Discuss how it demonstrates the following to create something new and create Nostalgia:
- PARODY &/or PASTICHE
- BRICOLAGE
- INTERTEXTUALITY (TRON?)HYBRIDITY
- NOSTALGIA & RETRO
- PLAYFUL & IRONIC (Self Reflexive)
'Wreck-It Ralph' is an animation based around an arcade game character Ralph, who's main goal is to become the 'good guy' by bringing a gold medal back to the 'Fix-It Felix' characters who consider him to be the bad guy. Nostalgia is seen straight away before the film even starts as an old Disney animation intro fits with the retro feel of the film. The introduction of Ralph shows post-modernism because we soon align with him, the 'bad guy' and not the other characters in 'Fix-It Felix'. The film shows styles of parody in the 'Bad Guys Anonymous' scene when the 'bad guys' of known arcade games are neutered down to people just like us, they become human-like and Ralph speaks up to say that he doesn't want to be the bad guy. This is creating a parody version of the way people have grown up with games and see the 'bad guys' in a different way. Pastiche is shown in the beginning of the film when Ralph is introduced. This is when the arcade game 'Fix-It Felix.Jr' comes to life through the film and shows hybridity because this wouldn't usually happen in real life. However because the film starts of with a arcade style look on the screen, which is a pastiche of the arcade games people grew up with, it helps to make the film enjoyable as you want to believe Anonymous happens in real-life. The common modern structure of narrative is broken in the clip, the Hero's Duty female character is portrayed as masculine and more dominant than Felix. As they are about to kiss she fires her gun and kills the romantic mood, this contrasts to modernism although during the clip we do see Felix saving her as she stares at him, this is the only part in the clip that follows rules of modernism.
In the game 'Candy Rush' from 'Wreck-It Ralph' we see the racing track smothered with sweets, ice cream and chocolate. This can be viewed as a Bricolage between Mario Karts racing and Willy Wonka's candy land this is an example of Post modernism and intertextuality. The trailer from the film 'intertexuality', we see that hyper-reality hasn't been done before and even though the film is dated, it shows a future of simulacra where people immerse themselves in their video games rather than existing in real-life. In the clip we see humans that are animated, this is a feature of post modernism because we can not distinguish what's real or simulated, we see a simulated game with artificial humans, this collapses modernistic narrative structures and is also playful and ironic.There's more nostalgia in the film that might have been missed, which is at the very beginning of the film when the camera zooms in to the 'Fix-It Felix.Jr' game. However, included in the wide angle shot before this, is games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which are nostalgic to many adults who grew up playing those games. The retro computer screen fits within the feel of the film, which creates bricolage as the idea of abandoned arcade games blend with modern day animation. Post-modernism is present in 'Wreck-It Ralph' through nostalgia as it shows our lack of belief in human progress when we keep looking back in the past. Bricolage blends the idea of video games and films, and while we can control video games, we cannot control this film. This comes into the self-reflective side of the film which shows that there is no line between good and bad in people.
The ideas that feature in Wreck it Ralph show eclecticism because it draws on more than one idea and does not go on just a set of assumptions. For example, we don't assume that all the villains are the bad guys, that there is good and bad in everyone, as even the people from 'Fix It Felix' show acts of bullying towards Ralph, who just wants to be the good guy, and fit in. There is a modernist view of the villain living in the dump, in the darkness alone, while the heroes live in the nice penthouses illuminated. (Light representing goodness and purity and darkness representing the opposite, it is clear that the grand narrative here is fairly modernist.) At Bad Anon, the villains show a degree of vulnerability, and not in the modernist way of being vulnerable. These emotions and feelings of self doubt are apparent, in a post modern way. A line from one of the villains (a zombie) is "labels won't make you happy, you must love you." Modernism was obsessed with labelling people, genders, sexualities, races. A post modern society tries to break down these labels and has even introduced people that don't identify with any of these labels. While it is a kids film, Disney still showing that it has a message in it, despite it's post modern qualities.
WORDS: 815
In the game 'Candy Rush' from 'Wreck-It Ralph' we see the racing track smothered with sweets, ice cream and chocolate. This can be viewed as a Bricolage between Mario Karts racing and Willy Wonka's candy land this is an example of Post modernism and intertextuality. The trailer from the film 'intertexuality', we see that hyper-reality hasn't been done before and even though the film is dated, it shows a future of simulacra where people immerse themselves in their video games rather than existing in real-life. In the clip we see humans that are animated, this is a feature of post modernism because we can not distinguish what's real or simulated, we see a simulated game with artificial humans, this collapses modernistic narrative structures and is also playful and ironic.There's more nostalgia in the film that might have been missed, which is at the very beginning of the film when the camera zooms in to the 'Fix-It Felix.Jr' game. However, included in the wide angle shot before this, is games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which are nostalgic to many adults who grew up playing those games. The retro computer screen fits within the feel of the film, which creates bricolage as the idea of abandoned arcade games blend with modern day animation. Post-modernism is present in 'Wreck-It Ralph' through nostalgia as it shows our lack of belief in human progress when we keep looking back in the past. Bricolage blends the idea of video games and films, and while we can control video games, we cannot control this film. This comes into the self-reflective side of the film which shows that there is no line between good and bad in people.
The ideas that feature in Wreck it Ralph show eclecticism because it draws on more than one idea and does not go on just a set of assumptions. For example, we don't assume that all the villains are the bad guys, that there is good and bad in everyone, as even the people from 'Fix It Felix' show acts of bullying towards Ralph, who just wants to be the good guy, and fit in. There is a modernist view of the villain living in the dump, in the darkness alone, while the heroes live in the nice penthouses illuminated. (Light representing goodness and purity and darkness representing the opposite, it is clear that the grand narrative here is fairly modernist.) At Bad Anon, the villains show a degree of vulnerability, and not in the modernist way of being vulnerable. These emotions and feelings of self doubt are apparent, in a post modern way. A line from one of the villains (a zombie) is "labels won't make you happy, you must love you." Modernism was obsessed with labelling people, genders, sexualities, races. A post modern society tries to break down these labels and has even introduced people that don't identify with any of these labels. While it is a kids film, Disney still showing that it has a message in it, despite it's post modern qualities.
WORDS: 815
as an old Disney animation intro fits with the retro feel of the film - no, this sequence is base on retro video games from the 80s
ReplyDelete, they become human-like and Ralph speaks up to say that he doesn't want to be the bad guy - yes this is PoMo, by you need to explain why, last weeks notes will help you do this, this requires explanation of how this demonstrate these central ideas of Postmodernism that lies behind why it looks like this
The common modern structure of narrative is broken in the clip, the Hero's Duty female character is portrayed as masculine and more dominant than Felix. - good, see how you have linked this example to the explanation of PoMo ideas
Bricolage between Mario Karts racing and Willy Wonka's candy land this is an example of Post modernism and intertextuality. - explain why are these terms PoMo?
In the clip we see humans that are animated, this is a feature of post modernism because we can not distinguish what's real or simulated, we see a simulated game with artificial humans, this collapses modernistic narrative structures and is also playful and ironic. - Very good point! Develop your other points as you have here, well done.
Post-modernism is present in 'Wreck-It Ralph' through nostalgia as it shows our lack of belief in human progress when we keep looking back in the past. - excellent
This comes into the self-reflective side of the film which shows that there is no line between good and bad in people. - good attempt but not what this term means.
and while we can control video games, we cannot control this film. - so does this make it PoMo?
A line from one of the villains (a zombie) is "labels won't make you happy, you must love you." Modernism was obsessed with labelling people, genders, sexualities, races. A post modern society tries to break down these labels and has even introduced people that don't identify with any of these labels. While it is a kids film, Disney still showing that it has a message in it, despite it's post modern qualities. - very good conclusion here Natasha, excellent understanding and well rationalised
Excellent effort - very impressive level of understanding using the resources independently.
To improve:
Using Nostalgia and Intertextuality adds familiarity to a text, so does this communicate on a deeper level of recognition and emotion for individuals that 'get' the references? Could we argue PoMo is a language that excludes some based on age or experience?
Make sure your explanation of what they are PoMo is consistent with all your points.
WT A2