500 Days of Summer (postmodernism)

1) On your first viewing, what did you think was unusual about the film? How did it subvert your expectations of the rom-com genre?

Answer) It was unusual because the film was not in chronological order, it started near the end, the jumped back and forth between dates. The difference between this film and regular rom-com films, it seems towards the end that it was only the man that was in love with the woman, whereas typically, both people are in love with each other.

2) Postmodern films are often fragmented (broken up) or dont make sense chronologically. Was this the case with ‘500 Days’? And why?

Answer) This was definitely the case as the film jumped forward and backwards in time, at very random dates in time. This confuses the viewer.

3) Postmodern films often have unusual techniques that confuse/unbalance the viewer – where there any of these in the film?

Answer) Yes because they completely mixed up the order at which we saw the events in the film. Also by making the woman so hard to read, it made the audience confused as well as the man in the film.

4) Intertextuality, where the film links to other films, is another feature of post modernism. Did you spot any of this in ‘500 Days’? 

Answer) yes, when the man is dancing in the street and cartoon birds are flying all around him, we would usually see this in a disney film such as snow white.

5) Often Postmodern films are self referential, which means that they keep making the viewer aware that they are a film. How did ‘500 Days’ do this?

Answer) They did this with the dancing in the street film, as this doesnt happen in every day life.

6) Postmodern films can also blur the boundaries between different genres of films. How did ‘500 Days’ do this?

Answer) Yes because there are moments when you arent sure if its a comedy, or a romance. there are also many different moods to the film, such as being sad/depressed, happy/laughing etc.

7) Overall, did you enjoy the film? What type of film genre would you classify it under?

Answer)  I did enjoy the film because it doesnt finish the way everyone would have expected. I would classify it as a Romantic Comedy.