From the postmodern texts that I have studied, it is clear that they do manipulate time and space in one way or another. George Ritzer suggested that postmodernism usually refers to a cultural movement such as architecture, art, music, TV, films and adverts. He suggested that postmodern culture is signified by the breakdown of the distinction between high culture and mass culture, the breakdown of barriers between genres and styles, mixing up of time, space and narrative, emphasis on style rather than content and the blurring of the distinction between representation and reality. This idea is supported by the French theorist Jean Baudrillard as he also agrees that surface image becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality and came up with the term ‘all surface and no depth’. This idea of hyper reality is relevant as the audience view images that cease to be rooted in reality and the postmodern elements that are used in the texts help enhance how time and space is manipulated.
Drive is a 2011 American crime drama thriller that is a prime example of a postmodern film that manipulates time and space. The first postmodern element that could be recognised was the idea that the film is set in Los Angeles although the city seems empty as the film only focuses on a small group of characters. Throughout the film you do not see any extras in the background of each scene which is very unusual for such a big city. The city is used to express the character’s personalities and portrays them to be relatively shallow and oppressive. Therefore it offers little comfort and no escape which makes the city seem smaller than it is because it creates quite a claustrophobic atmosphere because you do not see anyone else other than the small amount of characters that we are introduced to. This shows how space is manipulated as the city seems deserted and no-one seems to notice the horrific murders that take place and the police also seem irrelevant. This is a hyper real aspect but also links to Talcott Parson’s theory that society has a structure to keep it together. This is not the case for this film because there is minimal characters and a small population so therefore not a society to keep it altogether. There is an intertextual reference to the 1978 film ‘Grease’ as there is a scene that is filmed at ‘Thunder Road’. This is relevant because The Driver has a very similar retro style to the men in Grease although his personality is very different due to the lack of dialogue. This scene where he is driving with Irene and Benicio in the car emphasises the Utopian aspect as it shows The Driver trying to fit in with the family. The scene is also lit with a golden hue which is used consistently throughout the film but this shows the film’s idyllic heart and highlights the stereotypical fairy-tale story and roles. This shows how time and space is manipulated in the scene as slow motion is used to enhance the relationship and connection of the characters.
The film is said to show the theme of literalness versus figurativeness and can be referred to as a modern Grimm fairytale. Traditional roles can be identified but are also reversed at different stages throughout the film. The idea of a ‘happy ever after’ can also be recognised due to The Driver driving off into the night at the end and we do not know where he is heading next. He can be seen as a hero for saving Irene and Benicio as he leaves the money to secure their safety. Although he can also be seen as a villain as it was his fault that Standard was dead so therefore left Irene as a widow and Benicio fatherless as because left them. The Driver is also a criminal as he is a getaway driver for bad people and he also has psychopathic traits. We do not know much about his past but as the murders get more and more graphic, we can see how angry he is and what he is capable of doing. This is emphasised by the lack of dialogue as we see him as being very insular, dark and violent. This manipulates time and space because we learn his true character over time and leaves us to decide what he actually is from what we see and his actions. He shows no emotion or reaction which is a recognisable theme for all characters in Drive and is also another hyper real aspect because in similar gangster and crime films there would be much more dialogue. The lack of dialogue makes time go much slower because you spend time focusing on their emotions rather than what they are saying. Another element that manipulates the space in the film is the use of bird’s eye shots and maps. This enhances how large the city is but also how small the population is. This also has an intertextual link to the video game Grand Theft Auto. It makes the location seem like a playground and portrays the characters to feel very vulnerable because of the crimes that take place. The majority of the film is also set at night time which is quite common for a film in this genre. Another link to the computer game is the style of font used for the title at the start. The font is similar to the pink 80’s style font used for the Vice City Grand Theft Auto title. This manipulates time as it once again ties in the retro theme and compliments the 80’s electronic music and style of The Driver.
This 80’s style music is a very recognisable postmodern element which makes the film feel like it is not actually set in the modern day. Some examples of soundtracks used are ‘Under Your Spell’ by Desire, ‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky and Lovefoxxx and ‘A Real Hero’ by College feat. Electric Youth. Cliff Martinez built the film’s sonic landscape from ideas influenced by European electronic bands such as Kraftwerk. This manipulates time as the electronic, retro 80’s style music works well with the story, location and style of the characters. The scene in the lift is also very significant as it is self reflexive. Slow motion is used as well as the golden hue lighting, just like the scene in the car. The music played is very emotive which makes the scene more intimate whilst they are kissing but as the slow motion begins and the lighting changes, it draws attention to the film as a text. It introduces emotion that we haven’t seen previously and the connection seems very genuine between The Driver and Irene. This highlights a key human aspect of the film as the moment is very tender. The music gradually fades when the graphic violence is carried out by The Driver on the hit man and Irene finally see’s what he really is. This is enhanced by the expression on her face when Irene walks out of the lift. She is clearly shocked by his actions and his violence that she witnessed emphasises how hyper real his character is as his face still looks emotionless when he realises what he’s done. This scene is an example of how time and space is manipulated because they are in a confined space and time almost stands still but then reality comes back and the violence breaks out.
This links to Jean Baudrillard’s theory that current society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that human experience is of a simulation of reality ‘like a movie’. It is difficult to separate the image from reality but in this scene the slow motion and lighting enhances the hyper reality but we are then reintroduced back to reality when the music fades and the slow motion ends. Claude Levi Strauss’s theory can also be applied as the 80’s style music, lack of dialogue and retro style characteristics are added. All emotion and reactions are deleted from the characters and the small population of people in the film even though it is such a big city. The pink 80’s style font is substituted along with the fairytale aspect as well as the idea of masculinity. For the transposition area of the theory, the lift scene is very iconic as well as the violence, the deserted city and the elements from the 1978 film ‘The Driver’. The title and the getaway scenes are very similar which also shows how time and space has been recontextualised in Drive.
Another film that manipulates time and space is the 2009 film ‘Inglourious Basterds’. The director Quentin Tarantino includes a wide range of postmodern elements to enhance these two aspects. For example in the first chapter, the set is very exposed and Tarantino makes it clear to the audience that it is just a film due to him showing the beams in the ceiling. This makes it clear that it is a construction. Also the camera moves downwards from upstairs to underneath the floorboards showing the Jews hiding underneath them. This is another example of Tarantino exposing the set and manipulating the space. Fake backdrops are also used throughout the film that are either painted or have used CGI. An example is through the farmhouse windows where the outside scenery can be seen. This is another example of how space is manipulated as it is not actually real and is self reflexive because it refers to itself as a text. Another example of how space is manipulated is in the first chapter where there is an intertextual reference to ‘The Sound of Music’. Here the scenery makes it clear that it is a film once again but also introduces the fairy-tale aspect of WW2. The scenery is unreal and a fantasy which emphasises the hyper real aspect of the film.
Other intertextual links include the Spaghetti Western and Blaxploitation music that is used. These may be taken and adapted from films such as ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly’ in 1966 and ‘Shaft’ in 2000. This manipulates time as both genres of music are very different but strangely work quite well together. This type of music is not common in traditional war films which makes Ingourious Basterds so unique and different. In the first scene, Tarantino also mixes classical and western music together which manipulates time as he recontextualises the two genres of music into one and they are from two completely different time periods. These two styles of music are mostly used to introduce key characters and are used as a motif throughout the film. For example there is a cutaway scene which shows Goebbels having sex with his interpreter and the Blaxploitation music enhances their character and creates a very unpredictable contrast. The music that is used does not necessarily fit in the genre of the film and in traditional war films, much less music was played. For example Tarantino uses a David Bowie soundtrack called ‘Cat People’ in the premiere scene when Shoshanna is getting ready. This is very unstereotypical for a war film and manipulates time because the song was from the 80’s and the film was set in a completely different time period.
Tarantino also includes popular culture references relevant to the time that the film was set and includes what everyone was talking about at that time to appeal to a wider audience. He also uses the British public information film about nitrate film with a voiceover by Samuel L Jackson. This manipulates time as it adds a stereotypical twist as not many traditional war conventions are used in the film, but this particular aspect seems relevant. This links to John Fiske’s theory as a film such a Saving Private Ryan is what you would expect from a war film although Inglourious Basterds is very different. For example if the audience is unaware of what happened in the war they would find it hard to distinguish the good and bad characters because all of the knowledge comes from other films they have previously seen and from the media.
Tarantino also uses similar shots to the ones in The Good The Bad and The Ugly such as the forest and cellar scene. This shows how time and space is manipulated as they are from very different time periods although space has been recontextualised but still used in a similar way because the locations are the same. Tarantino also portrays the war to be glamorised as the murders are much more dramatic and graphic than traditional war films and the Basterds show no emotion. The killings are also more stylised so therefore are more hyper real. This has a link to the 1968 film ‘Where Eagles Dare’ as the soldiers enjoyed killing Nazi’s and just saw it as a job because they showed no emotion. The idea of bricolage can be applied as the film includes more than one genre which includes black comedy and war. Examples of addition include the fairytale aspect and the Blaxploitation music. Common war conventions such as the journey, fear, emotion and human frailty are deleted from the film which manipulates time as we don’t get any background information other than what we see from the characters. Yellow text, the title from Inglorious Bastards in 1978 and the David Bowie soundtrack is substituted. For the transposition, Tarantino takes elements from The Searchers, the Spaghetti Western music and the framing. The framing is what manipulates space and Tarantino also changes the end of the war which manipulates time as he changes what happened in history. The Nation’s Pride film is also played in Inglourious Basterds which has a strong intertextual link to the Odessa Steps scene in Battleship Potemkin. Tarantino takes the elements such as being shot in the eye and uses them in the film and another example is scalping taken from The Searchers where they use to keep the scalps on a long pole. This manipulates time as Tarantino plays a film within a film. The hyper real element of this is that Nation’s Pride is a traditional war film whereas Inglourious Basterds isn’t.
The final film that I have studied and manipulates time and space is the 2011 film ‘Kill List’. Ben Wheatley films a lot of scenes where the camera always seems to be one step ahead. This therefore makes it hard for the audience to keep up and emphasises the disjointed narrative because there is no actual story to the film. This shows that time is manipulated as the film is almost fast forwarded because the sound and image overlap so you know what to expect next. The transitions between scenes are very separate and don’t link which makes it very hard to keep up with the film at times. Slow motion is also used, for example in the sword fighting scene with Jay, Shel and their son. This is significant because it links to the ending so by using slow motion it makes it clear that it will be relevant to the story at some point as it is not used in any other scene in the film. The slow motion also creates tension and works well with the sinister music and manipulates time because it is portrayed to be a flashback. There is also a scene where Jay’s partner Gal looks directly at the camera so this breaks the fourth wall and manipulates space because he makes it clear that it is just a film. The idea of having a ‘boss’ or a ‘villain’ in the film makes you feel like you’re being watched and creates quite a claustrophobic atmosphere. The Client refers to the men as ‘cogs’ and the job as a ‘reconstruction’. This shows that it almost a race against time for them to complete their tasks. The unsteady and unflinching camera makes the audience decide whether or not they want to watch and leaves them on the edge of their seat. This manipulates space as it makes it more realistic and involves the audience more. The ending also has no closure and there are many unanswered questions that could be asked. The director describes the film as a ‘trap’ as you go along with watching the film and follow the story but then the most unexpected happens at the end and leaves you to use your imagination to what actually happens. This relates to Baudrillard’s theory as the audience can be easily mislead by things that appear to be real but are not. A lot of hyper real images are used throughout the film which you wouldn’t expect to see in a film of this particular genre.
The film is also based on reoccurring nightmares as Wheatley wanted to scare the audience and think of the worst things possible that could happen. The film as a whole feels like a dream because there is no clear story and leaves you to decide what happens and who the characters really are. At the end we find out that all of the cult know each other and this is very similar to Hot Fuzz when they all un-mask themselves and we know their true identity. This makes you wonder whether it was a race to be known as the chosen one as Jay was crowned as soon as he killed his girlfriend and son. Talcott Parson’s theory goes against this particular film as he said that society has a structure but this film has no structure at all. The family has no structure because of all of the arguments and financial issues that they are facing as Jay has been out of work for roughly 8 months. There is an intertextual link to the 1975 film ‘Race with the Devil’. Wheatley took elements from the film from what he can remember as a child, rather than researching and copying them as an adult. This way he adapted them into his own style. He also took elements from 1970’s and 1980’s sociorealist TV which manipulates time because it is a very different genre but by combining the two its shows Wheatley creating something new.
Television programmes are also able to manipulate time and space. The IT crowd is one example. The theme tune for the programme sounds like a 1980’s computer game and is reminiscent of Gary Numan’s work such as the 1980’s Synth Pioneer. This shows how time is manipulated as they take these elements and make a theme by referring to the past by using 8bit music. The programme is hyper real as the characters have almost created their own ‘comedy universe’. This once again relates to Talcott Parson’s theory and the idea of fragmentation as they have their very own society and workplace which holds them altogether. This shows how space is used as they are mostly just filmed in the office which is relatively confined. A reference to the Soviet scenes is also included and is taken as far as possible. The Russian accent is introduced and the music, lighting and costumes change to make it more realistic. This manipulates time as it is referring to the past but also making it more modern and humorous. There is also a scene where Jen talks to Moss as if she was a psychiatrist which manipulates space because she almost creates her own environment. There is also an intertextual reference to The Pink Windmill Kids ‘There’s somebody at the door’. This manipulates time as it is not relevant to the programme itself but adds humour as it reminds the audience of a previous programme.
Another television programme is Flight of The Conchords. This programme is also self reflexive as Brett and Jermaine repeatedly make direct address to the camera. This is another example of characters breaking the fourth wall so are therefore manipulating space. Quirky style graphics are also used. There are many intertextual references made such as Prince, Daft Punk, Pet Shop Boys and Shaggy. The parodies are included for the comedy aspect of the programme. The programme also has a semi episodic structure to inform the audience what day of the week or what time it is. This manipulates time as it shows what has happened when. For example, 5 minutes later. Bricolage can also be identified as the programme has elements from a sitcom, musical, music video and a drama. Daryll Hall can also be recognised in the programme who was a member of the 1980’s pop duo ‘Hall and Oates’. This manipulates time as it introduces a whole new genre of music to the programme and most people would be able to recognise him. The programme is also set in New Zealand where many stereotypes can be identified. This manipulates space because it is so obvious where it is set due to their accents, outfits and tourist posters.
Music can also manipulate time and space. Artists such as M.I.A. with her song ‘Bad Girls’ includes a range of different genres and sounds such as dancehall, oriental, middle-eastern, world beat and R&B. This shows how time is manipulated as these genres are from very different time periods but she has recontextualised them and made them into something more new and modern. Another artist that uses the same process is Lady Gaga. She takes elements from artists that inspire her and adapts them to create something new. Her work echoes classic 1980’s pop and 1990’s Euro pop. An example of her manipulating time is when she wrote her song ‘Boys Boys Boys’. She took elements from Motley Crue’s ‘Girl Girls Girls’ and ACDC’s ‘T.N.T’. The songs all sound very similar but the elements are very recognisable even though they were released at very different times and are different genres of music. Gaga constantly reinvents her sound and image and bricolage can be applied as she can cover a range of different genres such as opera, heavy metal, pop, disco and rock and roll. She also manipulated time by doing a special performance for Bill Clinton when he was president as Marilyn Monroe did the same for John F Kennedy. This was seen as a historical event in her career so was clearly very special for her and her fans. Jonathan Kramer’s music theory can also be applied to Lady Gaga. She challenges the barrier between high and low styles, she considers music not as autonomous but as relevant to cultural, social and political contexts, she embraces contradictions and locates meaning and even structure in listeners, more than in scores, performances or composers. Because of her unique and very unusual style, she can be considered cool in an ironic ‘I know it’s bad, but it’s so bad it’s good’ kind of way. She has so many elements from previous artists over the years such as Madonna, Britney, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper and Grace Jones but it’s hard to compare her to anyone else because she is so unique. She fits into Jean Baudrillard’s theory as she is a prime example of how the barriers between art, literature and a wider political and social life are now non-existent. She has also done a lot of charity work throughout her career just like Chris Martin and Bono. Gaga has created a new status for art culture. Art does not represent or reflect reality, it is reality. She shows this through her strong opinions, beliefs, lyrics and iconic style. This shows how she manipulates time and space with her confidence.
Summer Camp’s ‘Round The Moon’ is another example of how time and space can be manipulated. Their musical style has been described as ‘21st Century alt pop’ but also has influences from 60’s girl groups and 80’s synth pop. Their lyrics are quite dark and deal with failed relationships, conflicts and teenage obsessions. This also links to Kramer’s theory as they break the barrier to appeal to their target audience as they can relate to the same situations. Their artwork and music videos are influenced by American culture from the 1960s-1980’s. This shows them manipulating time as they take elements from different cultures and reinvent them. Brian Eno’s ‘Death of Uncool’ theory is a perfect example of how artists are manipulating time and space. There are too many styles around which keep mutating constantly so it makes it harder to distinguish what is ‘cool’ and ‘uncool’. This means that they are constantly breaking barriers and reinventing sounds and there is a much wider range of genres out there that many people do not yet know about. The way technology is evolving is also speeding up this process due to people’s access to IPods, smart phones and DABs. This has made access to music much easier with things such as Spotify, The XFactor, ITunes, downloading from the internet and getting free CDs from newspapers. Sampling also takes place in the music industry which allows artists to manipulate time and space by copying sounds and mixing different genres. This is also known as Pick n’ Mix culture. Baudrillard’s idea of ‘surface over depth’ is also relevant as some artists are only known for their image and style, rather than their musical background.
These postmodern texts and media show how easy it is to manipulate space and time whether it is location, sound or style. Some elements are more recognisable than others but are all equally effective due to how they are used. No matter what media it is, whether it is film, television programmes or music, they all express time and space in different ways.
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