1. Sian Lynes
Why are some media products described as 'Postmodern'?
Some media products are described as postmodernist due to their deliberate manipulation of
considered reality. These texts deliberately play with meaning, employing a range of
referential techniques, such as bricolage or intertextuality to directly or indirectly reference
other texts to create new meanings. Postmodernist texts are not confined to genre
conventions, challenging modernist assumptions of narrative such as culture and the
dimension of time. Often this creates a known hyper reality recognised by the audience in
media texts.
Quentin Tarantino's signature postmodernist directive style in the film "Inglorious Basterds" is
a prime example of an distorted reality that challenges utopian modernist visions. The use of
yellow text for subtitles and titles in the film, as well as in his filmography, challenges the
conventional white text; this identifies Tarantino's signature style and distances himself from
modernist media products. The deliberate fragmentation of the film, by dividing it into visible
Chapters, could be described as postmodern as Tarantino has taken this convention from the
style of literature texts. This form of pastiche, combining the conventions of literature with
film, addresses the hyper reality to the audience as it creates a non-linear narrative, a
technique often considered postmodernist. The adoption of bricolage in the introduction of
the film in the title "Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France" pays reference to the fairytale
genre. This could be described as postmodern as the literate audience's cultural knowledge of
the horrors of 'Nazi-occupied France' challenges the utopian narrative of a fairytale. This use
of hypotextuality, adhering to Genette's theory of genre, manipulates the audience's
perception of conventional war films as the modification of a fairytale applied to preconceived
idea of violence within the war genre is unexpected. This evident use of addition within the
concept of bricolage developed by theorist Levi Strauss reflects the postmodernist disregard to
confinements in genre conventions, instead breaking these barriers.
Tarantino's directive style also reinforces the postmodernist aspect to the film. This is evident
in his use of a bird's eye view during Shoshanna's preparation for the Nazi film premiere. The
camera shot exposes the construction of the walls and layout of the rooms as it pans across the
screen and follows Shoshanna walk along the cinema hall ways. This direct deconstruction of
the set reminds the audience that the world the characters are around is completely fictional
and by extension a hyper reality. This complies to Baudrillard's developed idea of hyper reality
as the characters, and arguably the audience, are experiencing a prepared reality chosen the
director (which the audience become conscious of). This distortion of reality against the
fantasy created is a common feature in postmodernist texts.
A significant component of the postmodernist product is the mixture of genres, evident in
Inglorious Basterds, to alter the audience's perception of war and its conventions. Tarantino
heavily references the Spagehetti Western genre, for example when the shot of the door frame
as Shoshanna escapes the homicide of Hans Landa this directly references the 1956 American
western "The Searchers". The contrast of resolution of John Wayne leaving at the end of the
film against the irresolution of Shoshanna running for her life from Hans Landa emphasises
the hypertextuality. Further evidence of Genette's theory of metatextuality is evident when
Hans Landa takes out his pipe, prepares it, lights it, inhales it and exhales it. Tarantino here

2. Sian Lynes
could be directly referencing the symbolic use of the pip in the renowned detective film
Sherlock Holmes. This implicit parodying of the mystery genre shows again the intertextuality
that challenges the war film genre. Furthermore, hyper reality is exaggerated through violence
that challenges modernist texts such as Saving Private Ryan. For example, the introduction of
Hugo Stiglitz uses a montage to demonstrate the ridiculous methods of killings he uses, such
as sticking his fist down a Nazi's throat. A 1970s Blaxploitation song 'Slaughter' by Billy
Preston over layed onto this sequence adds a comical feel to the concept of death. This use of
bricolage by using addition of the Blackpoitation genre, complying to Strauss' theory, distorts
reality and the glorification of death makes the audience aware that the text of completely
fictional. This could be described as post modern as the disconnection and impassive
approach of the character's towards the otherwise brutality of death creates hyper real world.
Fiske's theory can be applied here as the mixture of genres allows the audience to identify that
Inglorious Basterds is not a true representation of "war" and conventional of previous war
films. It relies of the literate knowledge of the audience to decode the false representations of
war to understand that it is a postmodernist text.
An additional example of postmodern media that provides lack of depth and disjuncture in
emotion is evident in the film, "Drive" directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The protagonist,
only described as "The Kid", when he is revealed to have a violent side, shows no empathy
towards the Gangsters he kills. The creates an extremely hyper real view point again towards
to realities of death. In addition, Genette's theory of hypotextuality can also be applied as the
narrative is a reference to Grimm's Fairy Tales; 'The Kid' being the hero and Irene, his love
interest, being the damsel in distress. This modification of a utopian fairytale in contrast with
the disequilibrium The Kid experiences trying to help Stan is postmodern as it challenges the
structuralism of conventional modernist narratives. In addition, The Kid initiates no anger
towards Stan, another love interest of Irene, which is unexpected at the dominance of two
males around on female is unconventional as we expect conflict to fight over the woman. This
also breaks the boundaries of generic codes such as Barthes' binary opposites of a singular
hero and princess. Fiske's theory can be applied here as it is reliant on the audience's cultural
knowledge of conventional narrative, such as a singular male hero, to recognise the unusual
representation of The Kid not battling to 'win' Irene.
Another element with can be described as postmodern is the representation of the setting in
Los Angeles. The city is often seen through a bird's eye view, with dark city lighting and empty
streets. Baudrillard's idea of simulcra can be applied here as our previous knowledge given to
us by the media often perceives L.A. as a glamorous place, whereas this text contradicts that
original representation. The contrast of a fairy tale element in combination with the dark and
disconnected reality of L.A. can be considered postmodern as the audience are able to decode
from their previous cultural knowledge it is an exaggerated hyper reality. In addition, the text
can be described as postmodern as Refn deliberately constructed the mise-en-scene to
manipulate the audience's perception of time. Within the film the time period is difficult to
recognise, the contrasting modern day race cars in contrast with retro cars we see in the
garage are an example of this. This challenges Fiske's developed theory of Barthes' semic code
as the audience can only base their knowledge of time period of previous texts. With no direct
indicators within the text the audience's decoding system becomes 'confused' as we cannot
place a specific time period onto the film. This could be considered postmodern as this creates

3. Sian Lynes
ambiguity as the audience are uninformed of the time period, arguably creating an entirely
new parallel universe that is not in line with the audience's 'reality'.
Drive also demonstrates the mixture of genres which then becomes an extension of new
bounds within the genre that are not confined to rules which can be described as postmodern.
In particular, The Kid takes Irene and her son to a river that runs through L.A. which is
presented in a golden hue through the lighting which gives and idealistic, even Utopian
modernist feeling which contradict the rest of the postmodernist style of the film. The serene
river and happy emotion the character's expressions is reminiscent of the Romance genre.
Genette's theory of hypotextuality can be applied here, the relation between the preceding
Romance sequence in addition to the crime drama of previous scenes modifies the audience's
understanding typical conventions and can be considered postmodern by challenging these.
Intertextuality is also present in the film and demonstrated in the opening credits. The use of
hot-pink as the title sequence was a reference to 1983's teen-comedy drama "Risky Business"
editing techniques. This colour reflects the electro-pop score also present on the film, as well
as contradicting the tough-guy masculine representation of The Kid. The text also is
reminiscent of a video game medium, especially popularised modern day game 'Grand Theft
Auto' which also mixes the L.A. representation which violence. As previously mentioned, the
bird's eye shots are also reminiscent of a video game, which perhaps emphasises the hyper real
narrative that reminds the audience it is completely fictional. The soundtrack "A Real Hero"
by College and Electric Youth is an electropop score which is quite soft which is not
synchronous with the hard and violent visuals in the film. The retro synthesizer feel of the
track contributes to the video game genre; this again reinforces a postmodernist element to
the film as it deliberately manipulates the reality of the storyline. The Driver also lacks
dialogue throughout the film which is reminiscent of 'the Man with No Name' a stock
character is the American western film genre, such as Clint Eastwood in 1966 "The Good, The
Bad and The Ugly". This lack of dialogue can be considered postmodern as the continuation of
the narrative through the protagonist is reliant on his behaviour, a convention which in a
crime drama is unusual.
Another text which can be described as postmodern is Family Guy's "Blue Harvest" that was an
entire parody of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1982). Genette's theory of
metatextuality can be applied here, as the text was an implicit commentary of the Star Wars
franchise. The manipulation of time and space is present in this text, which is a component
which define postmodernism, as the introduction of the film says "A long time ago, but
somehow in the future..". This complies with Lyotard's Postmodernist theory as it rejects
conventional "grand narratives"; this rejects the idea that as history moves forward in time so
does humanity. This state of being in the episode has not progressed in time or moved
backwards, suggesting that the narrative can go in any direction, supporting Lyotard's theory.
Therefore this can be described as postmodern as it challenges modernist thinking that
narratives must be linear.
This non-linear narrative is emphasised through Luke 'breathing the fourth wall' when he
introduces the London Symphony Orchestra and composer John Williams. This technique
directly creates disjuncture and doesn't follow the convention of modernist narrative.

4. Sian Lynes
Resultantly the audience are aware that the storyline is completely and hyper real as it allows
them to make the connection between reality and fantasy. By breaking the fourth wall is
strikes the audience as abrupt and unusual, and become conscious that the cartoon isn't real.
The film is heavily reliant on the previous cultural knowledge of a literate audience as cultural
referencing is used throughout. For example, on a shot of the Star Destroyer a Bush/Cheney
bumper sticker is a direct reference to George Bush and Dick Cheney's 2004 election
campaign. John Fiske's development of Barthes' semic code could be applied here as the
audience has cultural knowledge of American politics to decode this. The use of a realistic
political situation combined with the clear hyper reality of a spaceship is completely
outlandish, a postmodern element to create humour. Another example is when Leia is
captured by Darth Vader where he asks where she has hidden the death star plans. Leia
responds that it is in one of twenty briefcases, a direct implicit commentary on the TV show
'Deal or No Deal' This example of bricolage complies with Levi Strauss' concept that 'debris'
from other texts are constructed by substitution to create an entirely new text. Again, this text
can be described as postmodern as it is reliant on the audience's previous knowledge or other
texts to decode the meaning.
Overall as I have seen several elements, such as manipulation of genre conventions and style,
contributes the postmodern media produced. Elements that are present, such as the use of
intertextuality to reference other texts often removes the idea that texts have to be original.
Rather, they adopt a combination of influences and rely on their literate audience to create an
entirely new meaning. They often oppose modernist utopian approaches that concern
themselves with grand narratives such as love, death and war; instead subverting or rejecting
these narratives, often distorting reality and fantasy.