Intertextuality is used heavily throughout the Shrek franchise. In all of the Shrek films we see a huge amount of references to other fairytales and films, as well as many cultural references. This is most present in Shrek 2, where we see references to Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood, Tinker Bell and many more. This implementation of such obvious Intertextuality is used for a number of different reasons, one of which is for comedic effect. Due to Shrek being a comedy, they are able to take famous scenes that were originally intended for more of a serious reaction, and slightly twist them in order to make them funny. An example of this is in Shrek 2, when in the opening scene Shrek is caught in a trap and is left hanging upside down and covered in mud. After Fiona has fought off the angry mob, she wipes off the mud and they have an upside down kiss, which is a clear reference to ‘Spiderman’ (2002). They have used an iconic scene but slightly altered it in order to add comedic value and to make it work for Shrek. Instead of it being Spiderman’s mask covering his face, they use mud and instead of it being a web that’s causing him to hang upside down, it’s a trap that’s been set by the villagers. When you see a scene that you know so well, so obviously recreated, you can’t help but laugh.
Another reason I believe Intertextuality has been used is to make the films enjoyable for a different audience. Shrek is aimed at kids, however through all of the cinematic references, other people can enjoy it. For example, parents who have gone to see the films with their children will be able to enjoy it due to references to films that they are fond of, such as ‘Jaws’ (1975) and ‘Star Trek’ (1966). A child may perceive a scene one way, whilst an adult could recognize a reference to another media text and perceive it in another way. Another good example of this is in Shrek 2 (2004) when we see a clear reference to ‘Lord of the Rings’ when Shrek and Fiona are on they’re honeymoon. After we see a ring being forged, it is accidentally thrown up in the air and lands perfectly on Fiona’s finger, just like the iconic scene in ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001). The ring then glows text, just like the ‘One Ring’ in Lord of the Rings, however instead of it saying some Tolkien-esque inscription, it says ‘I love you’. This reference is therefore again something older viewers can enjoy, but also anyone who is a fan of the Lord of the Rings films will appreciate this reference. The use of Intertextuality in Shrek makes it so there is something for everyone.
Another reason Intertextuality has been used in Shrek is in order to create a sense of familiarity. The presence of these well known characters and scenes make the audience feel at home when watching the films. As well as this, the Intertextuality is used to reward the audience. It makes the people who get the reference feel satisfied and ‘in the know’, and if they notice the reference and others don’t, it makes them feel knowledgeable. The Shrek franchise clearly supports Julia Kristeva’s (1986) argument that “any text is the absorption and transformation of another” as the franchise has done exactly that. It has ‘absorbed’ other texts through all of the references and inspiration from other fairytales and films, and then it’s ‘transformed’ them by adding slight changes and twists to the scenes and characters that they use as inspiration. If we use the ‘Spiderman’ (2002) reference as an example, it has ‘absorbed’ the text by recreating the scene, and its then ‘transformed’ it by slightly changing it so instead of a mask, its mud, and instead of a web, Shrek’s hanging from a trap. The Shrek franchise implements two different types of Intertextuality: ‘Obligatory’ and ‘Optional’. It uses ‘Obligatory’ Intertextuality with the characters it uses from other fairytales, such as ‘Pinocchio’, because the writer has deliberately invoked an association between the two texts. Whereas, it uses ‘Optional’ Intertextuality in the scenes it references because it isn’t essential that you recognize it, but if you do, the connection will slightly shift your understanding of the text. For example, the reference to ‘Lord of the Rings’ (2001) doesn’t need to be recognized in order for the narrative to make sense, but if you do notice it, the meaning of the scene will slightly change. Another leading figure in the theory of Intertextuality is Roland Barthes. In his book ‘Image-Music-Text’ (1977) he states that “A text is made up of multiple writings” and that “Any text is a new tissue of past citations”. The Shrek franchise supports this idea as the Shrek films are made up of multiple other ‘writings’, from the characters that they have taken from classic fairytales, and the scenes they have recreated from famous films.
The Shrek Franchise: Intertextuality and Textual Poaching 