Cine-Mimetic Syntax: The Big Lebowski and the Hollywood Neo-Classical Style

Abstract

This article examines the use of language in general and miscommunication in particular in The Big Lebowski. Through close analysis of the dialogue, we find that the film's endless examples of linguistic complexity and semantic confusion function in a manner similar to what literary theorists refer to as “mimetic syntax,” wherein the form of a text imitates, mimics, or complements its content in meaningful ways. Cinematic techniques that were a standard part of the classical Hollywood style of narration are strategically and rhetorically abused in The Big Lebowski. As a result, the film challenges prevailing assumptions about film language, and this challenge to the viewer is reflected for the viewer in the film's use of mimetic syntax. This complex and heretofore unexamined structure transforms an absurd comedy into a multilayered mimetic text.