Behind the Yellow Line

Video Link: https://youtu.be/R6K6zquzhu4

Gong Jiankai 3036086373, Qu Shendi 3035973622

Hello everyone! Today we are here to present the Hong Kong film “Behind the Yellow Line” with the topic of architecture and film. I’m Sindy. (I’m Jolene). And we will analyze this film from two aspects: the MTR and the rooftop in the film.

MTR
The film “Behind the yellow line” is about two lovers Monica and Paul, they met in the MTR and then a series of dramatic stories. This film is set in the 80s where the MTR was first introduced as the new, modern mode of public transport. Alongside the exciting storyline, we get to catch a glimpse of the architecture as well as the spaces in the MTR at its infancy stage. In fact, the climax of the movie, the “fate game”, unfolds at Admiralty Station. The rule of the games is as follows: Monica enters the gate first, then Paul enters the gate ten minutes later and he has to find Monica before the last train to prove that the two are “fated” to be together. Although the MTR system at the time was not as sophisticated as today as it only had the Kwun Tong Line and the Tsuen Wan Line, it was still an almost impossible task. The use of montages of different spaces in the MTR emphasizes the difficulty of finding Monica. It may also represent how small and anonymous individuals are in public urban spaces, and also serve as an insinuation of the loss of individual voice as the city moves towards socialist China.

Inside the carriage
The scenes in the carriage are very dynamic. In the very beginning the main characters came across each other in a crowded space. As their stories had not begun at that time, their interaction in crowds in the carriage seemed to be “destined–”among so many people, I fell in love with you at the first sight”d”, just like the theme of this film. At the end of the movie, both of them won the “fate game” and hugged and kissed in an empty carriage. This could be another sign of “destiny”, because this train was specially prepared for them. But still, the carriage also separated Anita and Paul in the last scene, and although the special train was prepared by Anita, she could only stand outside the carriage silently in sorrow. This separation is geometrical and a metaphor for the end of these two’s story..
And do you remember the interesting scene when Paul tried to catch up with Monica? The train began moving but he failed to get out, and Monica was on the platform, outside the window. He just was trying to narrow the distance between them. I like this scene because the association of activity and inertia makes it more vivid and interesting.

Tickets
When we visited the relevant MTR stations, two significant changes came to our attention. Firstly, the ticket vending machines back in 1984 —where the first romantic encounter between Paul and Monica occurred— differs from the modern ones in appearance. In the movie, we see an array of gray, cubic structures made up of stainless steel, but now the TVMs have a futuristic concave shape which is not only visually pleasing but also saves space.

Furthermore, the machines in 1984 only issued Single Journey Tickets in contrast to today’s “2 in 1” Ticket Issuing and Add-value Machines. You would have to select the ticket vending machine that sells tickets for your destination as each type of TVM is only responsible for one specific region of destination. The $4.00 ticket machine that Monica used was destined for Lai Chi Kok and Lai Wan (now known as Mei Foo). Today, the MTR system has expanded extensively, and we can now buy a ticket to anywhere we want on the machine, or just use the Octopus card. As a result, MTR is a lot more efficient and convenient, and it is actually my favorite mode of transport!

Platform
Secondly, the yellow lines in the movie have been replaced with platform screen doors today for safety concerns. However, Paul passes over the yellow line several times in an attempt to search for Monica, this wouldn’t have been possible in the modern context. This may imply a more rigid implementation of the rule of law and justice which has been rendered possible by the modern legal system in the urban city of Hong Kong.

Platform color
I have noticed that each MTR station has its own color identity, for example, Central is red, and Admiralty is blue. In particular, the rainbow walls of Choi Hung were very conspicuous in the last couple of shots in the film. This is very interesting as the emergence of the MTR coincides with a period of Hong Kong’s search for its own cultural identity. In addition, the colors are reflective of the substantial problem of illiteracy in the 1970s. The colors had been deliberately planned to help people recognize the stations and be included in the urban public transport system. In other words, the MTR accommodates urban social activities and acts as the “mirror” of a city, uncovering its genius loci, people and culture in a tangible and condensed way.

Roof top
After Paul and Monica argued, Paul went to look for Monica who was on the rooftop， letting her mind wander. Paul smoothed away clothes hanging on the rooftop and walked through them, implying the distance narrowing between him and Monica.
When they chatted, the background was a huge spectacular sign sending out red light, revealing the glamor of night in Hong Kong. The neon light sign and clothes showed the mixture of glamorous metropolitan and normal people’s normal life and created an interesting interaction and contradiction. This clip used low angle shooting, and the background was simple, which emphasized the neon lights and the couple.
The old woman on the roof was also fun. It seemed that she charged for not disturbing couples in love on the roof which revealed a subtle relation between the space and the citizen. Hanging clothes as “curtains” made the rooftop a private public space with love stories in the silent night. The connection between the couple and the old woman was also interesting, as there was slight friendly concern along with chasing for profit. It is also the special charm of Hong Kong, the traditional social connection with some little idea of making money in the modern city.