Chinatown is a classical scene for modern movies. As Davis indicates that, the high density that Chinatown is, the great mixture of different culture in Chinatown makes it unique.
One of my favorite movies “detective Chinatown” also happens in Chinatown, and this movie interprets quite well, why Chinatown is different. As a detective movie, the scene has to be sometimes mussy but also sometimes gloomy. Then we find the multiformity the Chinatown can be. During the daytime, it is a busy space where lots of activities happen, but during the night, the alleys are empty and horrific for detective stories to happen. [figure 1,2]
Figure 1: Busy Chinatown during the day
Figure 2: Horrific space during the night
The great culture soil behind the Chinatown can be another reason for the choice of the scene. In this particular movie, many Chinese culture elements are used such as Taoism, the theory of five elements. The abundant eastern culture, as well as the history in China, provide more possibilities for movies to develop.
Similar to Chinatown, Little Italy is also a unique culture element in movies. However, unlike Little Italy, which enjoys a decent character in most movies, Chinatown mostly has a negative image in the film, especially the ones in America. That can be the result of the strained relationship between China and America in the 19th. The most typical one can be the movie “Year of the Dragon” detected by Michael Cimino in 1985. [Figure 3] The film begins with the celebration of Traditional Chinese New Year, but at the same time a series of murder suddenly happens here, the Chinatown the become the representation of disorder and danger. Also, many Chinese characters in the movie are described to be like evil, greedy and barbaric. The film triggered strong protests because of the racialism once it was on a show, and some audience even said that they no longer dare to go to Chinatown after watching the movie. Although the character of Chinatown is getting better in film, the primary image of the disorder is not easy to have a change.
Figure 3: Year of the Dragon
In conclusion, the diverse scene in the Chinatown, the great culture soil behind it as well as the prejudice from the American make it a regular role in movies.
Yang Jie (3035448330)