Representations of Urban Space in the Heroic bloodshed Film - Coursework Example

4. Reflect upon the different configurations or representations of urban space, and/or “modern life,” in the films we have seen. How is the modern and/or the urban experienced by the city dwellers, or visitors to a city, in a given film? Choose 1 film and discuss how it deploys The film chosen is:- 5. “Heroic bloodshed”: Intro to Hong Kong Action Cinema Screening: A Better Tomorrow (Yingxiong bense 1986), dir. John WOO (95 mins) The film gives a brilliant display of an urban setting and exposes its dwellers and visitors to the modern environment. It is largely based in Hong Kong which is a major urban center with all the contemporary living features that are characteristic of an urban setting. One of the main features in the film is that is characteristic of an urban setting is the firearms that are used in the action and bloodshed combats in the plot of the film. In a rural Asian setting, the main weapon to combat enemies was the sword. This is what is used in most Asian action traditional movies and the martial arts of Tai Kwando are employed. In this film however, modern firearms with live bullets are used in the action scenes. These are cocked and fired by pulling the trigger which gives the film an all modern aura. Another element of modern setting in the film was depicted with the occupation of Sung Tse-Ho. Ho’s principle job was printing and distributing fake bank notes of the US dollars. The fact that printing in itself was done is a very modern element. Traditionally primitive forms of writing were the only forms of permanently inscribing information on a piece. The bank notes also implied that the main form of exchanging goods and services or for trading was monetary which is different from the traditional barter trading system. In addition to that it depicts the presence banks in the film setting which are only characteristic of modern settings. Very few rural settings have a bank anywhere in the vicinity. This made a great impact in the lives of the dwellers and visitors of the area. They got to enjoy the services associated with banking such as borrowing of loans, keeping money safely in a personal account, saving money through savings accounts that earn interest and the like. The dwellers and visitors also got job employments that are associated with banks such as being bank tellers, being bank watchmen and women and being cleaners. The younger brother of Ho, Kit, aspired to be a policeman. This is an influence that he got as a dweller of an urban setting. Policemen are a typical feature of an urban setting. They mascaraed the streets in their uniforms with some even holding gins or pistols. These are likely to look cool for a young man growing in an urban setting and he admires growing up and taking the same career path. In a rural setting, usually there are not that much police activities. The village elders are more or less in control in rural settings and they are responsible for keeping and maintaining law and order in the settings. Policemen and women on the other hand are fully responsible for keeping law and order in an urban setting. This explains their large numbers and presence in urban centers. There are even policemen on the road sides controlling traffic. When Ho got rehabilitated from being a con, he finds work as a taxi driver. Taxies are another typical feature of an urban setting. It is almost virtually impossible to find a taxi in a rural center. In such areas you would find bicycles and tracks as the modes of transport. Taxies offer not only a convenient means of transport to the dwellers and visitors of the urban setting but also act as a source of employment. They influence the dwellers and the visitors of an urban setting to b fond of travelling in a rather personalized manner which is different from the old fashioned public means. Taxies area also a venturing which one can decide to invest in. One in an urban setting can decide to buy one or to convert his or her car into a taxi and this offers a good return to the investor at the end of the day. The film also has a scene shot in the night club. In this scene contemporary songs play in the background. A night club is another characteristic feature that is found in an urban setting. In the rural areas, life at night is almost virtually impossible. Dwellers and visitors in the rural areas are compelled to go to bed relatively earlier. This is contrary to what happens in the urban areas where life at night is all party and business. There are people in malls doing shopping and others in the night clubs political and drinking alcohol. This influences the dwellers and the visitors of the urban centers to be either heavy drinkers of alcohol or very hardworking individuals who continue working even very late in the night. The roads in the film setting are very well done. They are all tarmacked and wide enough. All drivers in the nation are supposed to get registered with their local authorities and to get the right documentation to satisfy that they are fit to drive. The traffic police in the film are seen to require for some form of documentation that satisfy that a random driver on the way is capable of driving. The roads in the rural areas are usually earth roads. They have no tarmark and they are responsible for the destruction of the several vehicles that go through them. As a characteristic feature off the urban setting, The roads displayed in the film display the ease of transport in the urban setting. It is difficult for one’s vehicle to get mangled up because of the poor state of the roads around. Most of the roads are very well done. The only major challenge that was also observed through the film and that is common in urban centers is the aspect of traffic jam. This is an element is not present in the rural area and thus the rural dwellers would find it very difficult to cross the ever busy roads in the urban centers which urban dwellers do with ease. The crime rate in the urban settings are observed to be relatively higher. Ho in the film joins a gang and practices in criminal activities which is characteristic of urban settings. In the event that one finds life in the urban setting difficult to live in, he or she resorts to simply engaging in criminal activities so as to make ends meet. In the rural homes whenever one has no food to eat, they simply get cheap food that is readily available in the farm life and he or she can go for a long time without necessarily having to spend money on food. In order to deal with the ever increasing criminals in the urban settings, prisons are constructed within the urban settings. The film portrayed the use of the prison where Ho was put under arrest for some time before is he was finally released. In prison the criminals are rehabilitated and helped to find a better way of living life instead of depending on criminal activities only. Ho left prison as a rehabilitated man and he found a decent job as a taxi driver which enables him to foot all his bills. Another element of an urban setting which is evident in the film is the communication channels in the setting. The setting has very well elaborate channels of communications. The telephone lines are very well aligned and through telephone several deals are done in the film. There is also the use of mobile phones which demonstrate the well-established channels of mobile phone reception in the film setting hence making it indeed an urban setting. Moreover, the internet channels are also well laid down and there is the use of the World Wide Web in the film. This is another typical characteristic feature of an urban setting which was present in the setting of the film hence making it indeed an urban setting. The communication channels being well laid down plaid a huge role in helping the dwellers of the area and the visitors to be well linked to the rest of the country and to the world at large. It also enabled business to take place effectively. In the event that Read More