FILM 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Zhang Yimou, Word Play, Film Genre
9 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Visual Analysis
January 20th
Chinese Box Office 2015
1. Monster Hunt - tone and mood set
o Fantasy adventure
2. The Lost Legend
3. Lost in Hong Kong - comedy and a sequel
4. Goodbye, Mr. Loser - also a comedy
5. Jian Bing Man - superhero based
The Killer
o Political allegory
o Visual analysis
o Framing
o Expansion of time
o Reflection of themes
o Contemporary world cinema received a huge impact from The Killer
o Directed by John Woo (know this name)
o National Allegory (Desser)
o Even though the film doesn't directly talk about a certain concept, doesn't mean that it
isn't an underlying meaning
o Allegory is when something in a story represents something else
o All films as reflection of conditions of production
o Film industry
o Political context
o Tony Williams: Woo
o How the spaces act as an allegory for the longing of homeland
o 1997: context of Hong Kong Crissi: "apocalypse" (67)
o Hong Kong: Capitalist, hybrid (with British/Chinese)
o Hong Kong as deja disparu (already disappeared): nostalgia
o Nostalgia for a home free of corruption and greed
o Hong Kong spaces: alternative to both capitalism and Communism
o Images
o Very little urban decay
o We see a city that is quite thriving - Woo expressing his love for Hong Kong
and for his homeland
o Parkades - all well lighted and the action takes place during the day
o Hospital - takes a very mundane, terrifying space and makes it art
o "Good space" - how Woo fell in love with the sky line and the view that overlooks
Hong Kong
o One of the most important conversations in the movie takes place overlooking
Hong Kong
o Natural areas - the beach, water
o Prioritized and conveyed Hong Kong tradition such as dragon boat racing
o Space for hero to reveal "Feminized" side
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