Billy Raybould

"Postmodern media manipulate time and space". To what extent does this definition apply to texts you have studied?
Postmodern media & texts tend to manipulate time and space in a number of different ways; through Hyper reality, narrative elements, different layers of meaning from within the text itself, the media being self reflexive & through music choose or scores. In the film Inglorious Basterds (IB) the first indication that director Quentin Tarantino attempts to manipulate time and space is through the structure of how the opening credits roll. The song that accompanies the infamous yellow Tarantino text which is included in a number of his films following Pulp Fiction (an intertextual reference within itself), is taken from the soundtrack of the Spaghetti Western The Alamo released in the 1960s which is after the date in which IB is set. Music from different eras to which the film is set is common in IB as another scene set within a forest now occupied by the Basterds, shows us a German Sargent walking towards Aldo Reign, the piece of music that accompanies this particular scene is also from a Spaghetti Western which are obviously set in a different time period to the Second World War. Whilst this scene manipulates time through the choice of music, it is also an example of how the postmodern text manipulates space as the shots in which the German are walking are completely in slow motion (a twist on reality as this does not happen) and also the shots are also an ode to Spaghetti Westerns which again could also be an example of a manipulation of both time and space. In the film Inception (released in 2010) which is also set in the same or similar year heavily features a french pop song by artist Edith Piaf-Non as an integral part of the film which was released in the 1930s so again mixes different eras through the use of music. The same song is used to open the film as Dom stirs on a beach, and is used later in the film as a kick for the Inception team. However in the films opening and throughout its entirety, Non, Je Regrette Rien can be heard as it has been manipulated by being slowed down to give the appearance or sound of it being a completely different song altogether. Intertextual References also play a part in Postmodern medias manipulating time and space. With continuous intertextual links to Spaghetti Westerns throughout Inglorious Basterds, especially in the opening scene set in the Farm House in which Hans Landa begins his interrogation of Perrier LaPadite in regards to him hiding a jewish family. The shot were we see Shoshanna running through the hills after her family are murdered, the notable inclusion of being able to see through the frame of the door which is subsequently left open as Landa proceeds through in attempt to shoot Shosanna, is a reference to the ending of the Western The Searchers of 1956. As well as the opening having references to Westerns, the shots of the rolling hills and the surround landscapes are a reference to the film The Sound Of Music in which the sights of the hills would appear familiar which is considered post modern to the calming nature of these shots (The Sound Of Music) but paired with the music and yellow Tarantino text now appears to have a much more sinister feel. Another reference to music of a different era & attitude and another example of how the texts I have studied have manipulated time would be the scene from Inglorious Basterds where we are shown Shoshanna getting ready for the German premier, accompanied by the David Bowie pop song Cat People. Inglorious Basterds is a violent and gory film set in WWII so this particular song choice is odd to be paired with a film of such nature and also it must be considered that the song was released in the 1980s and the film was set in the 1940s. There is also reference to a film within the film as Nations Pride depicts Fredrick Zollers triumph in the killing of hundreds of british soldiers which can be seen as an intertextual

Billy Raybould
reference. There is also a obvious reference to the film Where Eagles Dare through the continued use of violence when the Basterds are shown butchering the Nazi soldiers in the finale and certain points throughout the film (think the Tavern scene and Scalping scenes). The films plot may also be noted as a reference to the Dirty Dozen, in which 12 convicts are composed as a specific group of soldiers, much like Also Raines squadron in Inglorious Basterds, with special mention to Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz who is indeed a convict when tapped up Raines men to join on their mission. In Inception there is also reference to number of external influences, for example the inclusion of the impossible or Penrose staircase within the film. A shot in Inception shows Ariandes first experience of sharing a dream in which see manipulates a space by moving mirrors to show a handful of the same reflection; mimicking a Citizen Kane film where he too sees a number of reflections of himself within just one mirror. Christopher Nolan also references the artwork of Ori Gherst, as the slow motion explosions from within the dreams (A manipulation of time) are very similar to the staged shots of Ghersts. On Her Majesties Secret Service was released in 1969, and contains a scene dubbed Battle at Piz Gloria and is an obvious source of inspiration & therefore referenced in Inception as there is a shoot out in a similar snowy location so again is a good example of how Inception as a postmodern text manipulates time and space as it references a film that is over 40 years old. Inglorious Basterds can also be considered postmodern and manipulates time and space due to the fact that the film is self reflexive. Throughout the film there are references made to characters and settings through the form of Tarantino's yellow text. This may be the conformation of a characters name whilst they too are pictured on the screen at the same time. Also there is the continuous theme of voice overs that add information or a background to the characters which are a common theme across all of Tarantinos work, and the recognisable voice of Samuel L Jackson. In certain scenes within Inglorious Basterds the scenes are shot in such a way so that the audience can see certain sections or parts of the set which shows that the physical space, in this case the set itself in which the film was set, is being manipulated as what it not normally shown in films can be seen here. A Public Service Film is shown within the movie in regards to nitrate film being taken on public transport (it being illegal due to the highly flammable nature and therefore danger of the product) which references the exact reason as to why Shoshanna is deciding to use such film to ultimately take down the higher Reich. Hyperreality is another way in which postmodern texts manipulate time and space, hype reality being simply defining what is real from what is fantasy or what the media helps us to believe (an example of this would be from the text Falling Down and the fast food queue scene). The comedy value that the Germans depicted in Inglorious Basterds carry would suggest it is a hype-reality. Hitler (and the german army) are famous for there actions in trying to eliminate the jewish race and the murder of thousands of innocents etc, however in the film they have a much more comical nature about them, particularly Hitler and Hans Landa within the film are staged to be funnier than they ultimately should be, and therefore easier to watch and connect with. Overall, the whole film plays on this factor as a lot of the characters are over the top and over enthusiastic, with emphasis on accents that appear peculiar as opposed to an actual German/American or British accent. Another notable mention of a hyperreality within Inglorious Basterds would be that in the film, the war ends in 1944, when the real WWII ended it was intact at 1945 & the way in which the war was brought to an end is a play on the non - fictional events of the real war. The over the top blood and gore is also a way in which Inglorious Basterds is made to seem farcical and therefore not real - think the scenes in which the Basterds scalp the Nazi soldiers. Throughout the war it would not be uncommon for the soldiers to look messy or dirty uniforms would rarely be washed and dirty due to poor conditions etc - however the Basterds and German soldiers in Inglorious Basterds also appear to be immaculate and extremely well groomed regardless of all of the blood and dirt that comes with war, notably the condition of the white smoking jackets in the finale. Again this emphasises Inglorious Basterds elements of hype reality and manipulating time and space.

Billy Raybould
Referencing the opening scene again, we are greeted with the text Once upon a time a common phrase associated with fairy tales, but in this instance being used to introduce and set the scene of a war film. The same text is used to introduce new chapters and offer a brief description, which is reminiscent of a child's story and fairytales. This therefore suggests or leads to believe the audience of a fairytale itself, but is intact introducing a film far from the happy scenes of such texts, an example of Gerard Genettes idea of hypertextuality. Manipulation of time is apparent in Inception due to the time scale of how long time lasts within the dream state; 1 hour asleep is 10 hours within the dream state and so on so is an effective way in which this postmodern text manipulates time, as well as the slow motion scenes within the film. Inception also depicts certain hyper real moments, mainly the context of the film, as people are not able to venture into other peoples dreams, let alone shape them from their or the victims memory. The underlying context of Inception is the idea of dreaming vs reality, which within itself is a manipulation of time (dreaming) and space (dream vs. reality, the layers of the dreams) and the way in which the architect Ariande and Cobb can shape or manipulate the physical space within dreams for example when Paris is shown to fold in on itself or when building crumble and fall into the sea. The narrative of Inception is also disjointed, fragmented and interrupted consistently, again a way in which Inception manipulates time and space. Intertextual references are common in inception, for example the reference of the Penrose or impossible staircase where Arthur takes Ariande which could again be considered a way the text manipulates the physical space, in this case the staircase. The name Ariande is a reference to the daughter of King Minos from the story of the Minotaur taken from Greek mythology - a name that has been used from a different time period which is again a manipulation of time due to the reference. To conclude, the texts which I have studied contain an overwhelming amount of postmodern features that manipulate time and space through a number of different factors.