliable way. Art once reflected what was going on in society at that time, and was quite a reliable way of recognise how life really was. However, now, a blur has appeared and now media texts create something completely different to how reality actually is.
This questions what reality is and how the media do not reflect reality in a reliable way. Art once reflected what was going on in society at that time, and was quite a reliable way of recognise how life really was. However, now, a blur has appeared and now media texts create something completely different to how reality actually is.
2. Style at the expense of substance and content
This is Strinati’s second point towards defining postmodernism. This point is all about what something looks like, regardless of its function. The culture we live in is heavily involved in this idea and as a culture, we celebrate peoples good looks rather than the talent of the person.
This is Strinati’s second point towards defining postmodernism. This point is all about what something looks like, regardless of its function. The culture we live in is heavily involved in this idea and as a culture, we celebrate peoples good looks rather than the talent of the person.
3. The breakdown between high culture (art) and popular culture.
On his third point, he talks about how the line between high culture and popular culture has become blurred. High art, such as the theatre, ballet and opera used to be only for the elite, and everything else (low art) was provided in the masses for the people who did not participate in high art. High art was only intended for the rich and people with inherited status. This division between the wealthy peoples art and the working class and poor peoples art has become faint.
On his third point, he talks about how the line between high culture and popular culture has become blurred. High art, such as the theatre, ballet and opera used to be only for the elite, and everything else (low art) was provided in the masses for the people who did not participate in high art. High art was only intended for the rich and people with inherited status. This division between the wealthy peoples art and the working class and poor peoples art has become faint.
4. Confusions over time and space
The speed in which information can travel over long distances has greatly increased in recent years. Rapid improvements in the television and internet mean that certain information is more readily available than it was 20 years ago. Strinati said:
“because of the speed and scope of modern mass communications, because of the relative ease with which people and information can travel, time and space become less stable and comprehensible, more confused, more incoherent, more disunified.”
The speed in which information can travel over long distances has greatly increased in recent years. Rapid improvements in the television and internet mean that certain information is more readily available than it was 20 years ago. Strinati said:
“because of the speed and scope of modern mass communications, because of the relative ease with which people and information can travel, time and space become less stable and comprehensible, more confused, more incoherent, more disunified.”
5. The decline of meta-narratives
Meta-narratives are the ideas and concepts that attempt to explain why the world is the way it is. There are loads of grand narrative in the world today, and these are things that have been around for years and years. These grand narratives range from religion to political and economic theories such as Communism, Fascism, Liberalism and Socialism. In a postmodern society it is argued that people no longer believe there are absolute ways to explain reality. Britain alone has changed over the years and has gone from being a Christian country with it’s morals and ideals deriving from the Bible, but nowadays Britain is seen as a more secuar society. Society is no longer comfortable with people who allign themselves to one belief system. These days, most of our cultural understanding is based on the personal interpretations we make from the media representations that dominate our culture, therefore grand narratives are too simplistic and too narrow in their approach.
Meta-narratives are the ideas and concepts that attempt to explain why the world is the way it is. There are loads of grand narrative in the world today, and these are things that have been around for years and years. These grand narratives range from religion to political and economic theories such as Communism, Fascism, Liberalism and Socialism. In a postmodern society it is argued that people no longer believe there are absolute ways to explain reality. Britain alone has changed over the years and has gone from being a Christian country with it’s morals and ideals deriving from the Bible, but nowadays Britain is seen as a more secuar society. Society is no longer comfortable with people who allign themselves to one belief system. These days, most of our cultural understanding is based on the personal interpretations we make from the media representations that dominate our culture, therefore grand narratives are too simplistic and too narrow in their approach.
Examples of post-modern films
I went onto a popular movie site called imdb and when I was there, I got some useful information on the top 10 most post-modern films created, their genre and what they are about briefly. This increased my interest in watching numerous of films which from there on, I would chose my favorite to analyse effectively.
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1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama Gross: $107.93M Rating: 8.4 The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Director: Quentin Tarantino Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis |
2. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi Gross: $171.48M Rating: 8.7 A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving |
3. Memento (2000)
R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller Gross: $25.54M Rating:8.5 A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer. Director: Christopher Nolan Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior |
4. The Truman Show (1998)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Rating: 8.1 Gross: $125.62M An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show. Director: Peter Weir Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich |
4. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama Rating: 8.4 Gross: $130.10M A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend. Director: Sam Mendes Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch,Wes Bentley |
6. Fight Club (1999)
R | 139 min | Drama Rating: 8.8 Gross: $37.03M An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soapmaker form an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. Director: David Fincher Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier |
7. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller Rating: 8.2 Gross: $27.00M A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space, and have returned to Earth to find their creator. Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young,Edward James Olmos |
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Rating: 8.3 Gross: $34.40M When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories. Director: Michel Gondry Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson,Gerry Robert Byrne |
9. Blue Velvet (1986)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller Rating: 7.8 Gross: $8.55M The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child. Director: David Lynch Stars: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan |
10. Scream (1996)
R | 111 min | Horror, Mystery Rating: 7.2 Gross: $103.05M A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game. Director: Wes Craven Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich |
pOST MODERNISM IN eternal sunshine of a spotless mind imdb overview:
Definition of Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind:
"Eternal sunshine" is a metaphor for ongoing peace, happiness, carefree. This means that the title is describing the happiness and joy one can experience once the negative experiences it spots have been removed from your mind.
"Eternal sunshine" is a metaphor for ongoing peace, happiness, carefree. This means that the title is describing the happiness and joy one can experience once the negative experiences it spots have been removed from your mind.
mORE iNFORMATION
Official Sites: Official Facebook Universal
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 19 March 2002
Also Known As: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Filming Locations:123 Valentine Lane, Yonkers & New York
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 19 March 2002
Also Known As: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Filming Locations:123 Valentine Lane, Yonkers & New York
sTORYLINE
A man, Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend Clementine underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realizes that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.
fUN fACTS
The opening credits don't begin until about twenty minutes into the film and after much action and plot.
At least one version of the screenplay ends with Clementine and Joel in an endless cycle of erasures and getting back together. In the last scene, an elderly Clementine visits Dr. Mierzwiak, and the screenplay calls for the audience to see a computer screen showing "a list of fifteen dates of previous erasures stretching back fifty years, all of them involving Joel Barish." The actual ending used in the movie ends on a much more upbeat note instead.
At least one version of the screenplay ends with Clementine and Joel in an endless cycle of erasures and getting back together. In the last scene, an elderly Clementine visits Dr. Mierzwiak, and the screenplay calls for the audience to see a computer screen showing "a list of fifteen dates of previous erasures stretching back fifty years, all of them involving Joel Barish." The actual ending used in the movie ends on a much more upbeat note instead.
talking head:
Click on the picture below in order to view my talking head:
Script:
MAIN SITES USED FOR RESEARCH:
https://entertainism.com/postmodernism-in-movies-with-examples
https://www.slideshare.net/NehaR95/postmodernism-in-film-blade-runner
https://prezi.com/6djbtmqm-fmv/why-is-blade-runner-postmodern/
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/film-studies/a-metaphor-of-postmodernism-in-blade-runner-film-studies-essay.php
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/postmodern-theory-and-blade-runner-9781501311796/
https://web.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Bruno/bladerunner.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/postmodernism-philosophy
https://blacklabellogic.com/2017/01/05/the-post-modernism-of-social-justice/
imdb.com/list/ls033972384/
https://filmanalysis.coursepress.yale.edu/sound/
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-behind-Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind
https://harrisoneqegsa2.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/postmodernism/
http://tccpomo.blogspot.com/2010/11/eternal-sunshine-of-spotless-mind.html
https://prezi.com/erpsjzlipgk4/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-postmodern-elements/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004
https://prezi.com/7lezsg7cbarf/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-a-postmodern-film/
https://phdessay.com/an-individual-detailed-analysis-on-the-style-editing-techniques-mise-en-scene-and-cinematography-in-the-film-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/
http://stefanycohennotes.blogspot.com/2009/07/analysis-of-postmodernism-on-eternal.html
https://www.slideshare.net/NehaR95/postmodernism-in-film-blade-runner
https://prezi.com/6djbtmqm-fmv/why-is-blade-runner-postmodern/
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/film-studies/a-metaphor-of-postmodernism-in-blade-runner-film-studies-essay.php
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/postmodern-theory-and-blade-runner-9781501311796/
https://web.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Bruno/bladerunner.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/postmodernism-philosophy
https://blacklabellogic.com/2017/01/05/the-post-modernism-of-social-justice/
imdb.com/list/ls033972384/
https://filmanalysis.coursepress.yale.edu/sound/
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-behind-Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind
https://harrisoneqegsa2.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/postmodernism/
http://tccpomo.blogspot.com/2010/11/eternal-sunshine-of-spotless-mind.html
https://prezi.com/erpsjzlipgk4/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-postmodern-elements/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004
https://prezi.com/7lezsg7cbarf/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-a-postmodern-film/
https://phdessay.com/an-individual-detailed-analysis-on-the-style-editing-techniques-mise-en-scene-and-cinematography-in-the-film-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/
http://stefanycohennotes.blogspot.com/2009/07/analysis-of-postmodernism-on-eternal.html