The theme of the video is ‘Narrative in the City’ and I am interested in how can trams become a dynamic hypnotic theatre. The tram stops’ spatial quality best captures how dynamic and vibrant our city is. The change of space, people and time can create a sequence of scenes and settings. I would like to argue that with an aesthetic lens, the process of riding a tram in Hong Kong can be seen as a hypnotic experience of going to a cinema.
The video is divided into 4 simple chapters, each representing a specific scene of a particular human-spatial interaction on and off the tram. The video is trying to grab the experience of riding a tram as an experience of going to a cinema by collaging various elevations of trams and window views. The moving view inside the frame can be a hypnotic film, while from a wider perspective, the whole process of getting on and off the tram is also a story itself. Rhapsody in Blue is used throughout all the chapters as a piece of background music, a composition by George Gershwin, which has jazzy rhythms and sweeping melodies that give out a sense of energy and dynamism. The melodies are diverse enough to capture the moods in different chapters. To connect different scenes and create a natural narrative flow, the usage of Rhapsody in Blue can make the overall experience of riding the tram more coherent and consistent. No voice is added as it is about the sensory experience of the narrative.
The first chapter is about ‘Waiting’. The music starts with a plaintive melody that gradually builds up in intensity and complexity, creating a sense of excitement, and giving us a feeling that something is going to happen. The process of waiting for the tram is a form of expectation and anticipation. You will not know when the tram will strictly come and there is an experience of excitement and curiosity. I argue that this experience echoes how audiences wait for going into the cinema. Guessing when is the theatre ready and Imagining all the details of the film during the long wait. Barthe describes the situation before going into the cinema as ‘ pre-hypnotic”.There is a “Twilight reverie” that precedes the film and the theatre that attracts and pulls one from street to street to the darkness of the theatre. I believe what he is portraying is a sense of anticipation towards the film and also the mysterious and anonymous cinema space. (Barthes, 1986)
Once we board the tram, we are immersed in a completely new environment on the street. The space change from static to a moving one. I believe the change in atmosphere is an essential element of hypnotism. Bather mentioned what first pop up in his head when he heard the word ‘cinema’ is the word ‘hall’ rather than the word ‘film’. (Barthes, 1986) It is no surprise to hear as he believes the darkness of the hall and the single light source on the screen are what make the experience hypnotic, just like how a moth is addicted to light. Although the tram does not have dark space like the cinema, my personal experience is that I am also attracted to the view. The contrast between the empty static interior of the tram and the moving view inside a wooden frame naturally leads me to look outside. Similar to watching the moving image inside a frame in the cinema, the varying light and shadows as we pass through various areas, the city reflections in the tram’s windows, and the city sound that blends with the tram’s hum hypnotise me to a point that I do not recognise I have arrived the terminus.
Departing from the tram can be seen as the film ends. As we return to the hustle and bustle of the city, we start to wake up, wake from the hypnotics. Barthe describes the man that just come out of the theatre, come out of hypnosis as dazed, sleepy and his body has become something limp, disjointed and soft. (Barthes, 1986) The view inside the wooden frame is no longer moving and people gush out the tram. With a new understanding of riding a tram, the phenomenon of departing appears to be different. It is believed that people leave not because they have arrived at the tram stop, but because the Theatre of Hong Kong has come to an end.
Reference
Barthes, R. (1986, March 1). The Rustle of Language: Vol. Leaving the Movie Theater (R. Howard, Trans.). Hill & Wang. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780809083442
Huang Ka Lam 3036079320
I greatly enjoyed watching the video and to experience riding a bus in a very different way. Intersting choice of background music, making the video somewhat “drama” like? Also, the combined shots of the upper deck view and lower deck view are very pretty and cozy.
I really appreciate your creative ideas of illustrating the hypnotic journey of a tram even though your visual representation may not fully reflect your intention. It’s a good try! It is also a poetic topic of having tram as the ‘Theatre of Hong Kong’. I believe your video has a lot of potential if you craft it more carefully.
To further improve, I think more emphasis on the spatial analysis of the tram or even the tram system and more description on how the tram has witnessed the change of our urban landscape and the process of modernization of HK are needed. That would echo to your idea of tram as the theatre showcasing the stories of HK.