Discuss two or more media texts that you would define as postmodern, and explain why you would give it this label.
Run Lola Run (or, Lola Rennt), 1998 was directed by Tom Tykwer and is widely considered as a ‘postmodern’ film.
The actually storyline of Run Lola Run is very simple; Lola needs to find 100 marks and give it to her boyfriend in the space of 20 minutes to stop him taking drastic measures or be beaten up, and this simplicity in itself, is very postmodern. Although Manni, Lola’s boyfriend, is a drug dealer the film doesn’t make a big deal of this fact nor does it show the negative effects drugs or gun crime would have on society, it strictly sticks to the point. On top of this, the film seems to be extremely random and the fact that during each run the smallest act of running down the stairs differently can cause a different outcome for something that seems to have no connection to it what-so-ever. This can be seen as postmodern as in postmodernism there are no universal truths or themes and this is seen through the changing of outcomes and the ‘butterfly effect’ seen throughout the film.
Throughout each 20 minute run of the film, the background music that is played is German techno, which has no real relevance to the film and there is no hidden meaning behind this particular choice, which is postmodern as it is put there purely because Tykwer thought it was good music that went nice with this part of the film. As well as the music having no point, the whole film tends to be enjoyable to watch, but nothing is learnt from it nor does there seem to be any deep meaning behind the storyline and a lot of the mini stories of the bystander’s lives seem irrelevant to the rest of the film’s storyline entirely.
Many aspects of the film are likened to those of a video game; the chance to ‘do over’ once you’ve died or failed, picking different characters when Lola is choosing who to ask for help and the exploitation of drugs and guns without questioning whether it is right or wrong. This suggests that life is also likened to a game, which suggests life is meaningless and has no real point to it, which as well as being true to some people, also makes it very postmodern. This is because postmodernist believe that life has no meaning, yet they see this as a positive.
Run Lola Run is set out and could be seen by many as an ‘artsy’ film, which would suggest it is a required taste to watch, however Tykwer directed in a way that is enjoyable to mass audiences as well as people who prefer a more interesting/unique storyline or picture. This is seen as postmodern as postmodernism at times focuses on breaking down the boundaries between popular media and films that require a smaller niche audience that would appeal to it.
Another media text that is hugely considered postmodern is Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ music video that is directed by Jonas Akerlund.
The film has pastiche which is a very postmodern quality; this is seen in the references it makes to many films that involve outlaws or dominant female characters. The fact it shows two women (who are suggested to be a waitress and an abused housewife) on the run who murder people which is more stereotypically shown in male characters, is likened to the 1991 film ‘Thelma and Louise’. There are also some references to other various Quinton Taranino films and famous scenes throughout.
Lady Gaga’s video seems to be made up or various random scenes, and although they all visually seem to fit together, they have no real meaning or point but to almost parody different Taranino films. This lack of meaning but heavy use of pastiche is very postmodern.
The fact that Lady Gaga focuses on portraying women as the main characters of her video and not as ‘objects’, paired with the lack of a male love interest suggests she has very feministic views. Beyonce’s character is shown to have a very intolerable boyfriend/husband when she is sat in the cafe and this results in Lady Gaga killing him via poisoned food. This is a very postmodern as not only does Akerlund use pastiche in relation to similar happenings in ‘Thelma and Louise’, but the fact two females are getting their own back on men shows the video to be very feminist.
To conclude, both Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ video and Run Lola Run have a variety of different aspects which could make one consider them to be postmodern, however they both do this in a very different way. Lady Gaga’s video focuses heavily on pastiche whereas Run Lola Run focuses highly on the notion that life is meaningless and has no point.