Category: Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

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[READING RESPONSE] The Urban Milieu of Shanghai Cinema

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The article discusses the development and environment of Shanghai cinema during the 1930s and 1940s, highlighting various factors such as the emergence of print culture and the influence of Western films, particularly from Hollywood. I would like to express my viewpoint on a few specific aspects. Firstly, during this period, Chinese films were heavily influenced by foreign cultures. For instance, the movie “Crossroads” borrowed dream sequences from Hollywood musicals, while “Yeban Gesheng” incorporated elements from the popular “Phantom of the Opera,” showcasing overt influences from expressionism. Additionally, the epic film “Godness” created a sustained lyrical mood reminiscent of the works

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[Reading Response] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces

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The transition of Hong Kong from a premature metropolis to a urbanized city was definitely a gradual yet stark one. During this period the representation of women on screen is mostly shown through two genres – melodrama and thriller, embodying the modernizing city by showing the construction of Hong Kong’s culture through the daily life of the women. The female protagonists in these films are often portrayed by socialite vigilantes and working-class women typified figures of modernization. Their domestic areas and work spaces are shown on screen as they navigate through their daily lives, showcasing a wide range of fashion,

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

[READING RESPONSE] LEO OU-FAN LEE

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This article looks into the parallelism between the entrance of cinema and Western influence in Shanghai and how it impacted the urban environment of the city. We currently live in a global developed society. However what happened to cities as international exchange accelerated back in the 1930s? The reading explains that there was a changed understanding upon what a modern urban environment was. Theaters started to get built in the Western architectural style and high end theaters only showed Hollywood films, demonstrating a subtle transmission of Western influence into the city’s constructive scenery. This visual change of the architectural landscape

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

L2 reading A

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The author argues that cinema in the 1930s Shanghai was a fusion of Western and Chinese storytelling, reflecting the city’s modernity and traditional values. The 1950s films like “Space is Gold,” “A Hymn to Mother,” and “Mid-setting the Love Trap” showcased genres of social realism, family melodrama, and romantic comedy, respectively, highlighting societal issues, familial bonds, and lighter, romantic narratives. In the 1960s, “Teddy Girls” and “A Purple Stormy Night” communicated themes of youth rebellion and the complexities of love, showcasing a shift towards more personal and societal challenges. “The Secret” by Ann Hui in the 1970s delved into themes

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Cat Links Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

Reading Response: The Urban Milieu of Shanghai Cinema

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The change of the content of film in Chinese cinema is closely related to how the people live and urban culture at that time. The book started the discussions based on the Shanghai cinema. It explores the relationship between the film and social transformation. For example, only the most popular Hollywood movie could be showed in the first-class movie s Chinese films would be shown in lower -class movie houses.This shows the audience had a strong preference for Hollywood and European movies during early 19th century.This international movie-watching habit promoted the development of Shanghai’s film industry and provided the foundation

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[Reading Response] Leo Ou-Fan Lee: The Urban Milieu of Shanghai Cinema

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The article talks more about the influence of films on the architectural landscape of Shanghai. The aspect that captivated my attention in this article was surrounding the interplay between the emerging film industry and the architectural evolution of a new Shanghai, which emerged as a direct consequence of this cinematic movement. Shanghai in the 20th century emerged as a rapidly developing metropolis that experienced an input of Western influences due to it being a large international hub. Similar to Hong Kong’s British colonialism and cultural infusion, Shanghai also underwent a transformation shaped by foreign influences, particularly through the introduction of

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

[Reading Response]: The Urban Milieu of Shanghai Cinema

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This reading response is regarding the connection between film and culture, film lifestyle, and differences between Chinese and Hollywood films. Firstly, film and city culture are interconnected. Shanghai film (e.g. The Bund (2010)) depicts Bund’s prosperity, consisting of British colonial buildings, foreign concessions, modern hotels…… Gradually, the bund becomes the cultural symbol of Shanghai, it symbolizes the flourishing, highly developing and history of Shanghai. As a Shanghai people, I can observe that until this age, the bund has always been one of the must-see sites for tourists. Therefore, cultures can be disseminated through films. Fig.1 Shanghai Bund(source: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%96%E6%BB%A9#/media/File:Shanghai_1928_Bund_Cenotaph.jpeg) Secondly, the

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

Reading response for L2 (Lee,1999)

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This article intricately explores the symbiosis between urban spaces and cinematic narratives, particularly in the context of Shanghai’s architectural and urban development. Firstly, the depiction of modern architecture as a cinematic backdrop not only frames the urban milieu but also elevates the city itself into a narrative entity. This portrayal goes beyond mere setting, embedding the city’s evolving identity within the storyline, thereby reflecting and influencing perceptions of urbanity. The narrative of urban life through everyday spaces is another compelling aspect. Through the cinematic lens, these spaces become arenas where the drama of ordinary lives unfolds, offering a visceral connection

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

[Reading Response] Leo Ou-Fan Lee

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Lee’s article explores the rise of 1930s Shanghai’s cinema, film culture and notion of “femininity”, as a result of integration with Western film approaches from Hollywood. I believe 1930s Chinese film and its surrounding culture can be characterised by the concepts of “modernity” and “hybridity”.  The 1930s saw a period of modernisation in Shanghai, with the introduction of foreign-styled movie theatres, and film serving as a commodity prompting new entertainment lifestyles. Written literature and print culture influenced by the West emerged, helping the development of film and the creation of an urban lifestyle of modernity. Movie magazines like Liangyou appeared,

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