Bertolucci's 1900: a postmodern metanarrative

Abstract

This article focuses on Bertolucci's film, 1900, in an effort to demonstrate the significance of the motif of recurrence in its narrative. Lyotard's description of the rhythmic structure of narrative provides the key to understanding this aspect of the film. It is also argued that the film articulates a related postmodernist philosophical model of history which, on a metanar­rative level, paradoxically constitutes a skeptical attitude towards precisely what Lyotard calls a metanarrative - here specifically the Enlightenment version of justifying knowledge and socio-political institutions with reference to the ideal of progress. Attention is given to the question of the various contexts in which the term 'post modern' is encountered, and the debate on modernity versus postmodernity is indicated as furnishing the apposite theoretical space for the subsequent analysis of Bertolucci's film. Briefly, this analysis involves showing that, in the course of the (historical) events covered by the narrative, the growing expectations of justice on the part of the peasants (represented by the character Olmo) are repeatedly disappointed, despite apparent progress and an ostensible lessen­ing of the distance separating peasant and padrone (notably Alfredo, Olmo's landowner counterpart). Moreover, the recurrence of certain modes of experience in the course of three generations establishes a meta-pattern which answers to the description of a 'post­modern metanarrative'.

Opsomming
Hierdie artikel fokus op Bertolucci se speelfilm, 1900, in 'n poging om die sin van die tema van herhaling in die filmnarratief te demonstreer. Lyotard se beskrywing van die ritmiese aard van_narratiewe vorm bied die sleutel tot die verstaan van hierdie aspek van die rolprent. Daar word ook betoog dat die film 'n hieraan verwante postmodernistiese geskie­denis-filosofiese model artikuleer wat, paradoksaal, juis op 'n metanarratiewe vlak 'n skeptiese houding impliseer teenoor wat Lyotard 'n metanarratief noem - hier spesifiek die Verligtingsweergawe van die regverdiging van kennis en sosio-politiese instellings aan die hand van de vooruitgangsideaal. Daar word aandag geskenk aan die vraag van die verskillende kontekste waarin die term 'postmodern' aangetref word, en aangedui dat die debat random moderniteit versus postmoderniteit die gepaste teoretiese ruimte voorsien vir die daaropvolgende analise van Bertolucci se film. Kortliks kom hierdie analise daarop neer om aan te toon dat, in die loop van die (historiese) gebeure wat deur die filmverhaal gedek word, die toenemende geregtigheidsverwagtinge van die boerestand (verteenwoor­dig deur die karakter Olmo) herhaaldelik teleurgestel word, in weerwil van oenskynlike vooruitgang en 'n skynbare verkleining van die afstand tussen boer en padrone (in die be­sander Alfredo, Olmo se landheer-teenhanger). Origens vertoon die herhaling van be­paalde ervaringswyses in die loop van drie geslagte 'n meta-patroon wat beantwoord aan die beskrywing van 'n 'postmoderne metanarratief'.