Category: Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

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[Reading Response] Noirs – The City The Woman and Other Spaces by Eunice Seng

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The paper analyzes Hong Kong cinema in the 1960s, focusing on how spatial representation, including architectural features and set design, illustrates the underlying meaning of the melodrama and noir thriller mentioned in the essay. Such cinematic expression highlights how architectural elements enhance metatheatre, serving as metaphors for broader narratives of modernity, feminism, and political activism in 1960s Hong Kong. The cinema in the 1960s reflected the directors’ notion of modernity. They explore the concept of modernity to critique prevailing social norms and advocate for change. A notable example is the portrayal of the socialite-vigilante identity in Blackrose, which highlights the

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[Reading Response]-Urban Cinema And The Cultural Identity of Hong Kong by Leung Ping-Kwan

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Yinghong Gao – 303627529  Leung discussed whether Hong Kong (HK) developed its own cultural identity through a series of movies from the 1950s to 1990s. I would like to use films from the 60s to the 70s to demonstrate that HK developed its own cultural identity. In the 60s, there was an influx of Western culture, and the young generation endorsed Western fashion, which also influenced the movies in HK. Especially after the conflict between the working class and the colonial government in 1967, the government intended to present a Westernized version of HK. However, I believe HK movies were still

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[Reading Response]: Noirs-The City The Woman and Other Spaces by Seng

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The second part of the article focuses on the interaction between women and women’s narrative cinema in the processes of capitalist modernization, as well as the rise and decline of the latter. In an industrialized context, the influx of a large number of female labourers into the production sphere implies that more and more women have gained greater freedom and power. Entirely new modern architectural spaces have been created, and women have gradually entered the public domain. The image of the female protagonist in the film represents the aspirations of working-class women, depicting an ideal of the new era for

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

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This reading examines key themes within Hong Kong’s cinema in the 1960s, specifically social inequality, female identity and modernization. These issues were reflected within genres such as noir thrillers and melodramas which were prevalent at the time. In the 1960s, the female working class escalated, which was displayed in the fact that increasing female protagonists in films were used to appeal to female audiences. What drew my attention was the ‘doubleness’ of female identity. In the 1960s, several films exhibited the idea that single working woman could only be rescued from her impoverished status by marrying a wealthy man. Other

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[Reading Response]: Noirs: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng

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This article mainly discusses two film genres, namely melodrama and noir thriller set in the context of the working and upper classes in Hong Kong. Two films, Black Rose and Elevator Girl, both released in 1965 impressed me the most. The difference between the two films is that the heroines in Black Rose, the Chen sisters, come from the upper class, whereas the heroine in Elevator Girl, Nam, comes from the working class. The difference in the way the scene transitions were shot also intrigued me. In Black Rose, the scene is shot from a villa to a back alley,

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[Reading Response] Seng, E. (2020). Noirs: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces. In Resistant City: Histories, Maps and the Architecture of Development (pp. 60-77). World Scientific Press.

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The reading by Seng E. has shown that movies always reflect the historical background of their place of origin. In Hong Kong, though her filming has been greatly influenced by external factors, especially political ones. In addition, it did reflect some challenges and problems faced by people at that time and the ideal future for them. Seng suggests some examples like The Black Rose, the Elevator Girl, The Forsaken Love, etc. These two movies provided dramatic solutions for women who want relief from the grassroots. Seng comments on such movies as reinforcement of sexual stereotypes, which are ‘expectations of the

Continue reading[Reading Response] Seng, E. (2020). Noirs: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces. In Resistant City: Histories, Maps and the Architecture of Development (pp. 60-77). World Scientific Press.

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[Reading Response] Urban Cinema And The Cultural Identity Of Hong Kong, by Leung Ping-Kwan

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Reading Response 1 Urban Cinema and the Cultural Identity of Hong Kong Zhao Meijing 3036126991 The article unfolds the history of the Hong Kong film industry from the 1950s to the 1980s, analyzing the balance between the Chinese and the Western elements during the transition of colonization and decolonization. The essence of this issue is the sense of belonging. The limited population and complex context forced the public to align themselves with Chinese or English backgrounds, which led to reinterpretations through different ideologies in the filmmaking sphere. Many directors opted for compromise with uncertainty. However, the answer can be further

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[READING RESPONSE] Leung Ping-kwan: URBAN CINEMA AND THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF HONG KONG

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Hong Kong cinema of the 20th century mentioned in the article indicates its urban construction and the awakening, dialectic and individuation of the cultural identity. I think these movies frequently use the depiction of figurative architecture as a metaphor for the context and spirit behind the surface, using images and plots that are close to reality to resonate with the audience. For instance, the close-up of the hanging laundry room in the movie Space is gold highlights the isolated and crowded living environment in the urban framework. Laundry as a common architectural element of daily life devalues the rationalization of

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[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces

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The text’s subtle portrayal of women in various social statuses is intriguing, particularly as it reflects a significant aspect of Hong Kong’s cultural identity during a transformative period. The depiction of women challenging traditional gender roles underscores the complexity and agency of female characters who transition from passive to proactive figures, and highlights the pivotal role of cinema in contributing to shifts in societal values toward women. Working-class women are portrayed not as confined to domesticity but as active ambitious individuals in the workforce, fueling the city’s modernization and revolution. This representation creates a narrative tension with traditional gender roles,

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[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng, E.

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This reading explores the relationship between socioeconomic inequality, urban geography, and female roles in 1960s Hong Kong film. Films such as noir thrillers and melodramas capture the modernization and industrialization of Hong Kong’s cities. The creation of an ambitious but erratic Hong Kong identity sheds light on the current political tensions in Hong Kong.  This article uses the film Black Rose as an example, in which female vigilante characters inhabit a world of stark architectural contrasts. Luxurious living rooms, vast Spaces lit by chandeliers and hidden underground rooms symbolize the exclusive domain of the rich. The protagonist goes into a dingy

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