Postmodernism and the Film Orlando

The contemporary world continues to emerge as a reaction to the modern world. Such a period, also noted as a philosophy, style or way of thinking allows multiple voices and interpretations while concurrently rejects the notion of a solitary, universal truth. Postmodernism’s gradual and perpetuating upheaval came to its revelation as a consequence of the exhaustion of modernism’s rigidity. This huge transition is defined as a time of incredulity toward metanarratives whereby truth is made as opposed to being found. Texts allow the composer to interest as well as enlighten the responder with thoughts of contemplation due to its polysemic nature, in which authority lies in the responder.

The allegorical film of class and gender, Orlando details gradual changes in society’s ideologies and paradigms over a course of four hundred years. Philosophical and economic paradigms, along with metanarratives such as colonialism and Marxism; boundaries between high and pop culture; and conventional attitudes towards sexuality are challenged and subverted within this text. In adjunct, Orlando lends itself to parody, playfulness and intertextual reference in order to establish its argument.

The text delves into challenging the validity of conventional beliefs on the oppositional relationships of homosexuality opposed to heterosexuality by portraying such binary opposites as co-existent. Through the text’s progression through time, a denotation of how long it took for society to accept one’s identity in spite of their gender is revealed. As portrayed through two homosexual icons, Jimmy Somerville and Quentin Crisp’s appropriation into the film, consequently, wittiness is evoked in the responder and a sense of realization of the transformation of gender roles is amplified. Gender is portrayed as encompassing little significance to identity, as demonstrated through Orlando’s characterization as a male dissatisfied with the male virtues; and his incapability to cope with such expectations gradually propels him to metamorphose into a female. “I’m not interested in my career, I’m interested in love,” elucidates Orlando’s androgynous features and apolitical personality. Fluidity of gender and its lack of effect on a person’s identity is illuminated within this film, subsequently also highlighting that society’s view is affected by gender. Attitudes revolving around gender and identity have evolved over the past four hundred years as displayed in Orlando.

The film Orlando draws on the responder as post-colonial viewers to observe colonial ideologies employed in the film in scenes where British Othered the Russians, who ironically were able to converse in French, a sign of uppity, whereas the British failed to do so. Post-colonial attitudes are implied through the euphemism, “British have a habit of collecting.” This line subverts colonialism and its values, and this is further highlighted as Orlando strips himself of his cumbersome, Victorian clothing and adopts a more sensible dress of the arid land he was temporarily residing in. This scene concurs with the merging and overlapping of cultures implied in this way of thinking. Social class and its conventions are also challenged, through “Too much fortune, leisure, spare rooms..” which satirize the futile system of the Victorian era, where Orlando’s wealth is inherited from his father rather than earned. To a modern day responder, class segregation is of less contrast, therefore denoted in the scene where a peasant girl whom drowned in the ice is ridiculed by those of a noble class is deemed as immoral, hence responders are an active participant during their experience of a text.

Postmodern texts tend to adhere to shallow intertextual references to various texts, aiming to blur the boundaries between high and pop culture and adopt the use of parody to make meaning. This is exemplified in the declamatory acting in a play, a pastiche to Shakespeare’s Othello, whereby the production is rough and thus intertwining high and pop culture. Gender roles are once again referenced because a male is playing a female character equating to the same technique employed by Swinton (as Orlando) and Crisp(Queen Elizabeth). During the crucial scene whereby Orlando metamorphoses into a female, special, angelic effects are preceded with an allusion to a notorious painting, ‘Birth of Venus’. This reference signifies that the manly features have been distilled, accompanied with electrical music reflecting low culture. Consequently, barriers between high and low, authority of a text have been precluded due to the pastiche implemented and responder’s participation is further enhanced due to the repetition of self reflexive glances which are symbolize a singular matter.