SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY
SHREK & POST MODERNITY

POST-MODERNISM (1870-2009)
AFTER MODERNITY/MODERNISM
HEAVILY SELF-REFERENTIAL & IRONIC(PARODY &
PASTICHE)
INTERTEXTUALITY
SIMULACRA (BAUDRILLARD)- THE REAL AS SEMBLANCE
OF REALITY (E.G. A THEME PARK)
HYPER-REAL (DELIBERATE BLURRING OF BOUNDARY
BETWEEN FANTASY & REALITY)
SURFACE DEPTHLESSNESS/SUPERFICIALITY
(FEATHERSTONE)

POST-MODERNISM
TEMPORAL DISTORTION (NON-LINEAR NARRATIVES)
ABSENCE OF INNOVATION...THE REPETITION OF POPULAR
CULTURE AS A CAPITALIST MODEL AIMED AT THE
GULLIBLE (ADORNO & HORKENHEIMER)
CHAOS & PARANOIA...ABSENCE OF BINARY OPPOSITES OF
GOOD AND EVIL

OPENING SCENE
IS THE STORY BOOK & PLOT (ORDERING OF THE STORY)
CONVENTIONAL OF FAIRY TALES? (PROPP/FABLES)
IS THE RIPPING OF THE PAGE BY SHREK ACTUALLY
CHALLENGING CONVENTION OR SELF REFERENTIAL OR
BOTH? NOTE HOW THE OMNISCIENT NARRATOR IS
WITHHELD FROM THE AUDIENCE, AFTER DREAMWORKS
ALREADY MADE THE PROMISE (OF A NARRATOR) IN THE
OPENING MINUTE OR SO OF THE FILM. DIRECT MODE OF
ADDRESS RESUMES AFTER 1HR 20MINS.
HOW DOES THE CHOICE OF AN OGRE CHALLENGE
CONVENTION?

3:25- ATTACK ON THE OGRE
HOW IS GOOD AND EVIL ESTABLISHED?
TO WHAT EXTENT IS PASTICHE (BORROWING FROM
SEVERAL EXISTING SOURCES) USED?
SELF-REFERENTIAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN GIANTS AND
OGRES? (THE CONVENTIONS ARE PRESENTED TO US,
ALMOST AS A LIST...MAYBE PETER GREEN AWAY
DIRECTED THE FILM?)
‘THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU RUN AWAY.’

WANTED: FAIRYTALE CREATURES
(5MINS & 14MINS)
PASTICHE- MANY UNORIGINAL SOURCES BEING PLACED
WITHIN A NEW CONTEXT...DOES THIS MAKE THE FILM
ORIGINAL?
PINOCHIO ETC...THE JOKE IS ONLY RELEVANT IF THE
INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCE IS UNDERSTOOD.

PROPP- REWORKED (8MINS)
HERO AND HELPER (THE IDEA OF A HERO WHO RESISTS
THIS ROLE IS NOTHING NEW...CAN YOU THINK OF ANY
EXAMPLES?)
‘BUTT-GAS,’ POO JOKES ETC- DELIBERATE SENSE OF
IRREVERENCE TO APPEAL TO TEEN AUDIENCE
ANIMATION BY ITS VERY NATURE IS HYPER-REAL? WHY?
‘BLOODNUT THE FLATULENT.’ (45MINS)

IS SHREK BAD FOR KIDS? (DAVID
DENBY)
IF WE AGREE (FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT) THAT
SHREK DOES CHALLENGE EXISTING CONVENTION. IS IT
BAD TO INTRODUCE KIDS TO CONFUSING PARADIGMS
BEFORE THEY UNDERSTOOD THE NORM?
IS THE HUMOUR IN SHREK ACTUALLY AIMED MORE AT
THE PARENTS GIVEN THAT MANY OF THE KIDS WILL NOT
UNDERSTAND THE DISNEY RELATED CONVENTIONS
WHICH FORM PART OF THE PARODY.

17MINS- ‘MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE
WALL’
IMPORTANCE OF NARCISSISM
USE OF ‘BLIND DATE’ INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCE & POP
CULTURE

20 MINS- THE CASTLE AS
SIMULACRA
DISNEY RELATED PARODY? DULOC-DISNEY
IS THIS A FORM OF ATTACK BRANDING?
FACADE OF BUILDINGS AS REPRESENTATION OF THE
REAL
PARODY OF WWF

32MINS: SELF REFERENTIAL OF ITS
OWN AGENDA AS A TEXT
SHREK: ‘THE PRINCESS WILL BE IN THE TALLEST
TOWER.’
DONKEY: WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT?
SHREK: I READ IT IN A BOOK ONCE.

PRINCESS FIONA- POST FEMINISM
NAMING CONVENTIONS
UNCONVENTIONAL DAMSEL IN DISTRESS?
EXPECTATIONS OF CHIVALRY
52MINS- MATRIX STYLE PARODY & PASTICHE OF ROBIN
HOOD MYTH

39MINS- THE HYPER REAL
DOES THE CGI 3D ANIMATION CREATE HEIGHTENED
REALITY? HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE AUDIENCE? (Q. FOR MICHAEL)
THE MODE OF ADDRESS IS VERY MUCH ADULT
INFLUENCED (THE CONNOTATIONS OF SEXUALITY IN
CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE DRAGON & DONKEY) AND
PROVIDES LAYERS OF UNDERSTANDING. (LIKE THE
SIMPSONS) IS THIS ‘ADULT HUMOUR’ PART OF MODERN
DAY POPULAR CULTURE WHICH DEMANDS THAT
CHILDREN GROW UP TOO QUICKLY?

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‘THIS MAKES SHREK AT ITS DEEPEST LEVEL NO MORE
THAN A SINGLE AND ELABORATE ALLEGORY FOR
KISSING A TOAD. YEAH, THE GUY IS HIDEOUS AND
DISGUSTING AND RARELY BATHES, BUT MAN, IS HE
PERSONABLE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE TRUE MEAT OF
THIS STORY IS AN ENDLESSLY PREDICTABLE STRING OF
CLASSIC TRADITIONS. SHREK DIFFERS FROM THE
DISNEY RELICS OF THE 1950S IN THAT IT OBSESSES
WITH MODERN POP CULTURE, BUT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
IGNORE HOW INSEPARABLE ITS CORE IS TO THE
PAST.’ (IS SHREK POSTMODERN? BY EMILY GERA)

METAPHORS
ONIONS (APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE (SHREK AND
FIONA)‘MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T JUDGE PEOPLE BEFORE
YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.’ (PRINCESS FIONA)
‘ITS THE WORLD THAT HAS THE PROBLEM WITH ME.’
BUILDING WALLS AROUND HIMSELF (SHREK)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
THE EELS- ‘MY BELOVED MONSTER’
1HR- REVELATION OF THE REAL PRINCESS FIONA

THE END
‘AND THEY LIVED UGLY EVER AFTER’ (PASTICHE OF A
FABLE BUT THE MORAL IS STILL CLEAR E.G. DON’T JUDGE
A BOOK BY ITS COVER