Defining postmodernism in a distinctive cinematic style is difficult due to the stigma of postmodernism lacking style. Fredric Jameson basically defines it as the economic and social structure we live in gradually becoming more decentralized, rejecting social norms and modernism. Comprised of a mixture of different cinematic styles and genres, postmodernism is, particularly in cinematic cases, about the refusal to subvert to the modernist theories and narrative structure that have been the approach to most mainstream films. I will explore the different characteristics of postmodernism in this essay such as pastiche, intertextuality, parody, and nostalgia through appropriate film examples that will help explain the postmodern theories that support the definition of a "postmodern style" . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Pastiche is an homage to past film styles and can be a blend of several different genres to create a unique and exclusive genre and narrative that if used. correctly will create a postmodernist quality to the film. Donnie Darko is a great example of using pastiche as a defining factor in a postmodern style of cinema. Set in 1980s America, the film features numerous intertextual references. Jameson believes that reconstructing the past using stereotypes and pop culture of the time is a way of using nostalgia in cinema. Although the high school location is easily familiar at the time, the use of the 80s pop soundtrack is what effectively triggers the audience's memory and nostalgia for that specific time period, aside from also being teenager and to live in a similar place. The characters themselves also regularly bring up '80s pop culture, talking about movies like Halloween, Evil Dead, and Back to the Future. There are a few intertextual references in Donnie Darko, one being Graham Greene's book The Destructors (1954), the book is used in Donnie's English class. The book features the main character burning down a house, just like Donnie, showing that the book was not an influence on Donnie in the film, but also influenced director Richard Kelly when he was writing the screenplay. There's also the relationship between Donnie Darko and Alice in Wonderland, which is the idea that the twisted psyche of "Frank" Donnie is associated with the White Rabbit who leads Alice down a rabbit hole, in the same way that Frank leads Donnie into a dark hole. , hybridity is greatly visible in Donnie Darko as it shows characteristics of multiple genres and themes. The mixing of several genres is used so that the audience does not have an idea of ​​what is going to happen, so that they cannot read the film - like a modernist Hollywood film where it would be easy. The film has a mix of horror, sci-fi and thriller, merging dark shadows and eerie locations with time-warping wormholes and special effects. It confuses the viewer on what they expect to see, which emphasizes the "postmodern style" in the theory. that mixing different cinematic styles and genres helps make a film postmodern. This combination of diverse gender ideologies inspires audiences to become more active in viewing, providing them with unpredictable, non-traditional visuals and themes that make them confused about what is real and what is fake. “Simulation threatens the difference between true and false, between real and imaginary.Since the simulator produces real symptoms, is he sick or not? ". Donnie Darko can be classified as a postmodern film, as it implements many postmodern narrative and stylistic techniques. One of them is his rejection of metanarratives. Metanarratives are broad, traditional concepts that impose themselves on society and shape people's beliefs. In the film, Donnie's town is heavily influenced by law and religion: it "represses freedom through its institutions of work, school and family", with the gym teacher, Mrs. Farmer, being a fervent follower of these ideologies. These concepts and the characters who apply them are portrayed negatively and Donnie rebels against them for the sake of his community. For example, when life coach Jim Cunningham talks to students about his reductionist beliefs about life, Donnie argues against him and against these concepts shaped by metanarratives. Later, when Jim's house is burned down, it is revealed that he has a collection of child pornography, which casts a negative light on him and his religious beliefs. Additionally, Donnie actively turns to science and time travel to find answers about life, rather than the religion imposed on him by his school and therapist. This rebellion against traditional beliefs shows the film's postmodern rejection of meta-narratives. Another postmodern trait included in Donnie Darko is the use of a non-linear narrative. Traditionally, films follow a chronological, linear narrative to present a story, but non-linear or fragmented narratives encourage the audience to be active in their viewing in order to fully understand the story. This is reflected in Donnie Darko through its theme of time travel. The film begins on October 2, 1988, and then the story unfolds over 28 days as it counts down to "the end of the world." Early in the film, a plane engine falls into Donnie's room, which sets off a series of events that occur throughout the film. Towards the end of the film, this event happens again, but this time Donnie is killed and the countdown is reset to October 2, 1988. When this happens, the audience must connect all the events that happened to the outcome in order to fully understand the film . . Initially, the narrative seems linear, but this unexpected ending forces the audience to reconsider their understanding of the film. Additionally, Jean Baudrillard's postmodern concept of simulation and simulacrum applies to Donnie Darko. Baudrillard suggests that, while simulations are an artificial representation of reality, the simulacrum is a completely new reality of something that has never existed before; a “parallel universe” as such. This concept can be explained by the use of narrative in Donnie Darko. At first, the city in the film is presented as a typical American suburb. However, we quickly begin to question reality when surreal events such as wormholes and wormholes begin to occur. While this may suggest a dream state, it may also indicate that the world is a simulation. However, at the end of the film, the narrative seems to reset, returning to the date the film began. This implies that not all of the events that took place actually happened, suggesting that the world and its history existed in a simulacrum. Postmodern ideas of characterization, such as multiple or fractured identities, are used in Donnie Darko. This concept applies most clearly to Donnie himself, relating to the psychoanalytic theory of the ego, superego, and id. Donnie can be seen as having multiple identities, due to the inclusion of his "friend.