Postmodern Youth Body Construction In Step Up Revolution

Oleh :
Haikal Pradana - C0310028 - Fak. Sastra dan Seni Rupa

This study specifically focuses on examining American contemporary youth images in 21st century through postmodern body construction. It has two major purposes: (1) to find out how postmodern youth body is constructed in the film entitled Step Up Revolution (2012) and (2) to examine how the politics of construction is revealed in the film. This research is descriptive qualitative research that uses one primary source of data: the film entitled Step Up Revolution (2012) directed by Scott Speer. The primary data is in the form of cinematographic elements such as mise-en-scene, camera angles, sounds, costumes, lighting, acts, and dialogues. This research also uses secondary sources: the prequels (Step Up (2006), Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), Step Up 3D (2010)), related books, journal articles, online documents, and internet websites to provide the supportive data. This study is under American Studies framework. It employs interdisciplinary study by applying some theories and approaches. To answer the research questions, this study applies film semiotics theory, socio-cultural approach, postmodern theory, and posthuman bodies theory. The analysis finally finds some results. Step Up Revolution (2012) clearly and succesfully proposes that there are many possible youth bodi[es] which can be constructed. They have been capable to break the Grand Narrative of youth body which only shares about the culture of white working class male youth. The postmodern youth bodies can be linked with the multidimensional perspectives from gender, ethnic, class, and even the technology. They can be modified, attached, and expressed by several factors so that they break biological flesh without mind with. The youth body construction has reached the postmodern conditions which cultural fragmentation and flexibility become the key concepts. This postmodern idea can lead people to conceive contemporary American youth in multiple understanding. As a consequence, the film seems to appropriate the youth body construction based on the youth’s pluralism idea brought by Obama since his first election in 2008 until his re-election in 2012 as its politics. The body construction of The Mob as the main character becomes different political project from the prequels and other youth texts in the past tending to be remained in rebellious ones which are commonly darkened in passive stereotype.