A city is characterized not only by existence of a population, but the specialization and interaction simultaneously. Specialization may include occupation, unique culture of different groups; interactions include trade, cultural exchange and more. In this chapter, the author discussed some atypical ‘cities’ and evaluate whether they possess the elements of being one city. While ‘Earthman Come Home’ and trains failed to make the most out of the setting of moving city, it does remind me of a movie I saw that may reconcile the definition of city here. This movie is called High-Rise. People in the movie lived in a building, in which they have specialized social activities and different economic status. The movie discussed the conflict between residents in different floors and how has the building finally fall. This shows the interaction of populations in the city(building). I think it would be an interesting example of movies that take place in an atypical place which have elements of a city.
Wong Wai Ching
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Appreciate your thoughtful reflection on Abbot’s text. Can you elaborate on why you think train and “Earth Man Come Home” failed to make the most out of the setting of moving city? What characteristics does a city acquire and evoke when it starts moving? The movie that you’ve mentioned “High-rise” bears a lot of similarity with the movie Snowpiercer, which is in a train form. They are both movies that ponder on social segregation and present the problematic social structure in a spatial form. What would you add to the city of Snowpiercer if you were the director of the film?