Postmodernism

 

What is Postmodernism?

Postmodernism is a rejection of modernism. So... what is modernism? Modernism was a worldview that stretched from around the mid 19th century up until the end of the second world war. It was a belief in absolute truths and a world of objectivity. Originality was the goal during these times, ad there was a clear distinction between what was considered high and low art.

Postmodernism, on the other hand, is a movement that focuses on the reality of the individual, denies statements that claim to be true for all people and is expressed in many different mediums, from art, literature, architecture, philosophy, economics and media.

Postmodernism in Film and TV

Some of the goals of postmodernist film are to subvert the mainstream conventions of narrative structure and characterization, and to test the audience's suspension of disbelief. 

Typically, such films also break down the cultural divide between high and low art and often upend typical portrayals of gender, race, class, genre, and time with the goal of creating something that does not abide by traditional narrative

Postmodernism also asserts and celebrates the fact that there is nothing original left in the world; that all texts emerge from what has already been written and therefore, are given a new and unique life through reimagination.

Key features of a Postmodern text

- Intertextuality

- Parody / Homage / Pastiche

- Bricolage

- Irony

- Fragmented Narrative

- Self-reflexivity

- Common Themes 

(what if, future of tech, human existence, consumerism)

- Loss of reality 

(surreal)