Postmodernism is characterized by a complex fusion of “reality” and “unreality.” Today, consumer goods, and mass media, have created a uniquely complex cultural world where signs routinely take on multiple meanings or have no stable meaning at all. A great example of postmodernism would be the film by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction. The film is about three storylines told out of chronological order, which tells the story of a robbery couple, a boxer who is running way from the mob, and two gangsters protecting a briefcase. Throughout the film, people can see Jean-Francois Lyotard and Jean Baudrillard theories on postmodernism. I will be using the works of Lyotard and Baudrillard to react to the film.
Jean-Francois Lyotard concept of metanarratives or grand narratives is seen throughout the film, Pulp Fiction. According to Lyotard, metanarratives are
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paradigmatic systems of knowledge that contain established and credible worldviews and describe a total picture of society (Edles and Appelrouth 2016:505). The metanarratives that are included within the film has to do with the three storylines called “The Golden Watch”, “Vincent Vega and Marcella Wallace’s Wife”, and “The Bonnie Situation”. In these three storylines, all the characters shown relate to each other and the storylines. In the film, metanarratives are achieved by connecting each character stories together in several ways, which gives the impression of a universal truth. As mentioned before, the characters in these metanarratives play an important role to each character storylines. For example, the character role of Vincent in “Vincent Vega and Marcella Wallace’s Wife”, is his main role, but his part in “The Bonnie Situation” would not have existed if he did not kill the character Marvin. This scene gives a great example of Lyotard’s concept of metanarratives in postmodernism. Jean Baudrillard concept of hyperreality is noticeable in scenes of the film, “Pulp Fiction”.
According to Baudrillard hyperreality is the “reality” that has always already been reproduced (Edles and Appelrouth 2016:488). An example of Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality is shown in the scene where the characters Vincent and Mia go to dinner at a restaurant called Jack Rabbit Slim’s. In this restaurant, the people working there portray a celebrity who are either living or deceased. The restaurant, Jack Rabbit Slim’s, provides a clear understanding of what Baudrillard meant when he argues that Disneyland is a perfect model of simulation. He states that “in contrast to the simulated malls and theme restaurants of everyday ‘real life,’ Disneyland is more authentic than ‘reality’ because it does not purport to be ‘real’” (Edles and Appelrouth 2016:491). Another example where the film uses hyperreality is in the scene where the characters Vincent and Jules shoot the character Marvin in the face. In this part of the scene the concept of violence is used as humor. Usually, the act of violence would not be something
humorous. As mentioned above, postmodernism has to with a complex fusion of “reality” and “unreality.” The film “Pulp Fiction” by Tarantino is a great example that show cases the works of both Jean-Francois Lyotard and Jean Baudrillard theories on postmodernism. For example, the mix-up of scenes within the film shows the element of postmodernism. The dialogue and scenes between each character in the film shows Jean-Francois Lyotard concept of metanarratives, where a paradigmatic system of knowledge is established and describe a total picture of society (Edles and Appelrouth 2016:505). Jean Baudrillard concept of hyperreality is also shown throughout the film. Specific scenes in the film show the concept of “reality” that has already been reproduced. The scenes within the film clearly shows Jean-Francois Lyotard and Jean Baudrillard theories on postmodernism. Work Cited Edles, Laura D, and Scott Appelrouth. 2016. Sociological Theory in the Contemporary Era: Text and Readings. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Pine Forge Press.
Macey, David. “Postmodernity.” The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin Books, 2001. 307-309. Print.
Post-Modernism, the absence of any certainty, discredits the values of modernism, opposing the fixed principles of meaning and value. It is built on countless theories about society, the media and knowledge of the world, but it is also aware that there is no ultimate way of making sense of humanity. Ondaatje embraces aspects of post-modernism, by creating a novel that breaks away from the traditional narrative, thereby giving readers a greater perspective on the novel. One learns that any story is simply a storyteller's construction, and is never unbiased.
Jameson, Frederick. "Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" New Left Review. 146 (July-August 1984) Rpt in Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992.
Postmodernism can be defined as a rejection of the idea that there are certain unequivocal truths or grand narratives (such as capitalism, faith or science) and as a belief that there are multiple ways of understanding anything, whether it be it culture, philosophy, art, literature, films, etc, or even television... Television reflects the mass-produced society we live in and certain shows exhibit many of the archetypes of postmodernism that have become prevalent in other art forms. Postmodernism can be useful for understanding contemporary television it can help us to relate to the ever-changing world we live in. Television shows like ABC’s Lost (ABC, 2004-2010) dabble in matters of intertextuality, questioning of grand narratives and, amongst others, a manipulation of time through use of flashbacks, flash-forwards and, uniquely to Lost, the flash-sideways.
REFERENCESJean Baudrillard Simulations--1983 Semiotext[e]. America--1988 (English Edition) Verso. Seduction--1990 (English Edition) St. Martin’s Press. The Illusion of the End--1994 (English Edition) Stanford University Press. Simulacra and Simualtion--1994 (English Edition) University of Michigan Press. Jean-Francois Lyotard The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge--1984 (English Edition) University of Minnesota Press. The Postmodern Exaplained--1993 (English Edition) University of Minnesota Press. Michel Foucault Madness and Civilization--1973 Vintage Books. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison--1977 Vintage Books. The History of Sexuality--1980 Vintage Books. Linda Hutcheon A Poetics of Postmodernism: History, Thoery Fiction--1988 Routledge. The Politics or Postmodernism--1989 Routledge.
Postmodernism is perhaps the most difficult thing to define at this point in time. That is in large part due to the fact that we are currently still in the movement, political view, or economy (to classify postmodernism as only one of the above is to have already defeated your definition). One of the few things that have been empirically proven is that it indeed focuses on culture. Jameson once argued that postmodernism was a more of a cultural dominant than anything else (Storey, p. 184). This would tend to classify postmodernism as an assimilation of all cultures, with a survival of the fittest effect. Take for example the effects of one culture, regardless of that culture's size, on mass culture ISA's. A battle occurs between the established ISA's and the new subculture ISA's until finally a victor has been declared. Which ever has gained more favor drowns the weaker, and all ISA's of the weaker genre will be discredited. Postmodernism is seen as the cultural dominant of our era, however this has not always been the case. One particular group attempted to attach cultural dominance, or rather cultural understanding, to their already established political body: the Marxists. While the cultural studies that were performed by the Frankfurt School were probably the first studies that ever addressed culture, their findings have not stood the test of time. One of the most important things to understand is that Marxism is generally a political body, while postmodernism is similar to a movement. Marxism has it's own views of culture that were developed through the Frankfurt School, but the movement of postmodernism disregards the Frankfurt school's theories. Postmodernism has in fact taken the...
Postmodern literature contains an authoritative point of view as it expresses the “real” and the “unreal”. The authoritative viewpoint hides within the representation of words and the form of the text. Jean Baudrillard speaks of the masking of view in his essay, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society”, when he says, “This, feigning or dissimilating leaves the reality principle inta...
There are movies that make you laugh, that make you cry, that blow you away with jaw-dropping, ever-so-satisfying action sequences. And there is Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, an homage to the old Pulp Magazines and crime novels popular in the 1950s. Known for their incredibly dense and complex dialogue and excessive violence, Tarantino adds his trademark nonlinear chronology and thorough character development to create a movie that celebrates the fact that chance governs all of our lives. The film consists of multiple stories that tell of the criminals, gangsters and outliers of Los Angeles, the underbelly of society. It follows Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield as they embark on their mission to recovering a briefcase that
Haralambos & Holbron (2004:84) determined that postmodern societies distinguish themselves through four key figures: culturalism, fragmentation, autonomization and resignifcation. Postmodernism theorizes that class is dead due to our consumer culture that allows infinite freedom of choice, taste, lifestyle and fashion; therefore, everyone has the ability to shape themselves and create their own identity. Globalization and media influence has spread the idea of individualism is the key that divides society subsequently provoking no definite class exclusivity—People no longer identify themselves through their social class, occupation or their background, rather they do so through their leisure (realsociology, n.d). Postmodernism encourages the idea that if perceptions are acted upon they can be achieved through a person’s willingness to pursue their personal development and desires (Pakulski & Waters,1996:121:120). Literary critic Frederic Jameson argued from a Marxist perspective that society is divided because despite having a superstructure that is constantly changing (culture and society), there is still an economical base (the relation of productions and exchange) which is what ultimately shapes society (Clark, 2008);
In conclusion it is clear that Tarantino’s film is postmodern, and Jameson’s insightful essay stands in relation to Pulp Fiction much in the same way as a prophecy stands in relation to its fulfilment. The postmodernist Tarantino expresses in a full and technicolour form what Jameson the modernist had only partially understood in the more static arts of painting and architecture.
In the 1950s, authors tended to follow common themes, these themes were summed up in an art called postmodernism. Postmodernism took place after the Cold War, themes changed drastically, and boundaries were broken down. Postmodern authors defined themselves by “avoiding traditional closure of themes or situations” (Postmodernism). Postmodernism tends to play with the mind, and give a new meaning to things, “Postmodern art often makes it a point of demonstrating in an obvious way the instability of meaning (Clayton)”. What makes postmodernism most unique is its unpredictable nature and “think o...
Postmodernism is a vague term that can describe a variety of disciplines that include, architecture, art, music, film, fashion, literature…etc. (Klages). In the case of “Videotape”, postmodern literature would be the main focus or area of study. This type of literature emerged in the era that succeeded World War II and relies heavily on the use of techniques such as, fragmentation, the creation of paradoxes, and questionable protagonists. Furthermore, postmodern literature also exudes ambiguity and critical thinking where the focus is mainly on the reader and his/her experience of the work rather than the content and form. Building upon that, the selected passag...
The postmodern cinema emerged in the 80s and 90s as a powerfully creative force in Hollywood film-making, helping to form the historic convergence of technology, media culture and consumerism. Departing from the modernist cultural tradition grounded in the faith in historical progress, the norms of industrial society and the Enlightenment, the postmodern film is defined by its disjointed narratives, images of chaos, random violence, a dark view of the human state, death of the hero and the emphasis on technique over content. The postmodernist film accomplishes that by acquiring forms and styles from the traditional methods and mixing them together or decorating them. Thus, the postmodern film challenges the “modern” and the modernist cinema along with its inclinations. It also attempts to transform the mainstream conventions of characterization, narrative and suppresses the audience suspension of disbelief. The postmodern cinema often rejects modernist conventions by manipulating and maneuvering with conventions such as space, time and story-telling. Furthermore, it rejects the traditional “grand-narratives” and totalizing forms such as war, history, love and utopian visions of reality. Instead, it is heavily aimed to create constructed fictions and subjective idealisms.
Postmodernism first appeared around the 1980’s, following a hectic and messy period of time. The postmodernist theory that defines a new era describing the world as society is fragmenting, while authority is de-centering, and real truth does not exist; there are only representations of it. Believers of the postmodernist theory, believe that postmodernism is a mixture of present, past, and future, more specifically, the cultural and spatial elements of these different times (Lemert, 2010). The postmodern age is considered the information age, or even, the technological age. Both of these are evident through the changes that have occurred within the typical marriage and family. One of the main emphases of postmodernism is that no real truth exists, demonstrating the grand narrative. The grand narrative states that the “truth” is invented for the sole purpose of selling things. This is clearly shown, in a different manner, in marriages and families in today’s society. No real truth being in existence creates change in the typical marriage and family.
Postmodernism attempts to call into question or challenge the notion of a single absolute unified master narrative without simply replacing it with another. It is a paradoxical, recursive, and problematic method of critique.