A common theme I’ve always noticed in futuristic dystopian films is that the cyberpunk world is portrayed to bear a striking resemblance to Hong Kong, or Chinatown. Watching the clip of ‘Ghost in a Shell’ evoked an eerie sense of familiarity, the neon lights, the bamboo scaffolding, the large frames and signs that stretch across the street, all reminded me of the urban landscape I grew up in.
It left me wondering – just like after seeing Blade Runner – why are such depictions, using visuals from specifically this city, so successful in creating the cold and suffocating picture of a fictitious future world. Davis credits the informational nature of Hong Kong for such an effect, and I strongly agree. Our cityscape is full of overwhelming information, old and new, from remnants of colonialism to a dense yet culturally diverse population, all condensed to create contrast within each frame of the film.
Lukas Lawrence HEUER
3035858547
It is great that you try to understand how Hong Kong has become a perfect setting for these sci-fi films. While you experience a sense of familiarity in Ghost in the Shell, I feel very unfamiliar with the scenes, perhaps a sense of vuja de? Although there are multiple local symbols, I feel that I have never seen them anywhere in the city space. Perhaps the scenes are an interpretation of the artists, or I am distanced from the city under such depiction.