2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
