Post-modernism can be defined as a departure from modernism and is characterized by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories.
In the opening scene the first reference is established of Tarantino and Post-modern element within the first few seconds. The opening credits represent Tarantino in how he likes to include himself in his films and leave his own trademarks through the use of yellow text for the opening credits. We see this as a post-modern reference to Tarantino’s work from how the audience recognises this from the use of yellow text in his other popular films such as Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction. This is more obvious in Inglourious Basterds then any other Tarantino film since there is a lot of text which is sub titled in the film due to there being people speaking in German and French rather then English, this apposed to the usual colour of credits which is white. The music played in the opening credits is ‘The Green Leaves of Summer’ which is featured in the Spaghetti Western: ‘The Alamo’ which was released in the 1960 which is much later then the time period in which Inglorious Basterds is set. This is a post modern reference clearly of Tarantino’s thinking which is used to implement a Western feel to the film.
Although the film has a true setting and understory with the film being set around figures and dates of World War Two, Tarantino makes many references to the fact that the plot of the film is fictional. For example, 'Once upon a time in Nazi Occupied France...'. It is seen as Post-modern from how it apposes the normality of a war film and brings humour to what is seen as a very unfunny period of history, but in the same way implies that although it is focusing on a real event the accuracy may be wrong since it is being told as a story. It also leads with the title ‘Chapter One’; this again is another re-enforcement of the apposing of normal war films.
The first scene shows us panoramic views of the French mountains which holds direct reference to the opening scene of 'The Sound Of Music' from 1959. The panoramic shots of the mountains are shown as very painterly which holds reference to 1950's. The only reason why Tarantino may have made this reference is due to the fact of 'The Sound Of Music' is set in Austria which during World War Two was a Nazi occupied country. This could be consider Post-modern from how it is recycling a scene from a past film and bringing new light to it in a different form.
One of the main post-modern references to Inglourious Basterds is the use of music throughout the film. There are many examples of postmodern choices of music used, ranging from Spaghetti Western music to a David Bowie song, which was produced long after the film was set in the 1940’s. Tarantino used Spaghetti Western music produced by Ennio Marricone for much of the sound track.
This ‘Western’ feel that is given to the film at the beginning is extended to the farmhouse where it makes a clear reference to the 1956 American Western film: ‘The Searchers’ starring John Wayne. In the searchers the scene is John Wayne in which he finishes his quest and leaves through the doorway in a peaceful manor, compared to Shoshanna leaving the farmhouse as an escape rather then a goodbye. This can be consider post modern from how Tarantino wants to make a link to Western films and does this by replicating iconic scenes in Western films to make it clear to the audience.
Tarantino uses other references in the film to make clear links to factors he admires in a post modern form. An example of this is one that Tarantino takes from a World War 2 film from 1968: ‘Where Eagles Dare’. Although it is a war film it is not a war element that Tarantino replicates, he replicates the element of how although soldiers are fighting in a grotty war that there costume and appearance is always impeccable. Tarantino replicates this mainly onto Brad Pitt’s character Aldo Raine, at the premiere scene Pitt looks articulate with his hair in place and wearing a spotless, white tuxedo. Despite this he get tackled to the ground, kidnapped and wrestled around with a big over his head, later in the film he still looks spotless. This is an example of post-modernism from how it replicates a non-natural factor of a film through pure admiration.
Another post-modern reference is the use of actors used in the film. Firstly, the use of Samuel L Jackson in the film is interesting. A Trademark of Tarantino is to use Jackson some where in a lot of his films, normally he gets a role as an actor but since Tarantino must have seen no appropriate roles for him he merely is the narrator for parts of the film. This could be considered post-modern from how normally a director would have little preference about recycling actors and merely use the best suited actors but Tarantino goes out his way to find a small role for Jackson.
Part of production of Inglourious Basterds which has post modern elements is the casting that was done. From looking into it Tarantino had a strong idea of exactly he wanted in his cast before the film began casting, these are some ideas he had that didn’t come to happen. Firstly, Tarantino originally sought Leonardo DiCaprio to be cast as Hans Landa before deciding to have the character played by an older German actor. Also, Tarantino asked Adam Sandler to play the role of Donny Donowitz, but Sandler declined due to schedule conflicts with the film Funny People. Eli Roth was cast in the role instead. Finally, Tarantino also wanted to cast Simon Pegg in the film as Lt. Archie Hicox, but the actor was forced to drop out due to scheduling difficulties with Spielberg's Tintin adaptation, which left the part open for Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender. This shows Inglourious Basterds as being post-modern from how involved Tarantino is in making his film as personal to his own unique preferences as possible so it recognisable as his work.
Also, another notable reference to the actors are the cameo appearances that are made in the film. There is an interesting display of cameos such as Mike Myers, Rod Taylor and Harvey Keitel. This could be consider Post-modern from how these are the general actors that you would expect to see in a war film, this would be justifiable if they were regulars to Tarantino’s films which they are not.
An alternate post-modern element that is included in Inglourious Basterds is the hyper reality that Tarantino brings. Hyper reality is defined as to describe an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality. This is particularly post modern in a film centred around a significant war from how it is bringing unbelievable circumstances to well documented, well known events which completely changes the non-fictional set-up.
One of the main factors of the hyper reality is the accents of the characters in the film. The first, main culprit of this is Aldo Raine who is played by Brad Pitt. He is a Jewish Special Service Force Lieutenant from Maynardville, Tennessee. Tennessee of course holds a strong accent since it is in the south of America. Obviously Pitt would work on a believable accent to use in the film but the hyper reality comes into it from how he over exaggerates his accent which has the effect of highlighting it more in relation to the other characters.
This hyper reality is extended through Christopher Waltz’s character Hanz Landa, the Jew hunter. His over exaggerated mannerisms. These mannerisms create unease in the audience from being unsure on how much he knows of each of the different characters. Such as when he is at lunch with Shoshanna and orders her a glass of milk to drink. The audience recognises this as a reference to when Hanz killed her family for being Jewish at the farmhouse but Hanz does not bring it up. This creates a strange unasserted almost Enigma Code from how it unusual for Hanz not to act knowing she is Jewish and him being the Jew Hunter.
Another culprit of this in the film is the use of Adolf Hitler in small scenes. Because Hitler is such a world renown Nazi figure for his sternness and harsh approach to enforcement of his policies when the audience see him acting out of tone, whether it is through over emphasis on his well known phrases or his enjoyment of the killing of soldiers in ‘Nation’s Pride’, it is instantly comical, this example is post modern from how the audience would not consider anything about the character Hitler to be funny yet find themselves laughing at him through the rejection of his standard role.
Following that, another use of Tarantino’s hyper reality is in the scenes of violence. With Inglourious Basterds being a war film the audience presumes that some of the violence from World War 2 will be displayed in the film, but by adding the element of Tarantino’s renown scenes of violence it creates something else entirely. For a film on World War 2 there is a lot less emphasis on standard warfare using guns rather looking at more brutal methods of killing, such as the scalping done by the Basterds or the killing using a baseball bat by The Bear Jew (Eli Roth). This could be consider post modern form how instead of following the normal fights in war films Tarantino invents his own methods of violence which goes against the general trend.
This is added to by the shootout scene in the German Bar which includes Michael Fassbender. This could be a standard war gun fight but includes far too many Tarantino references make it post modern such as girls screaming, someone getting stabbed as a Tarantino over use of violence, a close up a shooters eyes which is strongly used in ‘Kill Bill’ and people receiving far more gun shots then that needed to kill someone through bloody explosions. This makes it post modern because once again Tarantino implements himself and his intertextual references on the film to create a gun scene which a viewer can identify as his work.
Another Post-modern element which could easily be missed by the viewer is the self reflexive elements of the film such as showing the de-construction of the set. We the set de-constructed on a few occasions, such as when Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) is heading into the film premiere we see above the ceiling over the top of the wall. This is an example of post modernism from how when an audience watches a film they put themselves in a state off believing that the events unfolding are a real, by showing parts off the set it takes the audience out of this state and shows them how a film is constructed which is not normal for a film.
To follow this, another self reflexive element is the use of public information videos. This is the use of a video to explain something to the viewer which they may not understand without it. The use of this in the film is when Bridget and Marcel are planning to use 35mm films to burn down the cinema it cuts to an explanatory video showing how 35mm tapes burn. This is post-modern for a film because if it was happening for real then you can cut away to a video in real life. This shows how the film displays post-modern elements in many different forms.
These features of Post-modernism and Hyper Reality makes Inglourious Basterds a clear piece of Tarantino’s work from how Tarantino’s world in which he constructs films is hyper real which makes it in its own way very post modern through many different forms and references.
