The reading discusses the modern machine city and cybercities. Personally, I like the modern machine city more than cybercities. Although our real world now is not a modern machine city, which is merely our imagination (Boyer, 1992), I believe that it will change to a modern machine city in the future. It is a dynamic city where all places, as the reading stated, the school, the prison, the factory and home, are controlled by machines with precise mathematics products and the creativity of engineers (Boyer, 1992). In cinematic expression, modern machine city is effective and efficient. The standardized operation of machines makes people think that the order of this world is rigorous and safe, will not be easily destroyed and it’s not lifeless. For example, in the script by Moholy-Nagy, construction sites, racing automobiles and moving trains are shown to enhance the dynamic of the city (Boyer, 1992).
Besides, our world is full of city of artifice, no matter in reality or in future world of sci-fi movies. Our cities in the real world are filled with the art of careful orchestration and use of space, making full use of every corner of the city to create a more productive city. The streets in New York City are the cutouts of local details (Boyer, 1992). For those in the sci-fi movies, they can be controlled by computer mathematics and created by electronic devices through snipping, sorting and cutting (Boyer, 1992) like those machines and buildings in The Wandering Earth.
Reference
Boyer, M. C. (1992). The imaginary real world of CyberCities. Assemblage, 18, 114–127. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171208
Name: Tse Pui Yi
UID: 3036231253