Tag: Reading response

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 4: Everyday Spaces as Narrative, Uncategorized

Reading Response

Posted on u3310967

Cuts through Hong Kong I want to analyze this article from two aspects: the shooting methods and the change of era in Hong Kong. First of all, let’s talk about the shooting method. The film cleverly uses the switching of scenes to describe the atmosphere and emotions that the film wants to convey to the audience. For example, the space collage of different rooms shows the high density and congestion of Hong Kong residences; the lens conversion directly through the partition wall reflects the symmetry of the layout. Then， Let’s see how the film explains the change of era in

Continue readingReading Response

Cat Links Lecture 1: Architecture, Film & The Modern City

[READING RESPONSE] Roland Barthes: Leaving the Movie Theater

Posted on cpchanai

The author describes the environment of the theater inside the cinema. In the cinema, the darkness is a kind of hypnosis. It makes people isolated from society. When people is watching a film inside the theater, the projector penetrates the air and dust. Dust is dancing with the film which led the audience to focus more on the film itself. The author is surprised by the projector as it just uses a tiny hole which already makes all the audience flabbergasted on the film itself. The author describes the level of concentration is like the audience are glued on the

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Roland Barthes: Leaving the Movie Theater

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 1: Architecture, Film & The Modern City

[READING RESPONSE] ROLAND BARTHES: Leaving the Movie Theater

Posted on u3606646

Roland Barthes analysis of “Leaving the Movie Theater” examines how watching films passively can influence our minds. He believes that cinema’s immersive environment can put us in a sort of trance offering both an escape and a way to shape our beliefs. The contrast, between this viewing experience and the active participation required in art forms raises important questions about how movies contribute to societal norms through storytelling. Barthes explores how cinema captures a contradiction by blending connection with isolation. This dual nature reflects a conflict, where movies can bring people together and create a shared sense of belonging while

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] ROLAND BARTHES: Leaving the Movie Theater

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces

Posted on u3618772

The text’s subtle portrayal of women in various social statuses is intriguing, particularly as it reflects a significant aspect of Hong Kong’s cultural identity during a transformative period. The depiction of women challenging traditional gender roles underscores the complexity and agency of female characters who transition from passive to proactive figures, and highlights the pivotal role of cinema in contributing to shifts in societal values toward women. Working-class women are portrayed not as confined to domesticity but as active ambitious individuals in the workforce, fueling the city’s modernization and revolution. This representation creates a narrative tension with traditional gender roles,

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set, Uncategorized

[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng, E.

Posted on u3626802

This reading explores the relationship between socioeconomic inequality, urban geography, and female roles in 1960s Hong Kong film. Films such as noir thrillers and melodramas capture the modernization and industrialization of Hong Kong’s cities. The creation of an ambitious but erratic Hong Kong identity sheds light on the current political tensions in Hong Kong.  This article uses the film Black Rose as an example, in which female vigilante characters inhabit a world of stark architectural contrasts. Luxurious living rooms, vast Spaces lit by chandeliers and hidden underground rooms symbolize the exclusive domain of the rich. The protagonist goes into a dingy

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng, E.

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 1: Architecture, Film & The Modern City

[READING RESPONSE] Roland Barthes-Leaving the Movie Theater

Posted on Regina

This article describes the “hypnotic” feeling when watching the film inside the theater and the lost emotion when leaving the theater. In the cinema, the darkness envelops us like a cocoon, and with the relaxation of postures, the freedom of our bodies is awakened, which illustrates modern “eroticism”. Meanwhile, the only light in the cinema is the film on the screen. Inside the darkness, we are “glued” to the images and let our emotions and attention be drawn to the plots, making us feel dazed when leaving them. The author also introduces the “two bodies” theorem to explain why we

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Roland Barthes-Leaving the Movie Theater

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng E

Posted on u3594572

I’m really struck by the article “Noirs.” Women have appeared as protagonists in Hong Kong films since the 1960s due to the changing societal landscape, increased female workforce participation, and the desire to provide a unique perspective. It appealed to the growing female audience and explored gender dynamics and social inequalities. Hong Kong’s noir films of the mid-1950s and mid-1960s focused on the upper and working classes to reflect the city’s transformation into a modern metropolis and the social realities of its inhabitants. These films depicted the stark contrasts and social inequalities within the urban landscape, with upper-class characters portraying

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces by Seng E

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[READING RESPONSE] Leung Ping-kwan: Urban Cinema and The Cultural Identity of Hong Kong

Posted on u3607570

Leung’s article investigates the relationship between the city and cinema of Hong Kong during different periods, which illustrates how Hong Kong developed its distinct cultural identity. Before Hong Kong was turned over to China in 1949, it was a British colony. However, a unique urban culture was developed. I found it fascinating how cinema influences how people perceive cities and cultures. A Hymn to Mother, which is presented in the text, depicts Hong Kong’s development from a rural to a city. Although Hong Kong was not mentioned as a city at first, the film emphasized that the mother aims to

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Leung Ping-kwan: Urban Cinema and The Cultural Identity of Hong Kong

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 2: Filming the Asian City

[Reading Response] Leo Ou-Fan Lee

Posted on u3613713

Lee’s article explores the rise of 1930s Shanghai’s cinema, film culture and notion of “femininity”, as a result of integration with Western film approaches from Hollywood. I believe 1930s Chinese film and its surrounding culture can be characterised by the concepts of “modernity” and “hybridity”.  The 1930s saw a period of modernisation in Shanghai, with the introduction of foreign-styled movie theatres, and film serving as a commodity prompting new entertainment lifestyles. Written literature and print culture influenced by the West emerged, helping the development of film and the creation of an urban lifestyle of modernity. Movie magazines like Liangyou appeared,

Continue reading[Reading Response] Leo Ou-Fan Lee

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 3: The Post-war Asian City as Set

[READIND RESPONSE]Seng, E. Noirs: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces.

Posted on ltzy

After reading “NOIRS: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces,” I am left with a sense of fascination and introspection. The article delves into the intricate relationship between cinema, urban spaces, and societal hierarchy in 1960s Hong Kong，offering a nuanced perspective on how film reflects and shapes the cultural landscape of a rapidly evolving city. I found the analysis of role of female protagonists in the increasing inequality brought about by the city’s modernization of to be particularly intriguing. It breaks traditional stereotypes about women, depicts they are gradually assuming important responsibilities in society. The awakening and empowerment of women gradually

Continue reading[READIND RESPONSE]Seng, E. Noirs: The City, the Woman and Other Spaces.