Fang wenbo
UID:3035789253
In this tutorial, we discussed about generic city. I think this is a difficult concept. I and my group mates discussed the relationship between the movie “In the mood for love” and Generic city. I though this movie had a close relationship with generic city. Because it use a kind of special camera language that only capture close image and scene. This kind of shooting approach blurred the identifies of specific city. we can’t see the whole building in the movie and neither the city views. Besides, those close lenses reinforces the emotional connection between people, especially, the two protagonists. That makes this movie more like a generic city.
What is meant by a Generic City? Does it mean that the buildings are all similar and indistinguishable? On one level, yes, but on another more conceptual level, a Generic City is formed when “constant variety is the norm”, as the “variety itself turns monotonous”. In the movie we discussed, there is almost no variety but a generic old tenement building. The movie has a slow pace but not boring. The delicate emotions and desires with regard to the specific spaces (the stairs, the hallway) make a city life unique.