Post-modern theory application

- Film clips and music videos

Post-modernism in ‘Inception’• METANARRATIVE – MISE-EN-ABYME – HALL-OF-MIRRORS• In the film Inception the idea of a dream-in-a-dream-in-a-dream premise takes place

throughout the film. This idea of complexity with the paradox gives that sense of illusion which associates with post-modernism. The film also has Escher-like architecture explanations. In the film it discusses the art of the mind in so much detail that it appears more to be like a University lecture in the film, more of an education rather than a story at times, eg: The streets fold on itself symmetrically.

• ARTIFICE• There is a great consistency in the film that emphasise the view of the artifice of the

premise. This magic realism aims to take you deliberately out of full involvement in the fictional narrative. A great deal of complexity of the premise with the theme throughout the whole idea. The film fabricates different ideas from an individual into someone’s mind, this concept also has the ability to extract the person’s deepest thoughts and secrets.

• SIMULATION• The actress Ellen Page (Ariadne) is the architect in the film, she excites reality in the sub-

conscious dream-world.

• INTERTEXUALITY• Reverence to La Jetee in a scene where the patients are attached to wires which allows

them to enter into the dream-world, the idea of Edith Piaf track consistently being played ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ evokes the idea of each post-modern event.

• SEMIOTICS• The idea of the totem as an object to symbolise for reality/ dream divide. In the film they

can distinguish if they are in the real world or not if gravity acts to stop the totem moving.

Post-modernism in ‘The Matrix’• SIMULACRA• A key link with ‘The Matrix’ has been made with Baudrillard’s theory.

• SIMULATION• The ‘Blue Pill or Red Pill’ stimulates the disconnection between the real and imagined, the scene evokes how society is fixated. The two

possible choices Neo (Keanu Reeves) has demonstrates how media has overpowered each individual and that reality has collapsed due to how reliant we are to modern day media and technology.

• ‘TRUTH’ IS MERELY A CONCEPT• In postmodernism there is no definite answer between right or wrong, merely interpretations . This defines that truth is getting harder to

outline. The idea that Neo has a choice whether to take the blue pill or the red pill states that there isn't a definite explanation of truth but for him to only decide which pill to take to explore a particular type of concept.

Post-modernism in ‘UNKLE – Rabbit In Your Headlights’

• ALIENATION/MAGIC REALISM• Throughout the music video the fact that the

male character stays alive every time he gets hit by a vehicle seems very absurd and unrealistic. A car is coming his way and makes no intention of stopping, the car hits the man, but this time he stands unmoved, and the car is destroyed upon impact.

• SUBVERSION• The idea to overthrow or destroy the males

character ‘s negative emotional consciousness's. This rebellious convention in displaying visual alternatives in the music video shows how their aim is to not conform and go along with the crowd. This is typically related to music directors who are in the punk, rock genres.

• BRICOLAGE• The uniqueness of merging two cultures can

change the meaning. In this music video near the end the man (Actor: Denis Lavant) has a Crucifix posture allusion to Jesus, this seems very Christ like which induces that he becomes a man of superior power and importance as an individual.

Post-modernism in ‘Justin Bieber – Where Are You Now’

• SIMULATION • The contrast between reality and fantasy is evident in Justin’s music video through the use of Photo Shop imagery as the fabrication of drawings are

overlapped upon one another. It is believed reality is defined by visual sources and representations which is clearly open in Justin’s music video through individual drawings.

• BRICOLAGE• Justin Bieber’s music video has merged many cultures together which resulted a new postmodern outlook. A combination of mainstream pop, street art

culture, hip hop sub culture and dubstep has been compressed together. • CULTURE EATS ITSELF• HIERACHIES OF TASTE• SELF-CONSCIOUS• DECONSTRUCTION• Metaphorically using a jigsaw, instead of putting the pieces together, taking them apart to the point of abstraction is the aim in postmodernism,

especially the way Justin Bieber is presented with the graphitised drawings.