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Category: Contexts

Postmodernist Film Theory

An Introduction to Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a complex reaction to paradigm of high modernism, that explored ideas of cultural unity and artistic divide, specifically between high and low forms of art. Postmodernism seeks to break this divide, re-evaluating culture entirely, as well as concepts like ‘subjectivity, meaning, gender, power, discourse, pleasure and language’; in a post-capitalist world, where the dominant economic force is not manufacturing but consumerism, the line between official and popular culture is blurred, as we gain our understanding of the world through media. The postmodernist desires contradiction, fragmentation, and instability in a world no longer moved by war or revolution, and implements this through pastiche: the fusion of different times, periods, and styles of art.

Film Movement Research

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Postmodernism seems an interesting lens through which to approach the comparative piece. I find the concepts of high and low art interesting, as I feel I myself used to categorise things in such a manner, and would be intrigued to explore how blending forms of art could lead to new innovations and interpretations. Additionally, the original Blade Runner is one of my favourite films, and its diegesis and mise-en-scene are fascinating due to its unique fusion of Eastern and Western, as well as science fiction and neo-noir, influences. I imagine I would separate the films through time, analysing a modernist piece, and then study how the postmodern piece strives to ascend beyond it.

Film Movements – La Nouvelle Vague

Ten Significant Film Movements – Research

The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut) – Trailer

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Unfortunately, as interesting as I find the French New Wave, I’m unable to use it in my comparative project due to the fact that I’ve already drawn on it heavily in my Extended Essay, as the notion of auteur is intrinsically linked to the theories of vision and innovation formed during La Nouvelle Vague. To quote from that essay: ‘ (Wes) Anderson clearly draws influence from the directors of the French New Wave, citing them as inspirations in press and even referencing them on screen which raises debates about: firstly, Anderson’s originality; and secondly, whether the director has achieved the status of auteur, a role inspired by the French pioneers and detailed by American film critic Andrew Sarris.’ Ideally, I would have liked to compare a film like ‘The 400 Blows’, one of the most significant coming of age films of all time, to Richard Ayoade’s ‘Submarine’, which he has cited as the first English coming of age film since the 1960’s, and which also prominently features struggles with maternal affection.

Historical Context of The Dark Knight

Sources:

YouTube. 2020. Terrorism, War, and Bush 43: Crash Course US History #46 – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://youtu.be/nlsnnhn3VWE. [Accessed 13 December 2020].

cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com. 2020. Media Magazine – The Ideology of Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. [ONLINE] Available at: https://cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.grammar.sch.gg/dist/8/543/files/2017/11/Batman-1yl5lip.pdf. [Accessed 13 December 2020].

 

Significant Event in Politics / Society Details Relevance to The Dark Knight
2001 Election – Democratic Candidate Al Gore v.s. Republican George W. Bush.  A very close election solidified the Red/Blue divide, as it was extremely close and there was some tense political maneuvering in Florida for Bush to win, with Bush’s brother Jeb influencing the outcome of the result. The uncertainty surrounding the process used to determine the result of the election could tie into the corruption battled throughout the film, and how the authorities in charge cannot be entirely trusted.
September 11th 2001 – 9/11 Attacks.

War on Terror.

Terrorists associated with Al Qaeda crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, or the Twin Towers. The Bush Doctrine – America would go to war with terrorism, giving no bias to country. (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq.) ‘We love freedom, they hate freedom’ – Bush.  The war of terror can serve as a direct comparison to Batman’s crusade for justice within Gotham. However, it could be argued that Bush created the problems he then faced, whereas Batman is fighting a problem that has plagued him since youth.
Intervention in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was ruled by the Taliban who were harbouring Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. America invaded and installed a democratic government. Darker times.
2003 Invasion of Iraq by the U.S.A On the pretence that they were harbouring dangerous weapons that they refused to give up. A democratic government was put in place but eventually it failed. It became a haven for Islamic terrorists, which it wasn’t before the invasion. Darker times.
Patriot Act. It gave the government and law enforcement unprecedented ability to combat domestic terrorism, which allowed spying on Americans without a warrant. Surveillance seen at climax of film – sonar technology.
American Recession Bush’s second term led to a net loss of jobs, and after a number of the Bush administration were indicted for federal crimes, the people lost faith in him as a president. The economy crashed further in 2007-2008, with the near collapse of the American banking system. Darker times.

Pan’s Labyrinth Context Research

In our class we researched the artistic, critical and historical context of Pan’s Labyrinth, and split into pairs to do so. My partner and I were studying the historical aspect, and were tasked with summarising a Britannica article on the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939.

The historical context of Pan’s Labyrinth became crucial to our understanding of the deeper meaning of the film, as Mercedes’ side of the dual narrative is essentially a war/historical fiction movie in of itself, with her aiding the local Republican rebels. As well as this, while sinister on his own, the true fear behind the Pale Man is drawn out when you look at him not just a monster, but as a parallel for fascism in Spain. Vidal’s antagonism is also heightened by his role as a Captain in General Franco’s Nationalist army, as it offers an insight into how he obtained the power and status that he abuses and flaunts throughout the film, and associates him with the evil of that regime.

Additionally, we learnt from the groups studying the artistic context of the film that Pan’s Labyrinth can perhaps be interpreted as a sister-piece to another of Del Toro’s works, The Devil’s Backbone. This allows for intertextual analysis, which could draw comparisons and identify differences between the two films, giving us a better understanding of the director’s intentions in Pan’s Labyrinth and also encouraging the audience to view both of the movies from a new perspective. An example of this intertextual analysis might be that both films use supernatural, fairy-tale elements to investigate and critique political ideas and movements, which supports Del Toro’s idea that ‘the only monsters are humans.’

Finally, the critical context of the Pan’s Labyrinth, while not definitive in determining one’s own opinion of the film, at least gives us an insight into the wider reception of the film at the time, and might indicate how successfully Del Toro conveyed his ideas and perspectives. Therefore, since the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, we can gather that he was successful, and it is worth analysing the film to discover its subtleties and nuances.

 

 

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