Mentioning how two Hong Kong movies show relation to the concept of generic city, Abbas’ passage gave me a new perspective on how cities are viewed on themselves and how they are viewed through movies. While surprised by how the movies can be related, especially for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’s relation to the generic city, I agree with most of Abbas’ points. We may view “generic cities” as getting more placeless due to globalization, but both examples actually have prominent influences from Chinese culture, from the cheongsam in In the Mood for Love to wuxia elements in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I think they are meant to be a timeless representation of the Chinese culture kept in the evolving generic city. It shows how with globalization, some traditions will still be kept and praised, and a possible route of how cities may evolve into communities with different cultural backgrounds.
– Hoi Ching, Liu (3035820291)
I appreciate your thoughts on relating cities and film here, as well as observing the influence of Chinese culture in the movies. It is true that keeping certain traditions helps to resist the waves of homogenization. Then the question is, what are the cultures to be preserved? Would the rhetorical saying of ‘East meets West’ possibly marginalizes other cultures that exist but less visible? As opposed to Crouching Tiger, In the Mood for Love is clearly situated in Hong Kong. Apart from the Chinese Cheongsam and the Western suit, what else makes you think the film is set in Hong Kong?