Explain how your case studies could be described as being postmodern

Postmodernism is a critical perspective or ideology that emerged in the 1960s as a reaction to the modernist worldview that had existed previously. Although there is much deliberation over how to define the theory, there are a few characteristics that are agreed to make a media text postmodern. These include: intertextuality, a sense of style over substance, incredulity towards metanarratives, pastiche, self-awareness, black humour, irony, relativism. By the 1980s, postmodernism was more than a theory, it had become a condition; even now we live in a postmodern world. The case studies I am defining as postmodern are: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982), Scream (Wes Craven, 1996) and its sequels, Flight of the Conchords (series one episode six, 'Bowie', 2007), Telephone (Jonas Ackerlund, 2010), and Portal (Valve Corporation, 2007).

Blade Runner is a futuristic film noir set in dystopian LA, following Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he kills out of control 'replicants' - beings which look exactly like humans but are in fact manufactured. It has been recognised as a landmark in postmodern cinema due to, amongst other things, its unique bricolage of styles and extensive use of pastiche. For example, Deckard's apartment is constructed of an array of architectural designs and styles that are simultaneously futuristic and historical, and the city of LA has been heavily influenced by Japanese iconography. The film itself is a hybrid of science-fiction and film noir, making it postmodern in its essence. Another feature of postmodernism that is displayed by Blade Runner is the product placement of companies such as Coca-Cola, Atari, Pan Am, and The Bell System that is so overtly seen in the city. The confusion over time and space is also characteristic of postmodernism, as the replicants only live for four years it could be said that they live "a disconnected temporality" (Bruno, 1990) and the film presents the idea of accelerated change and consumption of time. Additionally, the pastiche used and the way in which the dystopian LA is both futuristic and retro creates an ambiguous setting in terms of time. This ambiguity is also present in the character of Deckard as he is never confirmed as either human or replicant. It has been said by Scott that he considered him to be a replicant, but Philip K. Dick, author of the book the film was based on, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and Ford have stated that they both thought of Deckard as a human. Hence it is merely a matter of perspective or interpretation, and this relativist way of thinking is inherent in the postmodern ideology.

The trend of postmodern film was still present in the 1990s, though it had a different twist. '90s postmodernism is perhaps best depicted in Scream, which is a pastiche of the slasher movie genre. The film became a franchise with the release of three sequels, the most recent of which being released in 2011. All four Scream films can be considered postmodern due to the theme of self-referentiality. For example, the very concept of the films acknowledges the fact that the audience have seen - and thus know the conventions of - horror movies such as Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) and Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978). By doing this the films are inviting the audience to comment on the predictability of the genre; in Scream 4 a character even comments on how the postmodern pastiche of the slasher movie has been done before, and there are films released within the films that are based on the storyline of the 'real life' Woodsboro murders. Perhaps one of the most self-reflective parts of the film is the character of Randy (Jamie Kennedy), a horror film enthusiast who is obsessed with the 'rules' of surviving a horror movie. His explanation of these - do not answer the phone, do not have sex, do not leave the room stating "I'll be right back" - whilst watching Halloween also links to another postmodern element: intertextuality. This is enforced by the trivia questions that Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) must answer whilst being tortured by the killer 'Ghostface', during which she says of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, "the first one was good and the rest sucked," an opinion which is ironically held by many regarding the Scream films. Some other examples of pastiche of horror conventions in the saga include: iconography od knives and masks, the concept of the 'final girl' (the stereotypical, usually virginal - though not in Scream - who survives at the end of a horror film), the isolated houses and settings, the equilibrium-disruption-new equilibrium narrative structure of Todorov, and the use of teenage characters.

As we live in a postmodern condition, elements of the theory are still saturated  in the media today, and not just in films. Flight of the Conchords is a sitcom television series created by HBO that follows the lives of real-life band 'Flight of the Conchords', Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, who play fictionalised versions of themselves called Bret McClegnie and Jemaine Clemaine. This is in itself postmodern as it is an example of self-referencing and the blurring of boundaries between what is real and what is fake - what Jean Baudrillard called 'hyperreality'. The characters also use direct address when they break into song or perform music videos, breaking 'the fourth wall'. Specifically the episode 'Bowie' (series one, episode six) is a perfect example of postmodernism existing today. In it Bret is visited by visions of 'David Bowie' (who is actually Jemaine dressed as David Bowie) offering him advice on his image issues. This also exhibits self-referentiality as Bret refers to 'David Bowie' as 'Jemaine'. In addition this obviously presents the postmodern theme of surrealism, which can also be seen through the 'cut-and-paste' style animation of the opening sequence where everyday objects such as mugs dance to the theme tune; the music video sequences interspersed with standard sitcom humour; the hybrid of genres that the show consists of (comedy, structured reality, musical series). This bizarre surrealist style of comedy links to the concept of 'style over substance', another postmodern ideal, as there is a heavy focus on the visual style of the programme rather than the plot lines, which remain simple. For example in 'Bowie', the narrative is simply that Bret loses confidence but regains it when David Bowie visits him in a dream and the band win a deal with a musical card company. However, what the episode may lack in plot lines it makes up for in the eccentric dream sequences and music video 'Bowie's in Space'. Flight displays pastiche as some episodes are based on specific musical styles or celebrities, in this case David Bowie.

Bret McKenzie's postmodern style of humour can also be seen in the 2011 film The Muppets, starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, for which he was music supervisor and writer of some of the songs, including the Academy Award-winning 'Man or Muppet'. Elements of postmodernism in The Muppets include pastiche of musical genres (as seen in 'Man or Muppet'), style over substance, recycling of old ideas, extensive self referencing and ironic sense of humour (such as the Muppets tribute band called 'The Moopets', which features legendary musician Dave Grohl as Animal, the drummer).

Another example of recent postmodern media could be the work of Lady Gaga, especially her music videos for 'Marry the Night' (2012) and 'Telephone'. For example, there is extensive use of pastiche and intertextuality, particularly to the films of Quentin Tarantino, e.g. the 'Pussy Wagon' is taken directly from Tarantino's Kill Bill franchise (2003, 2004), the red and yellow font used at the beginning of the video is remiscent of that of Jackie Brown (1997), the use of the nickname 'Honey Bee' links to the character of 'Honey Bunny' in Pulp Fiction (1994). Gaga also pastiches Michael Jackson through her shuffle dance when she escapes from prison, Wonder Woman through Beyonce's outfit, and Madonna because of her hair/make-up style at the beginning of the video. 'Telephone' also displays the postmodern condition due to the concept of consumerism and regular product placement of, amongst others, Virgin Mobile, Wonderbread, HeartBeats headphones, Chevrolet and Diet Coke. This product placement also serves as an example of self-referencing as HeartBeats are one of Gaga's merchandise items and the product placement in general gives the video a sense of self-awareness. This is enforced by the way in which she addresses the hermaphrodite rumours that were in the press at the time, the continuing narrative from 'Paparazzi', and the similar costume choices to 'Paparazzi', e.g. the Mickey Mouse sunglasses that Beyonce wears in the diner scene. Another postmodern element to this video is the appropriation of an identity-based struggle, in this case feminism. It could be argued that Gaga, Beyonce, and the female dancers are objectified as they all wear revealing outfits, there are at times close-up shots of just Beyonce's cleavage, and overall it is implied that women need to be beautiful and image-conscious due to the many costume and make-up changes. However, it could also be argued that by placing herself in an entirely female world she is empowering women and subverting the male gaze. Overall 'Telephone' suggests an incredulity towards metanarratives because, although it does consist of a sequence of events, it is difficult to find a modernist moral or message amongst the pop culture references, product placement and 'style over substance'.

Another medium which usually utilises the postmodern theory is the video game. Because of the change in relationship between the text and the audience, all video games are generically postmodern. A perfect example of a postmodern video game is Portal - and its sequel Portal 2 - which both display many of the aforementioned postmodern characteristics. It is self-referential because it draws attention to the fact that essentially all video games with a narrative boil down to taking orders from somebody else to achieve a goal. Moreover, at the end of the Portal, it overtly acknowledges that the audience only cares about "beating" the game and not the fate of the protagonist, as the player can complete the game but Chell, the protagonist, does not win, and GLaDOS, the antagonist, sings about how she is definitely still alive. Portal 2 is especially postmodern because of the use of bricolage and pastiche which are reminiscent of Blade Runner; it too is both futuristic and retro because although it is set in a futuristic science centre, it has become decayed and is overcom by nature. Hence they share the dystopian future setting. Both games can be described as postmodern due to their dark, tongue-in-cheek humour which implies a sense of self-awareness; it is a video game that knows it is only a video game. The first game even spawned the internet meme "the cake is a lie", as Chell is constantly promised cake when she finishes the tasks, and the addition of the character of Wheatley (Stephen Merchant) supplies the second game with even more sarcastic jokes.

Although it has been argued that the postmodern movement has come to an end, I believe that the above examples reflect that even today, we live in a postmodern world. The postmodern condition is inherent to contemporary media and because of the digital revolution, the future looks to be even more postmodern, with audiences gaining more control over what media is being produced. Furthermore, with the introduction of augmented reality and structured reality' TV programmes such as The Hills, The Only Way Is Essex, and Made In Chelsea, the boundaries between reality and hyperreality are blended even further.

Flash Cards Vlog

Analysis of Music Video

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords'

Postmodern Pot Luck Peer Assessment

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to the concept of audience

            In terms of constructing a media text – in the case of my A2 coursework, a music video – considering audience is essential. When creating my music video for the song ‘Short Skirt Long Jacket’ by Cake, I thought extensively about the kind of people I was appealing to and how I would do this. The target audience for my video is mainly heterosexual males ages 16-25, due to the fact that all my models are girls that fall into this same age category, and the lyrics of the song describe an ideal woman. Throughout the process of making my music video, I asked members of my target audience to look at my ideas and work and give me feedback so that I could ensure that it was specifically tailored to the wants and needs of my audience. I did this through polls on my blog and regular feedback forms.

 We can apply Bulmer and Katz’ Uses and Gratifications theory to my music video, which has four reasons as to why audiences consume media texts: entertainment, which is for the purposes of escapism and diversion; surveillance, which is for the purpose of obtaining information; personal identity, which suggests that the audience relate to the characters and situations; personal relationships, which suggests that the audience look to the media text as a way of connecting with those around them. We can deduce that the audience would use my music video for primarily entertainment, as part of the purpose of music videos is pleasure, and also possibly personal relationships, as music videos are often talked about as much as television programmes or films, particularly those that are especially controversial, provocative, or innovative. However, the other two points of the theory – personal identity and information – do not really apply to music videos necessarily, although it could be argued that some female viewers may see the models in my video in an aspirational sense.

            Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze can be applied to my music video as I used close-ups of the models’ eyes, lips, legs, and hair which act to eroticise and sexualise them. Mulvey identified two types of the male gaze: ‘voyeuristic’ and ‘fetishistic’. Voyeurism refers to seeing women as ‘whores’, whilst fetishism refers to seeing women as ‘madonnas’. My music video conforms more to the fetishistic interpretation of the male gaze as the lyrics of the song mean that the models are seen as fantasies and admired, rather than objectified.

            Another way of looking at how audiences consume media is reception theory, which is based on Stuart Hall’s encoding model. It argues that producers encode meaning into a media text and audience then in turn decode it. When creating my music video, I encoded meaning in many ways. For example, I shot the entire video in extreme close-up and used many different models so that the ideal woman that the song is about is never shown in full. This ensured that the audience saw her as a fantasy, and that she was represented as an unachievable perfect woman that is more an amalgamation of many different women rather than one real-life person. I used iconic signifiers of femininity to connect with the audience, for example: red lipstick, long eyelashes, jewellery, high heels, short skirts, lace, etc. This made sure the audience saw the models as beautiful and links to attracting a male audience and Mulvey’s concept of seeing women as ‘madonnas’. Although it could be argued that my music video conforms to the stereotype of women due to the way that the models are dressed and made-up and additionally some of the props that are used – for example a blender, typical domestic kitchenware that links directly to the traditional feminine role – it could also be said that there are aspects of both the lyrics and the accompanying video that contrast with this image. For example, I have one shot of a girl playing with model cars as the lyrics are, “she’s changing her MG for white Chrysler Le Baron”, which contradicts the stereotype of women.

            To conclude, I created my music video with a specific audience in mind, and ensured that they would be attracted to, understand and enjoy my music video through the process of research and feedback.

Postmodern Pot Luck: Scream

Postmodernism in 'Scream' on Prezi

(unfinished)

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' Prezi

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' on Prezi

'Bowie's in Space' - Flight of the Conchords

This is the song 'Bowie's in Space' taken from the episode 'Bowie' (series one episode six) of Flight of the Conchords, as referenced in the below essay

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' Essay

Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that premiered in 2007, though it began as a radio show two years earlier. It follows the attempts of the band Flight of the Conchords – “New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy-folk-duo" – to make it New York City. The band exist in real-life and the show features much of their award-winning music, with the characters Bret McClegnie and Jemaine Clemaine played by Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The rest of the main cast is made up of the band’s hopeless but enthusiastic manager Murray (Rhys Darby), their sole fan and stalker Mel (Kristen Schaal) and their best friend Dave (Arj Barker). The show was critically acclaimed and ran for two series but in 2009 the writers, directors and performers McKenzie and Clement announced that it would not be returning for a third series.

            One of the main ways in which Flight of the Conchords can be seen as postmodern is its sense of surrealism. Whilst the characters’ lives are relatively mundane and ordinary, the show contrasts this with bizarre surrealist comedy. From the opening sequence the sense of bizarre is established by the cut-and-paste animation and the use of animation of ordinary inanimate objects, such as dancing salt and pepper pots, trees, park benches, and mugs. This is enforced further by the mix of standard sitcom style and music video sequences used when the characters spontaneously break into song. For example, at the end of ‘Bowie’ (series one, episode six), Bret and Jemaine perform a song in the style of David Bowie accompanied by a music video set in space. Additionally throughout the episode Bret is plagued by vivid dreams where David Bowie (played by Jemaine Clement) visits him with bizarre advice: “oh the media monkeys and their junkie-junkies will invite you to the plastic pantomime, throw their invites away!” and “get an eyepatch, man.” The show can further be seen as a mix of styles through the hybrid of genres it falls into: it is at once comedy, structured reality, musical series, etc. The overt surrealism and contrast in styles are characteristic of postmodern media.

            Another way the text features postmodern themes is through self-referentiality. This is most obvious in the fact that the band in the TV show exist in real life, and Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement play these fictionalised versions of themselves. Moreover within the music video scenes of the show, the characters use direct address when talking to the camera, something which can also be seen in the ‘Bowie’s in Space’ song from the episode ‘Bowie’. In fact when David Bowie – who is actually just Jemaine in a Bowie costume – first appears to Bret in a dream, there is more self-referencing evident in his reaction: “Bret: Jemaine? What are you doing? / ‘David Bowie’: It’s not Jemaine. It’s 1972 David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust tour. / Bret: Wow. You look a lot like Jemaine.” This comment, along with the tongue-in-cheek comedy and music video scenes, create a sense of self-awareness that runs through both series of the show.

            As well as referencing themselves, the characters often make references to other media, with episodes sometimes focusing on one particular celebrity or style of music, for example the references to Yoko Ono through the character of Coco in ‘Yoko’ (series one episode four), Daft Punk in ‘Sally’ (series one episode one), the rap/hip-hop style of music in ‘Mugged’ (series one episode three). This use of pastiche also connotes the idea of celebrity culture, which is further evoked in the character of Mel, who although married follows Bret and Jemaine regularly and sometimes describes sexual fantasies involving the two of them. The adoption of different musical styles from episode to episode allows the band to play with the conventions of different musical genres, which is another feature of postmodern texts. For example, in the episode ‘Sally’, Jemaine sings the song ‘The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)’, which parodies love songs by taking a more realistic approach to the lyrics: “you’re so beautiful, you could be a part-time model... but you’d probably still have to keep your normal job,” describing Sally as “the most beautiful girl I have ever seen with a kebab.” Throughout the episode ‘Bowie’, both Bret and Jemaine make references to different points in David Bowie’s career, including: Jemaine appearing as “1972 David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust tour”, “1982 David Bowie from the music video Ashes to Ashes”, and “1986 David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth”; the Space Oddity style video and lyrics to ‘Bowie’s in Space’; the mention of Changes in ‘Bowie’s in Space’ when Bret says, “hey Bowie, do you have one really funky sequined spacesuit or do you have several ch-changes?”

The pastiche used also suggests more of a concern for style than substance, which is reflected in the simple plot lines of the show. For example in ‘Bowie’, Bret becomes image conscious after a band photoshoot, but gains his confidence in time to mess up an interview for a musical greetings card. Although the narrative may not be complex, the visual style of the episode, particularly the dream sequences and music video scene, are where most of the focus is. Furthermore the fact that Bret becomes so concerned with the way he looks also conforms with the ‘style over substance’ aspect of postmodernism, and this is a theme which reoccurs throughout the programme: in ‘Bret Gives Up the Dream’ (series one episode two) the band are upstaged by a flashier Australian stall at a gig at a travel expo; the band try to get a rockstar image in both ‘What Goes on Tour’ (series one episode nine) and ‘New Fans’ (series one episode ten); they become addicted to hair gel when trying to look cool in ‘New Zealand Town’ (series two episode eight).

            The comedy in Flight of the Conchords overall is very dry and tongue-in-cheek, with parts that could be interpreted as ironic, such as the mocking of the band’s homeland New Zealand through the posters in Murray’s office, and Australian stereotypes in the episode ‘Unnatural Love’ (series two episode five). This ironic, playful sense of humour conforms to the style of comedy usually associated with postmodern media. Additionally it has some elements of dark humour, which is characteristic of postmodernism. For example, in ‘Bowie’, when Bret becomes body conscious, Jemaine and Murray both repeatedly insist that he is bulimic much to Bret’s annoyance, and at the end of the episode when Bret has apparently resolved his issues, he gives his biscuit to Jemaine, stating “yeah, help yourself – I’m not eating anymore, I’m a bit too fat”. As well as this, in the episode ‘Drive By’, the band watch a cartoon featuring ‘Albi the Racist Dragon’. This lighthearted approach to serious issues such as eating disorders and racism could be interpreted as offensive, but like postmodernism the intention is to be playful and provocative.

            To conclude, although it may not display every aspect of the theory, there are many conventions of postmodernism to be found throughout both series of Flight of the Conchords, with most exhibited in the episode ‘Bowie’. These features include surrealism, pastiche, parody, self-referentiality, intertextuality, ironic/black humour, and playfulness.

Exam Questions Prezi

Exam Questions on Prezi

This is the prezi that I featured in the video below, which covers questions 1a and b from the exam

My Story of Production

A video of the 'story of production' of my AS and A2 work, in terms of question 1a of the exam

Postmodernism in Lady Gaga’s 'Telephone' and Tom Tykwer’s 'Run Lola Run'

            Due to the often contradictory, very broad definition of the word, there are many things which allow a text to be described as postmodern. Both Lady Gaga’s music video for the song Telephone (Jonas Åkerlund, 2010) and German crime thriller Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer, 1998) exhibit many of the features of a postmodern text.

One way in which Lady Gaga’s Telephone music video could be interpreted as postmodern is through the use of self-referencing. The video continues the narrative from Gaga’s last video for Paparazzi, which shows a sense of self-awareness. Additionally the costume choices, particularly Beyonce’s glasses in the diner scene, and the use of the same director and visual style make a clear link to the Paparazzi video. Gaga also self-references by addressing the then-recent hermaphrodite rumours in the press by conforming in several ways to the stereotypical view of masculinity. Another aspect of the video that could be self-referencing is the repeated product placement of Diet Coke, Chevrolet, Wonderbread, Virgin Mobile, and Gaga’s own HeartBeats. The way in which this placement is done is not intended to be humorous, but rather to connote the theme of consumerism, which is also another important element of postmodernism.

            Run Lola Run can be seen as postmodern due to the style of the film; it looks distinctly like a video game. Critic Roger Ebert said Lola is “like the avatar in a video game – Lara Croft made flesh,” which is shown through her eccentric unmatching outfit and vivid red hair. As well as this, the pressure of the time limit throughout the film is reminiscent of a video game, where the player must complete a certain task in a restricted amount of time – in this case, gaining 100,000 marks in 20 minutes. The narrative is also reflective of a video game, due to the way in which Lola and Manni come back to life, giving Lola a chance to ‘try the level again’ in the second and third run.

            A technique which both Telephone and Run Lola Run employ is intertextual referencing, which is another aspect of postmodernism. Telephone makes references to many things, using Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s ‘Thelma and Louise’ style relationship, Beyonce’s Wonder Woman-esque costume, the American flag outfits in the dance sequence, the imitation of Michael Jackson’s trademark shuffle as Gaga breaks out from prison, and the Madonna-style look she uses at the start of the video. However, the most commonly referenced texts in the video are those of director Quentin Tarantino: the use of the ‘Pussy Wagon’ truck, as loaned by Tarantino, is a direct reference to Kill Bill; by using the nickname ‘Honey Bee’, Gaga connotes the character of ‘Honey Bunny’ in Pulp Fiction; the red and yellow font used for the titles is reminiscent of the titles from Jackie Brown. Alternatively, Run Lola Run uses intertextual referencing through the ‘Spiral’ bar behind Manni when he is in the phonebox, the spiral staircase that Lola runs down three times, and the painting in the background of the casino, as they are all references to Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

            Run Lola Run can be interpreted as postmodern again as it avoids realism and uses the concept of ‘hyperreality’ instead. Overall the film is very surreal, for example: the way in which Lola and Manni come back to life; the fact that her ‘father’ the bank manager admits to not being her birth father and it is revealed that the security guard actually is; the casino scene in the last run where she wins 100,000 marks. Additionally, the frequent switching from live action to cartoon animation and back again create a sense of detachment from reality. Telephone also presents a sense of incredulity towards metanarratives because, although the video does consist of a sequence of events, it is difficult to find an overall message to it, mostly due to the constant pop-culture references and produced placement interspersed in the storyline, which leave little else. This all-surface, no-substance approach to a text is in itself very postmodern, and is something which is also present in Run Lola Run: the storyline for the film is very basic and it does not claim to present a moral message, it is more about the pure fun of it.

            Another postmodern aspect of Telephone is appropriation of an identity-based struggle or feminism. In some ways, the video could be criticised for objectifying women, because of the revealing outfits worn by many of the female dancers and both Gaga and Beyonce throughout, the use of a close-up solely of Beyonce’s cleavage, and the representation of women as needing to be beautiful and image-conscious due to Gaga’s many costume changes and extravagant make-up. On the other hand, by placing herself in an entirely female world, it could be argued that she is empowering women and turning the ‘male gaze’ back on the men, opposing the idea of women as objects.

            Run Lola Run can also be seen as an example of a postmodern text because it uses The Chaos Theory or The Butterfly Effect, as well as the scepticism towards metanarratives. This can be seen when minor characters are given their own small sped-up narratives, which change when Lola does something different in the different runs (an example of The Butterfly Effect), for example the man on the stolen bike can become happily married or a homeless man. Additionally the narrative itself is an example of this as it has three different endings, due to the three different runs and sequences of events.

            To conclude, although it could be argued that almost any text can be described as postmodern because the definition of the theory itself is so vague, both Telephone and Run Lola Run are excellent examples of postmodern texts as they present many of the core concepts and ideas behind postmodernism.

Postmodernity in 'Run Lola Run'

Umm this was supposed to go on mine and Meg's Run Lola Run prezi but the file was too large, so I just made sure all the information was on the prezi itself and then thought I'd put the video on here instead :)

'Run Lola Run' Research

Run Lola Run (German: Lola rennt, literally Lola Runs) is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreuas Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life. 

The film begins with Lola (Franka Potente) receiving a phone call from her distraught boyfriend, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). He is a small-time criminal and has lost 100,000 marks belonging to his crime boss by accidentally leaving it on a train (Lola was supposed to pick him up, but her moped was stolen while she was buying cigarettes). After the doors of the train closed, he saw a homeless man pick up the bag of money but he was unable to get back onto the train before it left the station. Upon not seeing any trace of his money or the homeless man at the next station, Manni assumes the money is long gone.

Manni has to get the money within 20 minutes before his boss finds out, and plans to rob a nearby supermarket. Lola urges him to wait and tells him she will sort out the money. She decides to ask her father (Herbert Knaup), who is a bank manager.

The main part of the film is divided in three "runs". Each run starts from the same situation but develops differently and has a different outcome. Each run contains various flash-forward sequences, showing how the lives of the people that Lola bumps into develop after the encounter. In each run, those people are affected in different ways.

The film was nominated for 41 awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language. It won 26. These included the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Best Film at the Seattle International Film Festival, and seven separate wins at the German Film Awards.

As of September 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 92% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 79 reviews. On Metacritic, another review aggregator, the film had an average score of 77 out of 100, based on 29 reviews, stating the film as having "generally favourable reviews". The Internet Movie Database, IMDb, shows Run Lola Run as having earned 8 out of 10.

Modernism vs. Postmodernism

Postmodernism: A Very Succinct Definition

I found this whilst looking for some ways of defining postmodernism, and I thought it was the shortest description yet. Thank you, Moe from The Simpsons.

Fredric Jameson Speech

What are the arguments for saying that a text is postmodern or not?

             Postmodernism is a way of grouping styles of thought – and texts that present these styles – by offering a method of both constructing and deconstructing ideas, obscuring the sense of reality and playing with modernist conventions. Due to the somewhat vague and often contradictory nature of the definition of the word ‘postmodern’, one could argue that almost any text can be described as postmodern if viewed in the right way. However, there are certain characteristics that are vital in making a text postmodern, and there are also many things that mean a text cannot be described in that way.

            One argument for describing a text as postmodern is if it is self-referential or self-conscious. Postmodern texts often deliberately almost ‘make fun’ of themselves by exhibiting the fact that it is aware that it is a text, whilst modernist texts, or simply those that are not postmodern, tend to take themselves more seriously and not make references or self-parodies. For example, Lady Gaga’s music video for ‘Telephone’ can be described as postmodern as it is often self-referential: it makes references to her previous video for ‘Paparazzi’ by using similar costume choices, especially Beyonce’s glasses in the diner scene, and continuing the narrative; it makes blatant use of product placement, especially of Gaga’s own product HeartBeats; it addresses the haemaphrodite rumours about Gaga in the press. Another way that a text can be self-referential is by having the characters break the fourth wall and show that they are aware that they are in a text and that there is a world outside of it. For example, the characters Peter and Paul in the film Funny Games US often do this, such as when Paul turns to the camera and says, “You want a real ending, right, with plausible plot development, don’t you?”

Another argument for saying that a text is postmodern is through the use of pastiche and intertextual references, and the recycling of genres and styles. This means that unlike modernist ones, postmodern texts play with conventions and reverse the audience’s expectations. For example, Quentin Tarantino often uses pastiche in his films, e.g. in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, which makes constant homage to various different films and TV programmes and creates a heavy sense of nostalgia. As scholar Estella Tincknell says, the “diner setting seems to be a simulacrum of a 'fifties' restaurant...the twist contest is a musical sequence which evokes 'the sixties,' while Travolta's dance performance inevitably references 'the seventies' and his appearance in Saturday Night Fever.... The 'past' thus becomes a more general 'pastness' in which the stylistic signifiers of various decades are loaded in to a single moment." The postmodern theorist Fredric Jameson said that postmodern texts are “concerned with all surface, no substance,” which can certainly be applied to Pulp Fiction as it has been so heavily stylised and is very retro in its style.

Pulp Fiction in particular can also be described as a postmodernist text due to its incredulity towards metanarratives and the way in which the storyline of the film is made up of many smaller ones. Whilst conventional modernist texts tend to conform to the idea of metanarratives, meaning that the world is going somewhere and these stories do mean something, postmodernist texts oppose this, stating that there can be no great theories or ideas. Hence, rather than having one main simple storyline, Pulp Fiction makes use of different characters and creates many, seemingly unrelated, storylines until eventually they become intertwined. Whilst modernist films may traditionally follow an episodic narrative, postmodern ones such as Pulp Fiction often have a non-linear narrative, meaning plot events may not appear in chronological order, with the end at the beginning and the beginning at the end.

Arguably one of the simplest ways to say that a text is postmodern or not is through its humour. Postmodern texts are darkly funny, using black humour and irony extensively. An example of a black comedy film is Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, which satirised a nuclear scare. Rather than treating the subject of nuclear warfare with typical sensitivity, this film twists it into something funny. This links to a perverse sense of morality, something which is also commonly found in postmodern texts. Rather than conforming to the audience’s expectations and moral beliefs about nuclear warfare being wrong, the film toys with the idea of morality. Moreover, whilst modernist texts tend to show a very absolutist view of morality, meeting the audience’s expectations of what is right and wrong, postmodern texts often promote the idea of moral relativism, which suggests that morals can vary immensely, and that there is no objective truth as to what is right and wrong. Hence, postmodern texts show different viewpoints and perspectives rather than having a strong bias.

            Due to this warped sense of morality, often the heroes of postmodern texts are very different to the conventional heroes of modernist texts. Rather than presenting qualities that the audience considers as typically heroic or noble, postmodern characters are often anti-heroes. This means that they are flawed or unconventional, and sometimes not even likeable at all. A perfect example of an anti-hero is Alex DeLarge from Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, based on the book of the same name by Anthony Burgess. In both book and film, Alex is a perverted young man that performs horrific acts of rape, murder, and “ultraviolence”, showing no remorse. Despite this, he is still the main focus of the narrative and often the audience are at times even encouraged to sympathise with him. These kinds of protagonists are yet another example of the postmodernist sense of humour and irony.

            In conclusion, there are several ways that one could argue that a text is postmodern or not, as there are many aspects of postmodernism that set it apart from the conventions of modernism. What underpins the entire postmodernist theory is the ability to recycle old ideas and make fun of not only others, but also itself. Without this sense of irony and satire, a text can hardly be described as postmodern.

Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video: A Postmodern Reading

There are several ways that the video for Lady Gaga's 2010 song 'Telephone' feat. Beyonce could be interpreted as postmodern...

Pastiche and intertextual references: References to Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' franchise by using the very same truck, the 'Pussy Wagon'; 'Pulp Fiction' through the use of the nickname 'Honey Bee', like 'Honey Bunny' is used in the film; the red and yellow font used is similar to that of 'Jackie Brown'; Gaga and Beyonce's 'Thelma and Louise' style relationship; Beyonce's Wonder Woman-esque outfit; the American flag outfits in the dance routine; imitation of Michael Jackson's shuffle as Gaga breaks out from jail; the Madonna-style look in the beginning of the video.

Consumerism: There is obvious product placement throughout, though it is not done in a humorous way. These include Virgin Mobile, HeartBeats, Chevrolet, Wonderbread, and Diet Coke.

Self-reference: Gaga shows self-awareness through not only the above product placement, but also by addressing the then-recent hermaphrodite rumours in the media, and by referring to her previous video for Paparazzi through the continuing narrative and similar costume choices, especially Beyonce's glasses in the diner scene.

Appropriation of identity-based struggle/Feminism: One the one hand, this video could be criticised as objectifying women, because of the revealing outfits worn by many of the females throughout, the use of close-ups solely on Beyonce's cleavage, the representation of women as needing to be beautiful and image-conscious due to Gaga's many costume changes and extravagant make-up, etc. However, by placing herself in an entirely female world, it could be argued that Gaga is empowering women and opposing the idea of the 'male gaze': "Lady Gaga is interesting for turning the male gaze back on men, and for portraying women as subjects rather than objects in her videos (albeit still scantily-clad subjects)."

Incredulity towards metanarratives: Although the video does consist of a sequence of events, it is difficult to find an overall message to it, mostly due to the many pop culture references and product placement interspersed with the storyline, which leaves little else.