The Big
Lebowski - a postmodern quest?
It has been
argued that in postmodern times it is no longer possible to do anything
original. Did you find examples of that in "The Big Lebowski?
Apart from
that, a dominant feature of postmodernism is irony and a feeling of discomfort
in the presence of big emotions. Did you notice any examples of that in
"The Big Lebowski"?
Moreover, many people are uncertain of their own identity and are struggling with the question of who they really are. Sometimes they are also unsure of the difference between copy and original. Did you notice any examples of that in "The Big Lebowski"?
Finally, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski is on a journey (quest?) through Los Angeles. Give examples of the clues and leads that he finds. Comment on his ability to interpret the clues and leads.
Moreover, many people are uncertain of their own identity and are struggling with the question of who they really are. Sometimes they are also unsure of the difference between copy and original. Did you notice any examples of that in "The Big Lebowski"?
Finally, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski is on a journey (quest?) through Los Angeles. Give examples of the clues and leads that he finds. Comment on his ability to interpret the clues and leads.
The movie is clearly a post-modernistic movie, because it has a lot of characteristics of postmodernism. For instance, when the dude is dreaming about flying, he sees Aladdin on a flying carpet in front of him, and this is of course a pastiche, because this scene from the Disney movie Aladdin is being created again.
SvarSletThe movie also has a lot of irony. For instance, when Donny dies after getting a heart attack right after seeing Walter and the dude fighting against some German kidnappers. It is very ironic that Donny dies in this scene, because he was not even physically involved in the fighting, but just died by getting a heart attack.
Another typical postmodernism thing is, when the characters are hiding their feelings and cannot be emotional. An example of this is, when Maude wants to have sex with the dude, not because of her feelings, but because she just wants to have a baby. She even says, that she do not need the father to take care of the child, she just wants to do it herself.
Apart from that, the identity of Jeffrey Lebowsky who is being called ‘’the dude’’ is very confusing, because he is being mistaken for being Mr. Lebowski, who clearly is another man with the same name as him.
An example of simulacrum in the movie, is when Maude shows the dude a scene from a porn-movie, with the kidnapped girl as the main character. This is a simulacrum, because the porn scene is a copy of a copy - with other words, a copy of something that does not really exist
The Quest
SvarSletOur main character goes on some quest:
- Has to find his/a rug
- He then has to find Bunny
- He has to find his new rug.
They all follow the same pattern though. The dude himself doesn't really solve any of these himself, and is very bad at finding clues and leads, mainly because there aren't any.
No originality
Plastiche
The beginning with the tumbleweed. Basically every western/country movie has one of these in them. They're also seen in many cartoons.
We also see a part that reminds us alot about the disney cartoon 'Aladdin' when "The Dude" is flying on his carpet.
Similacrum
The Big Lebowski is a fictional character that represent any big hotshot rich guy in the real life. So he is based on a real person, but when referring to him you are referring to a fictional character.
The Porn is also a copy of something that is not real. All pornos are made/set up, and scripted therefore they are not "real" - so the shown porn is a simulacrum.
The briefcase with the money also becomes a simulacrum. The money in the briefcase are non-existent, and the whole idea of a briefcase filled with ransom money is taking from any action movie.
Big emotions?
There are no big emotions! They have used irony to cover up any real emotions.
For instance Donny's death, the way he dies is ironic, he has a heart attack, surrounded by gund and swords and what not, and yet he dies of a heart attack, even though he himself did not fight any of the bad guys.
Some other examples of irony:
- "Obviously you are not a golfer"
- "Fuck it. Let's go bowling"
- The pornography
- The spreading of Donny's ashes.
Identity
Big Mr. Lebowski, we think he is this big person, and a wealthy and powerful man. It turns out he's quite pathetic, his daughter "let's him" run some of their smaller companies. Alle of his money comes from his wife.
Walter is having trouble because of his split with his wife. Which religion does he belong to. He says that he is jewish but certainly doesn't act like it. Also he keeps saying how 'smart' he is, but clearly he is just a normal redneck, a bit stupid and ignorant.
Bunny Lebowski, her name isn't even her own (Fawn Kneutsen).
The Dude - Not because he himself has a problem with his identity, but because everyone else including us, the viewers, has a hard time figuring him out . No character development.
The leads
ONE PERSON ONLY - He brings Walter on the quest.
The kid's homework
The drawing of the naked man
Many of his leads are irrelevant and could not possibly help him in his quest.
- Camilla
The Big Lebowski:
SvarSletOriginality:
The tumbleweed is an often used prop at deserted places, but in this movie it is used even when there are people and in the middle of the city.- humor.
In one of the dudes dreams, we see a flying carpet - reference to Aladdin
References:
Steve Buscemi is THE reference in this movie. He plays in other movies by the directors but dies in all of them. His character is also told to shut up through the entire movie, because he had just made a movie where his character talked all the time.
Irony:
The dude says a lot of ironic lines, one of them being: "You're obviously not a golfer" when they are bowling.
When Johnny dies, they have his ashes in a coffee can they bought at the supermarket instead of an urn.
Mr. Lebowski is called a human paraquard in the end by the Dude.(Something that kills plants).
Big emotions:
A key phrase used every time things get tense: "Fuck it, let's go bowling".
When the dudes house is trashed and he falls, they don't make a scene with him being down but instead send in Maude who says: "Love me".
Uncertainty towards identity:
The main character calls himself the Dude instead of Lebowski.
Other people think the main character is Mr. Lebowski/The big Lebowski.
Mr. Lebowski himself, poses as a millionaire but is in reality broke.
Walter is a Jew, but he used to be polish Catholic, and is questioned about it by the Dude.
Bunny is called Mrs. Lebowski and seen as someone cheap, she is in reality a girl who ran away from home.
The Dudes' quest:
The dude is on a quest to first find Mr. Lebowski and talk about his rug, and next: Get his rug back. He is not very good at investigating the clues he get's, because he is unaware of what is happening around him.
The dude is also a very lazy person, and is therefore paused from his quest a lot.
The dude also doesn't reach any epiphany, and is still the same as before.
Simulacrums:
There are quite a few simulacrums in this movie:
One of them is the kidnapping, that was made up by the Germans. Fake.
The dude is a copy of what people think someone from generation x is.
The porn movie is a fake in a copy. "A fake movie in a movie".
There is no transaction, because the suitcase Walter thrown is full of his own underwear, a copy of the suitcase from Mr. Lebowski, which is also a fake because it is filled with phonebooks.
1. It has been argued that in postmodern times it is no longer possible to do anything original. Did you find examples of that in "The Big Lebowski?
SvarSlet- The dream sequence; we see a flying rug, which is a reference to “Alladin”.
- The dude is tumbleweed, he is thrown everywhere.
2. Apart from that, a dominant feature of postmodernism is irony and a feeling of discomfort in the presence of big emotions. Did you notice any examples of that in "The Big Lebowski"?
When Donny dies and Walter and The Dude have to scatter the ashes. They failed at it and they get Donny’s ashes on them. They don’t react to it; the movie just shows an awkward silence.
- When the Dude gets home and sees his apartment ruined. Maude just goes to him and asks for him if he wants to make love, and when she gets pregnant The Dude doesn’t care about it. He thinks about it but then just goes with it.
3. Moreover, many people are uncertain of their own identity and are struggling with the question of who they really are. Sometimes they are also unsure of the difference between copy and original. Did you notice any examples of that in "The Big Lebowski"?
- The “Big” Lebowski is not what he seems to appear. It is his wife who owns all the company and while he got to try to run a company, he is not very good at it. He is just a big man on a wheel chair, who faked the ransom.
- Walter claims that he is jewish and The Dude claims that he is jewish because of his ex-wife.
- The German people try to get money from Lebowski by claiming to be the kidnappers, but get exposed.
4. Finally, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski is on a journey (quest?) through Los Angeles. Give examples of the clues and leads that he finds. Comment on his ability to interpret the clues and leads.
- The Dude is like tumbleweed, he just goes where ever the wind goes. For instance he gets called in by Big Lebowski for handing over the ransom money but fails.
- Then he gets a calling from Maude Lebowski who tells him that Bunny Lebowski is faking her kidnapping, and The Dude takes it as it is.
- After the Dude gets his car back, he finds homework stuck in his seat. He meets the kid who made the paper, and did the mistake of taking Walter with him.
- When the Dude meets Treehorn he finds no clues but an inappropriate drawing instead. He thought that he would find a phone number.
- Luan
The feeling of discomfort in the presence of big emotions is beautifully portrayed in the movie The Big Lebowski. As shown when the Dude is being dunked in his toilet, and instead of being scared or frightened as most people would, he asks for a another dunk. Almost all the characters use irony to remove the seriousness of an ongoing event. Another example could be when Walter and the Dude are making arrangements for Donny's dead body, instead of being sad and asking for the best for their mutual friend they start arguing over prizes, and actually end up buying a can of coffee.
SvarSletRegarding to identity the Dude is probably the only character who seems come to terms with who he is. Many of the other characters act like they try to be someone different. Walter is a good example of this, he praises himself for not doing anything including bowling because of shomer Shabbat, when in reality he does not even belong to this religion, he is in fact polish catholic. But there are also identity problems with the real big Lebowski (not being rich as he first appears) and Bunny (her real name is Fawn Knutson)
The quest which the Dude find himself on is a quest to find Bunny, who has not even been kidnapped, but along the way it becomes clear to the audience that he is simply horrible at understanding anything. A scene were this is crystal clear is when he is being all detective like and is drawring over the little paper post it thingy to see what was written before and all he gets is a drawing of a naked man.
- Emma S
No originality:
SvarSlet- Use of cartoons like, Peter Pan, Aladdin and Alice in wonderland
- Use of dream sequences
- Mystery/detective story/action
- Western - the man in the beginning and the end of the story
- Dude where’s my car
- Goodnight sweet prince”
- White Russian
Irony:
- ”Obviously you are not a golfer”
- Goodnight sweet prince” - compares his dead with the Vietnam war
- When the dude is asking the policeman if they have any leads on who stole his car
- It is ironic that after this long quest the dude haven´t changed a bit
Big emotions:
- When they scatter the ashes
- Let´s go bowling
- When Lebowski is crying the Dude is just lighting up a smoke
Uncertain of their own identity:
- When the dude first time meet the real Lebowski, he gets uncertain of he really is the dude or the real Lebowski
- Walter- he is uncertain about his religion
- When Lebowski wants the Dude to give the bad guys the money, the dude feels like he is actually usefull, but when he finds out that it’s all bullshit, he realises Lebowski only used him because he is a nobody.
- Bunny- Her real name is Fawn Kneutson
The big Lebowski is a postmodern movie. For instance when we see the tumbleweed in the beginning of the movie. The tumbleweed is often used in some kind of western movies and at deserted locations. In this movie, it is used even where there is many people in the middle of the city. The way Lebowski is pulled inside a suspicious car and followed by another car, is very typical for movies like James Bond and other action movies as well. The movie has also a lot of irony. Donny is dead and Lebowski and Walter do not want to pay for the urn. Instead, they are putting his ash in some sort of can. As Walter is throwing the ash in the water, it blows back in the face of the Dude instead. The movie is coping with big emotions by making jokes and using irony. At the end of the movie, they are clearly uncomfortable about their feelings. The characters are hiding their feelings and for instance, they cannot be emotional. In the middle of the movie, Maude wants to have sex with the Dude. Her interest is not in the Dude but just in having a baby. There is a few examples on simulacrums in the movie. One of them is the dude, because he maybe is a copy of how people think someone from generation x is. Another example is the porn movie. This porn-movie is a copy of something that does not really exist (a copy of a copy).
SvarSlet