Notes on Postmodern Film

Given that postmodernity has been the dominant cultural aesthetic in the last half century, and that film has been the dominant narrative form, the vastness of this topic is somewhat imposing. This is such a huge topic that I'll preface these remarks with the disclaimer that my scope here is arbitrary and incomplete. Nonetheless, I hope some of these remarks will reinforce theoretical elements, and cultural observations we've been studying.

My original intentions were to provide notes on the two in-class films, but lo, as class wraps I have only these assembled links below. Perhaps some of this might be of use.

In class film: Being There

In class film: Living in Oblivion

Here are some links to current related content available online:

POSTMODERN FILM IN GENERAL:

• Here is an excellent and intriguing review of film analyzed by period and contextualized in the development of postmodernity fromt he sixties and seventies through our present time.
• Here is a compartmentalized brief look at subgenres related to postmodern film. This site also explains in brief language the atttributes of modernism in film, as a reference point.
• I came accross this article from Mexico in my search for postmodern film stuff on the web, but it has a great matrix at the end that aligns classical, modern, and postmodern attributes. It is brief, and while the focus is not on film entuirely, the matrix at the end is useful.

SPECIFIC FILMS:

• Here are lecture notes about Blade Runner from a Princeton professor's postmodernism class. He makes direct reference to several theoretical readings, for which you can find the citations in his course syllabus here. Here is a full length article, "Blade Runner and the Postmodern: A Reconsideration," which appeared in Literature Film Quarterly in 2004.
• Here is an analysis of The Matrix as postmodern cyberpunk film, in language fit for a neophyte scholar of postmodernism.
• Another professor reads George Lucas's Star Wars films (epsiodes I-VI) as "the greatest postmodern art film ever." If you've already seen these films, perhaps you migth enjoy a postmodern analysis of Lucas's self-reflexive presence in the films. Further, his deep focus on narrative and plot might appeal to any of you who found Rimmon-Kenan particularly interesting.
• Here is a well researched postmodern analysis of Wild at Heart.
• Here is a read of Moulin Rouge as postmodern.

Page created by Michael Filas

Last updated 6/21/06, 8:44 pm