Hot Fuzz Post-Modern Essay

Hot Fuzz is a 2007 action comedy film however it is very much a hodge-podge of genres as we see evidence of other genres such as `slasher and thriller’. This varied mix of genres is typical of a post-modern text. The film is directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, also co-written by and starring Simon Pegg. It is one of a trilogy of films known as ‘The blood and Ice-cream Trilogy’ and this name comes from the feature made of the purchase of a Cornetto ice cream in each of the three films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End. This use of the three flavours/colours of the Cornetto is a reference to Krzysztof Kieslowski’s three colours film trilogy. The film was extremely popular and successful for a variety of reasons; the directors/writers previous work, the cast of well-known and respected actors such as Bill Bailey, Edward Woodward, Martin Freeman, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy. I also think the film success stems from the fact that the film contains a lot of inter-textual references, parodies and comedy moments.

In this essay I will be discussing how the film ‘Hot Fuzz’ could be described as post-modern media and the reasons for and against this. I will be looking at and picking out the post-modern characteristics such as inter-textuality, parody, pastiche, etc. and explain and discuss their use. I will also be looking at conventional vs postmodern film and I will challenge the text/audience relationship.

The film does have conventional characteristics as it follows a clear linear narrative and has a beginning, middle and end: unlike some post-modern films (e.g. Pulp Fiction continually displaces time, leaving the viewer somewhat unsettled and confused). The viewer gains security from knowing the direction of the narrative and this is the case in Hot Fuzz, as we watch a story unfold and resolve at the end. In watching the film we also form an emotional attachment with the characters and this is a convention of modern text. We are manipulated, almost from the outset, into feeling sorry for this hard-working, career-orientated cop who is almost ‘punished’ for his dedication to the force. We meet Sergeant Nicholas Angel at the beginning of the film as he addresses us directly, states his name and shows us his ID. He also talks about his time in the force, and achievements he has won. An attachment to characters and being able to engage the audience in experiencing the trials and tribulations of their lives is something that we feel in this film.

In the opening sequence we see the main character, Sgt Nicholas Angel, played by Simon Pegg, stride purposefully through the police station and into the office of his boss. Simon Pegg plays the part of a highly motivated copper who is about to receive the news that he is being transferred to a ‘perfect’ village. This is because his outstanding work is putting the other officers to shame, so he is seemingly kicked out. At the beginning of the film Sgt Nicholas Angel addresses us directly, states his name and shows us his ID. This is a characteristic of a post-modern film as we see this character break the barrier between the audience and the storyline. The editing technique used as he walks through the police station to the inspector’s office is very quick and abrupt. This allows the audience to pick up on the super-cop parody. There are endless inter-textual references in the film and these include Die Hard, Bad Boys 2, Chinatown, Chuck Norris, Point Break, Lethal Weapon and many more. Many of the films paid homage to/parodied, are action/cop films and these are used as the audience enjoy the hermeneutic feel that this gives them. Audience interpretation is a key factor in the enjoyment of this film as with much post- modern text. The audience’s prior knowledge of other films and media forms greatly enhances the enjoyment and understanding of this film. This is different for a modern text, an example being Wuthering Heights where you can read this and not need to have read or viewed anything else. The film is essentially created from non-realities as it constantly references and looks at other films even those already made by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. We know this from the scene that Simon Pegg goes into the store, and there is a Shaun of the Dead dvd on the stand. We also know the police do not really live as they do in the film however we are engulfed by this non-reality and witness the constant reference to non-reality throughout the film. This is known as hyper-reality as the media text feeds itself and so the line between reality and non-reality becomes increasingly blurred.

To conclude, I would definitely say that ‘Hot Fuzz’ is an example of a post-modern film. As discussed above, it does have certain conventional characteristics, however there are many more post-modern techniques used in the film. Films such as Blade Runner are far more post-modern but they do still fall into the same category.