An intriguing and controversial phenomenon in cultural theory is the fusion of high-and popular culture as characteristic of the postmodern period. Once provocative artists such as Brecht, Picasso and others had lost their subversive powers in school curricula and the museum and so were fully embraced by the bourgeoisie. In left wing reactionary fashion a new trend was born in British and American underground collectives, which aimed to incorporate the trivial and commercial into cultural expression. A new generation was on the move, which regarded an absolute distinction between elite–and mass production as extremely unhip. The most famous example is probably Andy Warhol’s pop art, which inevitably brings to mind stacked up Brillo boxes, Coca Cola bottles and Campbell soup cans, combining sophisticated painting techniques with mundane advertising images.
When measured against the "real" culture of modernism, postmodernism signifies a culture of kitsch in much of the approach conceptualized by the leading American theorist Fredric Jameson. He puts a distinctly political spin on the concept of postmodernism in his book 'Postmodernism or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism'. He views it as the "cultural dominant" of global capitalism. What has happened is that aesthetic production today has become integrated into commodity production generally as a result of American economic domination. As an example of the practice of this new culture, Jameson utilizes cinema, which he regards as the preeminent postmodern medium, due to its emphasis on sight. Particular reference is given to Hollywood productions of the late 20th century. As a representation of this genre, my selection includes American Graffiti (1973), Pulp Fiction (1994), True Romance (1983), Back to the Future (1985), Peggy Sue got Married (1986) and Rumble Fish (1983). After closely viewing these movies their aesthetic style will be related back to the concepts of Jameson’s theory. My analysis will be guided by the assumption, that many of the features of the theory essentially will be affirmed, ultimately illustrating that the distinction between high and low art has in fact vanished.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
a) Fusion of high - and popular culture
b) Postmodernism or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism
c) Cinema as practice of new cultural landscape
2. Main part 1: Features of theory
a) Depthlessness
b) Waning of affect
c) Schizophrenia
d) Pastiche
e) Simulacrum
f) Historicity
g) Summary
3. Main part 2: Movies
a) American Graffiti (1973)
b) Pulp Fiction (1994)
c) Rumble Fish (1983)
d) Back To The Future (1985) and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines the manifestation of postmodern cultural features, particularly pastiche and nostalgia, within American cinema of the 1980s and 1990s. The core objective is to analyze how these films reflect Fredric Jameson’s theoretical framework regarding the "cultural logic of late capitalism," testing the assumption that the distinction between high and low art has dissolved into a commercialized, depthless landscape of historical allusion.
- Analysis of Fredric Jameson's key postmodern categories: depthlessness, pastiche, and the waning of affect.
- Exploration of the "nostalgia film" as a replicator of the logic of consumer capitalism.
- Case studies of representative films including American Graffiti, Pulp Fiction, and Rumble Fish.
- Evaluation of the political dimension of postmodernism as a "cultural dominant."
Excerpt from the Book
Pastiche
The disappearance of the individual subject, along with its formal consequence, the increasing unavailability of the personal style, engender the well – nigh universal practice today of what may be called pastiche (C 24).
It refers to a sort of appropriation or copying of the forms and styles of other literature or art. As both involve imitation and mimicry, pastiche bears a resemblance to parody. However, in the context of postmodernism parody finds itself without a vocation; it has lived, and that strange new thing pastiche slowly comes to take its place. Pastiche is, like parody the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody’s ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter and of any conviction that alongside the abnormal tongue you have momentarily borrowed, some healthy linguistic normality still exists. Pastiche is thus blank parody, a statue with blind eyeballs: It is to parody what that other interesting and historically original modern thing, the practice of a kind of blank irony, is to what Wayne Booth Calls the “stable ironies“of the eighteenth century (C 25).
Cultural production in the postmodern according to Jameson is thus always reminiscent of other cultural production, whether it is in regard to related genres or past periods. However, no particular point is made about those ideas or their aesthetic form, but they are merely used and recombined to some kind of postmodern recycling product.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the postmodern fusion of high and popular culture, outlining the theoretical influence of Fredric Jameson and Jean Baudrillard.
2. Main part 1: Features of theory: This section defines the foundational concepts of the postmodern condition, such as depthlessness, schizophrenia, the waning of affect, and the simulacrum.
3. Main part 2: Movies: This part applies the theoretical concepts to specific cinematic works, analyzing how films like American Graffiti and Pulp Fiction utilize pastiche and nostalgia.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, arguing that while postmodern film reflects a loss of historical consciousness, it also serves as a dominant cultural expression of late capitalism.
Keywords
Postmodernism, Fredric Jameson, Pastiche, Nostalgia Film, Depthlessness, Simulacrum, Late Capitalism, Cultural Dominant, Cinema, American Graffiti, Pulp Fiction, Waning of Affect, Historicity, Consumer Capitalism, Popular Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The work focuses on the intersection of postmodern cultural theory and contemporary cinema, specifically exploring how films utilize nostalgia and pastiche to reflect the logic of late capitalism.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the dissolution of boundaries between high and low art, the loss of historical depth, the "death of the subject," and the role of commercial commodities in shaping cultural identity.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine how and to what extent Fredric Jameson’s theoretical description of the postmodern cultural landscape is mirrored in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study employs a qualitative, film-analytical approach based on cultural theory, specifically utilizing the framework provided by Fredric Jameson and elements of Jean Baudrillard’s simulacra theory.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body is divided into a theoretical section defining postmodern characteristics and an analytical section that applies these theories to specific film case studies.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include postmodernism, pastiche, nostalgia film, simulacrum, and consumer capitalism.
How does the author characterize the "nostalgia film"?
The author describes the nostalgia film as a medium that reconstructs a "missing past" through aesthetic styles and commodities, effectively preventing genuine historical consciousness.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding postmodern culture?
The author concludes that while postmodernism is marked by an essential triviality and the collapse of original art, it is both a positive and a negative development in our current cultural environment.
- Quote paper
- Irene Fowlkes (Author), 2006, Americana Style a la Mode Retro: Postmodern Pastiche Between Culture and Commodity, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/128769
