Thursday 29 September 2016

Apply the Aesthetic Explanation of Post-Modernism to a Trailer (Romeo and Juliet, 1992)

Aesthetic is when things look a certain way. An aesthetic explanation of post-modernism would mean the picture has a 'kitsch' look to it which means it is tasteless but purposely tasteless, it would include 'bricolage' which is a collage of various things, or it could also include 'intertextuality' which it two texts linking together or referencing each other. Here are parts of the Romeo and Juliet trailer that suit this description:

  • Bricolage is used in the mixture of modern times and old English language. This combination appears odd to the audience as this combination does not fit well together.
  • The costumes within the film are very 'kitsch' with Juliet wearing an angel costume and Romeo wearing a suit of armour. The brightly coloured shirts the gangs wear are also very unflattering and 'kitsch'.
  • The shiny and fake looking guns would also be considered kitsch as they are fake looking and cheap.
  • The scene with Romeo and Juliet looking at each other through the fish tank would be considered a kitsch use of camera work. The fish swimming over their faces looks like bad CGI and is very unflattering.
  • The old-fashioned grunt-styled subtitles would also be kitsch as it makes the film look more dated than it actually is and can also come off cheesy looking.
  • Helicopter fights in a Shakespeare adaptation would represent bricolage as it is, again, the combination of helicopters and the old-fashioned fight scenes in the Shakespeare play. 
  • The odd looking facial hair and hairstyles of the gang members would be another thing that's considered kitsch.
  • The almost apocalyptic looking scene on the beach looks very odd and out of place, this would be both kitsch and bricolage due to the bad CGI making it look cheap but the bricolage being applied with the combination of an apocalyptic setting within a film set in the 90s. 
  • The closeups of character's faces as they speak is another example of kitsch camera work.
  • The neon lit religious symbols would also be kitsch as it is trashy looking.
  • Gang members flipping and kissing their guns whilst tearing their shirts is very cheesy is another kitsch addition.

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