Postmodernism is a self-reflexive vehicle of modernism that explores ideologies around concepts of popular culture, high and low art, and the state of the world after the modernist movement. In this essay I will explain how postmodernism, through review and re-conceptualizing, is able to celebrate modernist ideology by using the platform modernism has set up for postmodern techniques to create meaning in narrative. I will be discussing this address through the Shane Black film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (USA, 2005).
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (USA, 2005), is a hybrid crime-comedy film that uses the film noir detective narrative style in a postmodern mode. The film reflects a number of stylistic elements portrayed in the James Bond franchise, with a fusion
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A landscape shot of a dull grey pallet introduces the audience to the idea of a single character escaping a sense of captivity and undergoing a journey into a thrilling world of “kiss kiss bang bang” activity. In the title sequence clearly states the film is based on the Brett Halliday novel “Bodies Are Where You Find Them” thus elements of the book will be found throughout the narrative that is combined with James Bond elements under a neo-Film Noir generic umbrella; forming a new film product. The fact that the title sequence is delivered in cartoon graphics gives a sense that the film will share identifiable comic book traits, which is fitting for this film for it is to some extent based upon the Brett Halliday’s novel. This is an example of bricologe; for comic book traits and the film drawing elements from a novel are being used to deploy new messages with meaning encoded in a completely different art form. Through the concept of pastiche, the title sequence is referencing the James Bond title sequences and is borrowing its style of presenting elements of the film such as luxurious partying, the death of a woman, a man running away from a possible situation but also running into an adventure where guns, blood, kisses and cocktails are