[FIELDWORK] BETTER DAYS, DIR. DEREK TSANG (2019)
Tube-shaped apartment, Hai Tang district, Chong Qing
The film Better Days directed by Derek Tsang was released in October 2019. It tells the story of Chen Nian, who is a senior three student being bullied by her classmates. After she meets a street character named Xiao Bei, he decides to protect Chen Nian from school violence. The whole story took place in Chong Qing, which is a city full of stairs. The characters in the film have to go up and down the stairs when traveling through this city. The complicated space relationship in this city seems to be a reflection of the complex situation the two characters are going through.
The main character Chen Nian’s home is located in the tube-shaped apartment on Hai Tang district. As you can imagine from the name of this building, it is tube-shaped with the middle part of the building empty. If you look down the building from the top, it almost looks like a well. It’s a quite old building with lots of damage on the wall, which implies the poor situation the character is in. The scene of this building is mostly in dim light or dark light, making it more tense and repressive. There is seldom any interaction between Chen Nian and her neighbors in the film, making it a cold and deserted. However, if you go to the tube-shaped apartment on Hai Tang district and see it yourself, you will find that it is not like what you have seen in the film. This building still has a few people living in it, mostly old people. In the daytime, there will be some old people sitting outside to have a rest. They will give a warm welcome to whom visit this place. You can also smell the dish that the neighbors in this building are preparing in the mealtime. It may not be a beautiful or even comfortable place, but you can feel the residents in it are trying to live their life well.
The way that the director chose to present this building in the movie is probably because he wanted to set the depressing atmosphere. The story that happens in this building is quite tragic. Chen Nian is bullied by her classmates here and she has to escape from them to protect herself. The complex terrain makes it possible for her to successfully prevent herself from being harmed by others. The dark environment in this building not only provides a tense atmosphere but also indicates the character’s nervousness. This building is also the place where she has to make the hard choice on whether to continue her study or save her friend Xiao Bei, who covers her crime on accidentally killing the student bullying her. This place is where she makes some of the big choices in this movie. We could see how the character has gone through her painful experiences.
—— Gou Longxiang, 3035637125
Chen Nian goes back to her apartment at night. Scenes from Better Days 2019, directed by Derek Tsang.
Bullies chase after Chen Nian in the tube-shaped apartment. Scenes from Better Days 2019, directed by Derek Tsang.
Chen Nian makes her choice at the front of the building. Scenes from Better Days 2019, directed by Derek Tsang.
You have briefly analyzed the setting in relation to the story with some understanding of lighting. As you mentioned, the set is very depressing, I wonder if you have virtually visited the location to see if this is the true situation in reality? Comparing the setting in film and reality is an effective way to understand the director’s choice to tell the story. Lastly, do remember to properly cite all the sources you have used.