Postmodernism and Deutschland 83

1) The examples that are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between the culture and society are Bruno, Borat and Ali G. They are more well known and 'real' than the actor who plays them (Sacha Baron Cohen). The media reality is more real than the object itself and we only understand it/see it through the media. Advertising is an example of this, in society people are very influenced in buying the 'brand' rather than the actual quality of the product.

2) Frederick Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness' is the decline of historical context. This is shown in Deutschland 83 because we can see how they used music in a way that it has been drafted. An example of this is 'Sweet Dreams'. 

3) The examples and theories that are provided for style over substance are;

• Modern celebrities- Big Brother.
• Many celebrities are now famous for being famous, not for an identifiable talent or ability-Paris Hilton.

Appearance is better than the function and society is blinded by the look of the product rather than the quality of it.

4) The examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture are:

• High art- opera, ballet, theatre, visual arts like paintings. This was for an elite, wealthy and educated group. This can be seen in Deutschland 83 because the girl in West Germany is singing a formal song.
• Low art/popular culture- film, TV, pop music. This was for the masses. This can be linked to Deutschland 83 because you can see in the garden party in East Germany, all the people are joining and singing to pop music.

5) A bricolage is construction or creation from a diverse range of available things. A the process of adapting and juxtaposing old and new texts, images, ideas or narratives to produce whole new meanings. This can be seen in the opening scene when referring to Karl Marx and Shakespeare shows the distinction between high and low culture. Also, the spy montage shows us old brands and logos and example of this is the Walkman. 

6) The audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 can be linked to postmodernism because of nostalgia. This is because the show uses brands and technology from the past and we as the audience is allowed to view that from a modern perspective. The 'grand-narrative' of the show are the events around Able Archer but the show does focus on the fall of communism and the USSR. Meta-narratives were therefore less applicable to the world as communism was falling. Postmodernism doesn't look to one single truth to explain the world, therefore Deutschland '83 is more postmodern.

7) Genre: The spy genre is emphasised through the use of cinematography and music. We can see how they have used various shots such as through the blinds, windows, higher angles (CCTV) to create enigma and tension for the audience. Also, the music is paced according to the situation.

Representation: We can see this used in Deutschland 83 because of the distinction between the culture in East Germany and West Germany. In East Germany we can see how they have set it in a surrounding which looks down graded compared to the posh West Germany. This is also emphasised through colour, East Germany is dull and de-saturated, whereas West Germany is much more vibrant.

Audience: This can be seen because the people from UK and US viewed the show in a positive way, rather than a German audience which didn't like the show. They consciously chose if they want to watch the show.

8) Deutschland 83 demonstrates aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning because the whole show is based on true historical context, but they have used a fictional narrative to engage with the audience. They have used mise-en-scene and cinematography to strengthen the narrative. 

9) An example of  postmodernism in Deutschland 83 is the spy montage. This is because he is training which parallels with James Bond. Also, the use of cinematography makes it look like we are watching him for a long period of time. The mise-en-scene reinforces the realism of the 80s and makes this scene a great example of postmodernism. 

10) The audience may enjoy the postmodern aspects of the show because of nostalgia and surveillance.The show is based around the popular culture of the 80s. This type of show would usually be watched by the masses.The aspects of intertextuality is something that people enjoy a lot down to the tech to the costumes and sounds. The bricolage aspects of authenticity with the archived footage and the documents of the East German targeted strikes gives the audiences pleasure that the detail was looked into in depth. The Pastiche of the mise-en-scene such as the cars, costumes, music and TV Set gives audiences the pleasure of nostalgia