The Notion of Postmodernism

The term 'postmodern' was infact established in the 1960's when people gradually became dissatisfied with architecture of the time, and so founded 'postmodern architecture'. It has now however crossed-over into many realms of art, culture, media, film and music and has become a renowned term for society's evolution, through economy and culture since the mid 20th Century. It can also be defined as, 'a view that social and cultural reality, as well as social science itself, is a human construction.' (www.oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html)
Modernism looked forward to a future of technology and science, until the 1970's when it began to become apparent that inevitably it would be this use of knowledge and technology that could bring about our downfall. The creation of the Atom Bomb in 1945 was the original catalyst toward the pressure on society, the fear that science would kill us all. In the 1970's and 80's society was also living on a backdrop of industrial methods being used through the previous 40 years to kill people, mainly through World War II in the form of the holocaust.
After this period of anxiety, post-modernism began to emerge, it tended to look back on the past, or focus on the future in the respect to warn people about what could happen to the world if we continued to evolve. In some respect it can relate back to scare tactic films formed in the 1950's. Post- modernism lives for the moment and present day, instead of living in the on- coming 50 years. People wanted nostalgia based texts, so they could take enjoyment in the past, and not analyse what the future held, genetic engineering and terrorism being at the fore front of society's mind. Post- modernism looked forward to the future to redeem the present. 'Blade Runner' released in 1982, was directed by Ridley Scott, can be stated as one of the best examples of a post-modern film narrative. Genetic engineering is the theme felt through-out this film, it has gone so far as to create cyborgs, now 4 have hi-jacked a ship and plan to return to earth to seek out their maker. The main protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) must stop these hi-jackers by placing them in 'retirement'. The film is set in Los Angeles, now a cultural melting pot, which suffers from constant rain. It is depicted in dark tonal lights, and is depicted with slight film noir undertones. It shows the audience a vision of the future, not in a utopian view, as many post-modern films of the time were, but more dystopian. The main theme that runs both through Post-modern texts and 'Blade Runner' is that of the real becoming the un-real. This makes the audience question themselves as to which characters are cyborg replicants and which human, some of these identities will never find out and have to draw our own conclusions. Another underlying theme was the rising Japanese culture, Japan was fast becoming a leading economic country, and this is prevalent in 'Blade Runner' in the first scene where we meet the main protagonist, we see him sitting in a sushi bar, with a gloomy background but bright neon signs surrounding him. It was the era in which Sony was mastering the world, and this anxiety is portrayed through-out the whole narrative.
It can be said that one of the first examples of post-modernism, was seen in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' a 1980's American television show starring a young Will Smith. On frequent occasions Smith would turn to the camera and either talk directly to the audience, this showing that the character knows it is a just a television show as do the audience, this technique has followed in many other films such as '24 Hour Party People' (2002), where Steve Coogan's character Tony Wilson, often narrates the plot directly to the audience by looking straight into the camera.
There have been many discussions that state what post-modern is, or has become, however there is also the debate whether we have no left modernity, and it has merely divulged into a further level of modernity.

'Has modernity really come to a close, or has it simply undergone a change of appearance? Do the global spread of information-systems technology, the pervasive influence of the mass media, and the deindustrialisation of Western economics signal a permanent shift in the course of culture and society or can they be accounted for as part of the logic of modernity itself?' (The End of Modernity, Gianni Vattimo: 1988: xi)

This take on the post-modern is one that could never truly be understood, but I believe that because society has moved forward, and evolved diversely, since the days of modernity, where films would depict what we could look forward to in the year 2000, we now show an increasingly number of media texts, looking into the past for answers as to what is happening in present day, but also what could happen if we carry on the self-destructive path.
Post-modernism can be divided into 3 categories, fragmented, superficial and ahistorical. While fragmented can be defined as, broken into parts, lost unity and disconnected, this can directly relate to the post-modern in the sense that, many of the film texts produced because of the post-modern era, were not of the same genre, many transgressed into re-working past successful genres, as people sort comfort in the past because the future was intimidating and foreign, they did not follow the same generic conventions as films made through modernity did. Fragmented post-modernism is summarised in the following statement;


'Postmodernism deflects attention away from the singular scruntinising gaze of the semiologist, and asks that this be replaced by multiplicity of fragmented, and frequently interrupted, 'looks'.' (Postmodernism and popular culture, Angela McRobbie: 1994:13)


The films did not unify in showing one single portrayal of society, instead we saw many different images, which could shape our opinion. Fragmented could also be used to describe the multiple techniques used in post-modern texts, for example, Adult cartoons such as 'South Park' and 'Family Guy' are known for referencing past events in there narratives, and then acknowledging a common joke between animation television shows of this time, that the character do infact know they're on a television show. In episode 3 of season 10 of South Park, there is a reference to a current affair, surround the debate about showing pictures of the prophet Mohammed, The South Park characters are discussing the morality of this topic when one says to another 'How would you like it Kyle, if there was a cartoon on television that ripped on Jews all the time.' This infact is an inside joke to anyone who follows the show, as South Park is constantly satirising and making anti-semetic quips through the character of Eric Cartman. At the same time the other characters appear to look at him, in a knowing expression, that they appear on that very television programme, and are aware of the irony of that last statement. However the technique of parody and referencing has become a common trait of postmodernism:

'Parody-often called ironic quotation, pastiche, appropriation or intertextuality- is usually considered central to Postmodernism, both for its detractors and defenders.' (The Politics of Postmodernism, Linda Hutcheon: 2002: 89)

Family Guy is infamous for its parodical nature and intertextuality features, this has drawn both acclaim and criticism, most notably from fellow animators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park. Parker and Stone are well known for referencing their competition, in the episode "Simpson's Already Did It", a character discusses how The Simpson's has been such a long running show that many possible plot ideas have already been used. Towards the end of the episode the animation style changes to a hybrid between the traditional South Park style and that of the Simpson's. Parker and Stone have diffused this by stating they were paying homage to the Simpson's, not mocking it. While good natured parody has taken place on all three of the leading adult cartoons, it has also been highly negative, culminating in a two part episode entitled 'Cartoon Wars', where through Eric Cartman, Stone and Parker explicitly state why they believe Family Guy doesn't deserve the praise it receives. He argues that the frequent 'cut away' scenes in Family Guy are an example of poor writing and the praise the programme receives from many quarters is undeserved. In the episodes, Eric Cartman travels to Los Angeles in an attempt to convince television executives to cancel Family Guy due to the furor over them airing an image of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. While the episodes are highly critical of Family Guy, they are also self-parodical, as explained above, and when a defender of Family Guy states "at least it hasn't got all preachy with messages", a reference to South Park's frequent social commentaries and episodes based on current events. During the Cartoon Wars episode, in a further parody and possibly an indication that Simpson's creator Matt Groening shares the duo's feelings, the Simpson's character Bart Simpson teams up with Eric Cartman in attempting to cancel the programme. While Simpson is never named, and appears in the South Park character form, the character shares many catchphrases, mannerisms and looks with the original. Such blatant criticism of a television programme in another is rare and is an indication of how television is becoming more self aware and critical of other's work, something that would be previously unthinkable for fears of offending or segregating an audience.
Ahistorical, meaning unrelated to history is central to postmodernism; this is displayed most prominently in 'Blade Runner'. The film is set in LA in 2019; however the style of the cinematography is very similar to that of film noir detective narratives seen in the early 20th century. When broken down to the basic plot structure that is all the Blade Runner narrative seems to embody, a detective narrative. The lighting has a shadowy aspect to it, often the characters appears in darkly lit scenes, even though the world is suppose to represent the future, and a new technological era. In outdoor scenes, we can capture images of brands such as 'Coke-Cola' and 'Atari', high sky-scraping buildings with neon advertisements on the side, dominate the landscape, but yet the city still feels gloomy, and acid rain falls all day and night after the nuclear war. The misc-en-scene has a distinct capatalist aura, the fear of not being able to escape comsumerism, and constantly being harrassed by advertisements, on every free building or wall space. All these key iconographical features add to the prominent techniques, taken from the 20th century but being used on a definite 21st century narrative.
'Blade Runner gives us not a key to the future- Science Fiction only teaches us about our present.' (Images at War: Mexico from Columbus to Blade Runner (1492-2019), Serge Gruzinski: 2001: 1)

Although 'Blade Runner' is relating to the future it does not reflect on what has happened in modern society, merely what could happen to the world if we carried on in this capitalised consumer society. We see no examples of tradition, or past historical events, it appears everything has been glossed over to seal in this new technological era. Modernity was looking forward to a world of technological and scientific advances, but after nuclear warfare became a true threat, people wanted to seek comfort in a lifestyle they could be safe in. The film has established itself for a noir revival, rejuvenating old techniques, and setting them to a futuristic backdrop; it provides a generic world city. The very essence that it uses old noir instinct in its conventions is a function of postmodernism.
'Blade Runner' also uses many religious and biblical references, which relate to ahistorical postmodernism, using the old culture on a new one. 'Blade Runner' searches for new technology, of the environment and society by delving into religious symbolism, classical drama themes and the previously mention film noir techniques. The tension between the past, present and future is apparent here, reflected in the high tech advertisements and sky scrapers and then contradicted in the down-town slums and decay.
Ahistorical Postmodernism can also be seen in the previous examples of 'South Park' and 'Family Guy', although they appear to be set in present day, they have more scope for an ever changing time scale. Special episodes are made depicting the future through their satirical vision, but also and more frequently the past is depicted. A common factor in postmodern texts as has been discussed before, people could be nostalgic in a view of how the world once was before modernity, or even take joy in the simplicity of technology compared with present day. The most prominent example of the futuristic approach to post-modernism would be 'Futurama', created in 1999 by Matt Groening (also creator of world renown 'The Simpson's.) it shows a New York pizza delivery boy 'Philip J. Fry' cryonically frozen on New Years Eve 1998 and revived 1000 years later. The main narrative depicts him in this new life, astonished by new technology, and a more diverse human race than could ever be imagined. This is of course then used in humorous consequences for Fry, as he acquaints himself with his new surroundings, friends and situations. The series can be interpreted as postmodern also due to the amount of parody and satire used, which was also a staple of Groening's other works. Its vantage point is of a futuristic setting, therefore allowing a large degree of creative freedom not only when looking at today's society, but also at what may have happen in the next thousand years.
Postmodernism is a concept and understanding of social change, based on a world of generic engineering, and high influenced technology. In 'Blade Runner' however as society has already evolved into a mix of Western, Hispanic and Asian iconography as well as the people themselves, the themes that run through the film are ideas based more around identity, and the superficial. Blade runners can identify a 'replicant', or cyborg, through merely distinguishing fatal eye tremors under duress when they are being interrogated. However as Deckard (Ford) comes to learn, this superficial view on people is not what society should be based around, he learns this from falling in love with a replicant, namely 'Rachael'. This has been analysed as a new realm of seduction in modern film theory;

'In Blade Runner, all the characters are driven by the need to know about their status of life, of its duration and its relationship to the qualifications of the human and non-human. It may seem odd to describe this as seduction, for it would appear to be more about existence. But the way life itself is estasblished in the film makers it a seduction rather than a necessity of subjectivity.' (New Developments in Film Theory, Patrick Fuery: 2000: 172)

The life and interaction of human beings is the subject in 'Blade Runner', and it is the subtle intricacies that we as humans enjoy that seduce the replicants into thinking they too are human beings. After Deckard's first encounter with Rachael, she follows him to his home to ask him more questions about why he believes her to be a replicant. She has been acknowledged as being a human by her creator and led to believe through an elaborate back story and memory implants that she is indeed one of us. She grasps onto photographs she believes are of herself and her mother to justify her reason for living. He scuppers all her preconceptions about her identity, leaving her distraught that her 'Human' existence is nothing more than a lie.
The need to know about ones own identity, brings about differences in society. A community that has now in a new world based itself on diversity and the merging and coming together of the races we know today, is picking out individuals for being Replicant, and has somewhat been criticised as a form of racism. However, humanity had created these replicants in the future existence featured in Blade Runner, and so has to take responsibility for their damage. It is the age old fear of technology over powering the world, something created by humanity to be better than it, but then losing control over the powerful being. It is this notion that man will lose its place as the dominant species that drives the movie, and the science fiction genre onwards. Superficial, meaning 'on the surface' or 'not invasive' can be applied to postmodenrism in the following sense;

'These changes are not signs of the emergence of some entirely new postindustrial or postcapitalist society; they are merely shifts in surface appearance.' (Identity, Culture and the Postmodern World, Madan Sarup: 1996: 94)

Superficial postmodernism plays an equal role in 'Blade Runner', the films revolves around the need for the replicants to fit in, to be more human that human beings infact are. And this inevitably is their downfall.

'Because it is through the eyes that replicants are revealed in 'Blade Runner' as not being human, then other parts of their bodies must not give away this secret; their skin acts more like skin than the skin of humans.' (New Developments in Film Theory, Patrick Fuery: 2000: 172)

In the final scene, before 'Roy Batty'- the leader of the hi-jacking replicant crew- is 'retired' by Deckard, we see lighting techniques portray his skin to be infact more responsive than that of Deckard's, he sweats, spills blood and even shows a trace of a tear when he is enlightened to the world and his existence. Superficial could also be elaborated to form the concept of what is real in 'Blade Runner' there has infact been speculation as to whether Deckard's character is infact a replicant, this theme runs through-out many postmodern examples, especially that of the science fiction genre. Directors play on our imagination and speculation to understand and find answers to distinguish between real images and those which are constructed.
This has also been seen in 'Battlestar Galactica', created in 2004 and broadcast in the United Kingdom by Sky One, this Science fiction drama show mirrors many of the same themes seen in 'Blade Runner' for a modern generation. Instead of replicants we are faced with cyborgs. It bring across the theme that the human form is the enemy, but in relation to a post 9/11 society where we are seemingly encouraged to be vigilant in every aspect of our lives and the threat of terrorism or fear is always around the corner, it draws on our anxieties and fears, as did modernity in its portrayal of the future.
Postmodernism, after emerging from modernity has faced many critics, now it is said we are in a new phase, sometimes called post-post modernism, but having no specific title at this point. Audiences will always relish what has happened in history, when it is put into film formation, and society will always fear what the future holds, but this in fact is jst human ambiguity, and cultural pressure.