[Reading Response]: Seng E Noirs: The City, The women and other spaces

This article discusses about the social status of women in Hong Kong Cinema during the 1960s especially in the genres of melodrama and noir thriller. The article shed light on the geopolitical tension and how gender inequality deteriorated accomplished by modernization of the city.

The article used James bonds series on Hong Kong’s noir thriller genre and the prominence of female lead in Cantonese-language films. They emphasise women’s beauty, physical power and intelligence, which tried to tell the public that women can also be strong, independent and work in the society.

In this article, they also discuss how movies utilise architecture and spaces to assist different scenes and deliver message to the audience. In order to protrude the differences of women at different social status, The lady which is symbol of the upper class, moves seamlessly between modern interiors and the streets, fighting injustice with skill and empathy. In contrast, the factory girl’s interior spaces revolve around her home, workspace, and leisure areas like movie theaters and dance halls. These spaces define her position within the city and highlight the struggles of the working class.

Overall, this article prompt to bring out an reflection on the intersection of film genres and social classes during modernisation of the city. It highlights the gender, power inequality, and aspirations within the city’s evolving landscape. By analysing the representations of female lead and their interior spaces in the movie, this article brings valuable insight to the cultural and social differences of Hong Kong cinema.

3036220424 Ho Hoi Ying

1 thought on “[Reading Response]: Seng E Noirs: The City, The women and other spaces

  1. Dilruba says:

    You unfold the gender and power inequality through the city’s transformation. You also addressed the geopolitical tension but did not elaborate and connect the issue concerning the reading in your response to why and how it is discussed in the reading. Clarify every key point you address rather than just introduce it in writing a response.

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