Hi Gary, Here's some good city films set in Hong Kong & Shanghai
1) Street Angel (1935) http://www.archive.org/details/street_angel Set in Shanghai of the era - street life shown. 2) Empire of the Sun (1987) Also set in Shanghai - especially the early bits really evoke the city of the time 3) House of 72 Tenants (1973) A comedy set in a fictionalized Hong Kong of the 1940's - w/ various tropes of lanlord tenant relations, corrupt fire-fighters (have to bribe them to get them to put out a fire) etc. 4) Kung Fu Hustle (2005) A comedy which satirizes a lot of the House of the 72 tenants - a fictionalized Hong Kong/ Shanghai of the 1930s & 1940s 4) Shaolin Soccer (2001) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286112/ - A comedy that is quite evocative of Shenzhen in the early 2000s, especially the way that migrant workers live. 5) Echoes of the Rainbow (2010) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602572/ - set in Hong Kong in the 1960s, many people think it is very evocative of the time and place. I don't think it's been released on DVD yet. 6) The Way We Are (2008) Set in a public housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, really evokes living on the edge of things. It focuses on a single parent family (mother & teenage son) and an elderly neighbor who is ignored by her family. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1233499/ 7) Comrades, Almost a Love Story http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117905/ - set mostly in HK in the mid 1980s through 1990s 8) Infernal Affairs? Some people mentioned "The Departed" which was a US re-make of this very popular movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/ 9) Chungking Express (1994) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109424/ Love story w/ policemen - great visual portrait of Hong Kong in the mid 90s 10) In the Mood for Love (2000) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/ -another beautiful evocation of HK 1962 (although actually filmed in Bangkok) 11) City Lights - although set in "any city" I think it should be added to your list. If I think of others, I'll add them. > Hi all > > I'm in the process of putting together a videography on the cinematic city: > http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/citysymphonies.html > > It's a mix of early city symphonies (e.g. Walther Ruttmann's Berlin) and later docu films in this style. It also has a short listing of fictional > films that feature cities as prominent "actors" > > I need more of the latter. What I'm looking for are movies that feature cities as central parts of the narrative, as essential to the essence of the film (not just films that are shot in a particular location) > > What do you say? Take a look at the list and let me know what I'm missing. > > gary > > > Gary Handman > Director > Media Resources Center > Moffitt Library > UC Berkeley > > 510-643-8566 > [email protected] > http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC > > "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut > > > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of > communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors. > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
