“Perhaps inevitably, such a strategy (story telling) points to an understanding of much of the contemporary cinema as a postmodern phenomena the fragmentation of linear narrative has a tendency to signal to audiences in the contemporary era that some degree of self-reflectiveness is occurring in the narrative. This is normally a playful engagement with film form in which pastiche, parody homage and self–conscious artifice are foregrounded as a mode of cinematic illusionism and modern day story telling.” (Nelmes. J 2003, pg.88,89)
A postmodern film needs to hold a number of different stories and strands to support the main plot of a film. It is important for the reader to put their understanding and enjoyment into the film to have a concept or view of a particular point in time, in this case the Manchester music scene. Although the film is based around a moment it is difficult for the viewer to determine which time within the era the film documents.
“By conventional narrative standards, 24 Hour Party People is out-and-out confusion, a free-associative blur, but that's what makes it. The spirit hits you from the opening titles, a defiantly illegible wobble of amoeba lettering. Cinematographer Robby Müller, shooting digitally, creates a freestyle mix of looks, from desaturated Seventies beige to polarised purples and golds for Happy Mondays' E-fuelled prime. True to the title, the film really does have a party feel, something you wouldn't expect from the hitherto dour and pragmatic Winterbottom.” (Romney.J, 2002) The Independent
Films such as ‘The Matrix’, ‘Memento’, ‘Pulp Fiction’ and of course ‘24 Hour Party People’ are about how society and culture operates and how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, the theme and plot lines generally represent reality as unreality. These films all experiment, creating many stories within one story to convey the ever changing world around us, the originality created can be seen as an artistic way of film making, showing the use of images, music and imagination to create a narrative which needs audience participation, without telling them what they should think.
Post Modernism is about the change in how society and culture operates and how we perceive ourselves and the world around us
Quentin Tarantino is one of a new wave of modern film makers who strive to do more than simply adapt a story into film form but who wish to experiment and adapt what they do to the ever changing world we live in. In this world such people not only take what is in the world around them as inspiration but also inspire other media forms with the original works that they create.
Artifacts such as ’24 Hour Party People’ and ‘Tarintino’ films are often disregarded as an art form, due to the alternative take the directors have. They create a sense of confusion, many postmodern films are not seen in main stream cinema due to this.
I believe ’24 Hour Party People”, is an iconic film which we can connect to the definition of Postmodernism, by using Strinati’s structure as an outline, it has helped me understand how postmodernism is used within film, and also the reason for producers to use this style when relaying their stories to the viewer.
Many audiences relate to post-modernism films such as ‘The Matrix’, ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Mullholland Drive’. It is important for the reader to deconstruct the film to recognise its use of postmodernism within film. Some proponents of Post Modern film would suggest that Post Modernist films should include themes of future and violence and would therefore reject “24 Hour Party People” as being Post Modern, however this view would not be universal.
Many audiences may not choose to watch this type of film because of the somewhat difficult to understand plot or story it holds. Although films such as “24 Hour party People” seem difficult to grasp in the beginning due to the lack of story or information it is the tone, style and reflection of the culture of the time that are key to how the narrative is delivered and read by the audience.
Many post modern films appear to hold little logic and it is often difficult for producers to generate funding to make these types of films.
Strinati’s 5 principles can be applied to a greater or lesser extent to most Post Modern films, however as Post Modern film includes great diversity of subject and narrative it would be foolish to define a film as not Post Modern if it did not match Strinati’s 5 principles exactly. Many people would generally accept that 24 Hour Party People is a Post Modern film and whether or not they have heard of Strinati’s 5 principles.
