‘The spectre of the global network comes forcefully to the surface.’ referenced from Jameson’s thesis by Sue Harris. This reference raises my attention to the presentation of the movie scene. Before globalization, the action film always takes place nationally, the story happens in a limited area and the scenes focus on the building inside. Y-shots of the architectures and landscapes of multiple countries become basic elements for creating postmodern action movies. As the writer suggests, this form of presentation which offers a more geographically extensive range of action spaces including global cities seems to be a genre in contemporary production.
The interesting part of this reference is not only the observation of the characteristic of the action movie but the phrase ‘The spectre of the global network’. Why Sue Harris thinks the kind of global network is a specter, a ghost, instead of saying that is a form of globalization. She suggests ‘The films may offer an extravagant fantasy of panopticism on a global scale, but it is a fantasy that finds an echo in a wholly banal experience of contemporary urban living.’ I believe the writer means that despite the films take place across the world, the life of people who lives in these global cities are the same. These cities have their unique iconic landscapes and architectures, people share the same and boring modern urban living. That is the ‘spectre of the global network’.
— Chan Chun Hing, 3035762841
I enjoy your interpretation of “the spectre of the global network” with reference to Harris’ text.
Banality and homogeneity of cities aside, Harris might also mean movies uncover the hidden global network through their stories, a reflection of the world – such as The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, and All the President’s Men were inspired by national security issues caused by the Cold War; whereas post-9-11 action movies such as the Bourne Trilogy focuses on international terrorism. The different focus is also presented through the filming of cities, from the character-focused 70s action movies to having cities playing crucial roles in Bourne and James Bond movies.