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About Me Yun Yun Hung I
was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1997. A first year Film and Theatre Undergraduate with hands on practical skills in the creative media sector. Developed detail-oriented and proactive personality through working in a variety of large film/TV collaboration projects, and also performed critical thinking independently. Passionate about finding a summer internship in digital/ charity sector to boost my work experience in the UK.
Email Elisahung.828@gmail.com Phone +447397816949 Digital Signature
How urban spaces are represented in dystopian films using the stimuli
Divergent (Neil Burger 2014) & Snowpierce (Bong Joon-Ho 2013)
DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA
DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPI
DYSTOPIAN FILM REVIEW
DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPIA UTOPIA DYSTOPI
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Research essay I n this review, I will be talking about how urban spaces are
represented in Dystopian Film. Dystopia is an antonym to Utopia. A Utopia is an imaging place which everything in society is perfect, dystopia is exactly the opposite. Dystopian films are often speculative futuristic sci-fic film, e.g. Minority Report (2002) by Steven Spielberg based in 2054 and Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve 2017) as well. Dystopian describes a place where society are facing brutal societal classification contribute to a worse quality of life for its inhabitants. The elements I list down below are often seen in this particular film genre- government surveillance, totalitarian regiment, poor sanitary living condition, brainwashing and class dichotomies between the rich and poor. I discovered the representation of urban space plays an essential for the establishment of a dystopian society, because cities in dystopian films are used to depict the worse side of society. However, one can only distinguish the disorder and chaos within dystopian city by experiencing the perfection within utopian city, like Margret Atwood once said “within every dystopia there is a little utopia.” Good and worse will find a way to coexist in our world and I would like to use my chosen film to interpret this statement by analysing how they displayed urban spaces
Citizens enter their adulthood by testing their aptitude, the test result will lead to one suitable faction they should choose during their ceremony. Tris, came from an Dystopian Film Abnegation family, the fraction of selfless and constantly concerning with serving Divergent/ Snow others, however, she made the choice to leave her original faction and join Dauntless, the faction of militant protectors who value bravery and Piercer fearlessness. Thus, the order of faction system created a utopian scheme, however, the requirement of everyone must commit themselves to a single faction uncovers the dystopian aspect in this perfectly ordered society. The other dystopian aspect Descriptive shown in the film is the existence of ‘factionless’, who fail the mandatory initiation writing process and therefore must live in poverty and exile as members of the “factionless.” People who do not fit in anywhere become the proletarian under this classification which shows the absence of individualism. The film title also hinted us there is one Analytical hidden faction or precisely saying, one uncovered quality called divergent. Divergent are consider as a threat to the system due to their unknown capability and writing unpredictable mindset. On the other hand, divergent can be describe as a symbol of well-rounded However, instead of celebrating the diversenessindividual. and uniqueness of their society, divergent are hunted by others.
Combining all these conditions, one can identify the potential of turning this utopian society into a complete chaos and eventually dissolves into a dystopia. “Dystopian authors very frequently focus on the importance of the city as a symbol of the success of power in organizing the new civilization.” (Angle Rodriguez 2014:86). Scholars like Rodriguez recognises the important pattern of how urban spaces are portrayed in fictional dystopian world, like he said, the city (usually is the capital) symbolised the rigidity of a totalitarian regiment, and the setting of urban spaces are used as a tool for government surveillance or segregation. For example, in divergent, Chicago becomes a newly designed enclose city, the remaining building from the “old days” are rotten and ruins in the city, which simulates the bygones.
Divergent
Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley), the protagonist in Divergent gives a brief background introduction at the beginning of the film. The city she currently lives in is fictional post-war Chicago “We are lucky to be in the city, they say the war was terrible.” (Tris Prior, Divergent) The city is surrounded by electric wall that works similar to a moat but looks like a cage. (Figure 1) The world behind the wall is described as dangerous, chaotic and unknown. The Society is divided into five factions, each carried one core value, they been living in peace for many years because each one plays its role in society. Figure 1 Still image from Divergent, left hand side is the electricity wall (Sources: online)
(Figure 2) Comparing to its newly constructed buildings, they are excessively sterile, minimalism, and decorated with each factions’ symbols (Figure 3), it can be explained as the sign of social unity or the lack of individualism and creative expression.
Figure 2 Still image from Divergent, the ruins (Source: online)
Figure 3 Still image from Divergent. The newly designed buildings, sectioned by factions (Source: online)
Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer, an English-language South Korean-Czech sci-fic film based on French graphic novel called Le Transperceneige (Jacpues Lob 1982). The story based on a giant train runs tirelessly in a post-apocalyptic world which is caused by an environmental catastrophe, human race is forced to face another new ice age In 2031, Wilford (Ed Harris), the inventor and caretaker of this sacred train, carries the last remaining human species on board and travels in a circumnavigation route incessantly. Wilford set up a newly designed classified system, according to him, everything in this system is preordained when everyone boards his train. With this social classification, Wilford can control the population and resources precisely over time. Obviously, first class passengers travel in the front luxury carriage (Figure 4) and the proletarian inhabitants, which identified as the “scum”, travels in tail section in a squalid and brutal conditions. (Figure 5) Snowpiercer can be seen as an allegorical train, a futuristic version of Noah’s ark, however, in the bible this inhumane classification amount the remaining species simply does not exist. The tail section in Snowpiercer perfectly interpret the ideology of a dystopian, where the roles of nature falls under the power of totalitarian regiment and humanity is degraded. One can easily identify several dystopian aspects within this film. For example, the phrase they describe the classification is “preordained”. In the film, there is not a satisfy explanation of how this system is predesignate for all passenger, however, the loophole in the script is not affecting the purpose of this essay. “Order, is the barrier that holds back the frozen death, we must all of us on this train of life, we must occupy our preordained particular position.” (Minister Mason, Snowpiercer) This “preordained system” is obviously put in contribute to a worse quality of life for all proletarian passenger, e.g. limited resources, limited living space, monotonous food choice and rights of passengers are eroded. The design of this train brings the entire city on board, urban spaces are uniquely presented in Snowpiercer. Besides grimy and chaotic tail section, first class passenger enjoys the access to unlimited luxury entertainment, e.g. in-car aquarium, sushi bar, kindergarten and hair salon, all beautifully designed and miniature in the carriage. Referring to the introduction of this essay “one can only distinguish the disorder and chaos within dystopian city by experiencing the perfection within utopian city”. This train is an example of the coexistence of utopia and dystopia, however, the price people paid for this coexistence is by sacrificing the freedom from tail class passengers. Protagonist Curtis (Chris Evans) who identified as a proletarian, refuses to resign himself to Wilford’s authority, even the price paid for disobedience is harsh, he still forms a riot fearlessly. The brutal environment works consistently as a motivator for Curtis, the inhumane system gives him a reason to breakthrough each door on the train and reach the engine room to negotiate with Wilford.
The next passage of this essay will be comparing how urban spaces are used as a power apparatus by totalitarian authorities in Divergent and Snowpiercer to rule over a dystopian society.
Figure 4 Still image from Snowpiercer, first class meat storage (Source: online)
Figure 5 Still image from Snowpiercer, tail section (Source: online)
How urban spaces are used in Divergent and Snowpiercer
The aim of essay is to investigate and study the usage of urban spaces in dystopian society. Spaces are a barrier that can restrict one’s mobility, and for that segregation can easily be performed amount the society. We can all agree that segregation eventually led to the loss of individual freedom, and in order to implement the complete loss of individuality, the occur of technological advances such as surveillance tool is crucial. In reality, surveillance such as CCTV in urban spaces are used for security purposes, any unauthorised surveillance activities are described as voyeuristic crime. However, in dystopia society, authoritarian use surveillance method to spy on individuals for strengthening their status quos. For example, in Divergent, Dauntless people needs to inject a tracking serum into their body so they can be manipulated by Erudite (Faction of intelligent), therefore the city guardians are turned into stone cold killing machine obediently for disgraced purposes. (figure 6) In Snowpiercer, CCTV were built on trains for Welford to spy on Curtis’s movement, although he cannot fully render Curtis’s into mindless machine like Dauntless in Divergent. Welford still have the ability to control the present condition on the train. Welford preassigned different group of outpost and killers in behind each door (Figure 7), waiting for the riots. Welford watches the riot through CCTV and counted precisely “74%” of the riot must die so the “population” can be contolled, and therefore the first-class passenger can remain in their utopian environment. “The number of individual units must be very closely, precisely controlled. In order to maintain the proper sustainable balance.” (Minister Manson, Snowpiercer) Another example of how spaces are used as a powerful tool in totalitarian authorities is the encapsulation of the cities. In Divergent and Snowpiercer, both of their stories are set in an enclose cities, a place to protect unknown threat from the outside world or, to prevent the strife within the inner society. Threats from the outside world is identified in several dystopian film, e.g. natural disaster, post-war riot. However, the image of this threat is portrayed by the authorities. In Snowpiercer, the plot indicates the weather outside is better for human species to survive again, but the entire train is designed as a protection for passengers from the frozen death, but it also stops the connection from passengers to the outside world as well especially for tail section. There is not a single window designed for tail carriages, their access through doors are limited. And lastly, in the film, all passengers saw their first sight of sunlight after seventeen years after they broke into first class. “This chaos, a thousand people in an iron box, 18 years I've hated this train. 18 years I've waited for this moment.” (Curtis, Snowpiercer) Under this horrible condition, people who had limited knowledge to the world is way easier to be manipulated. With the help of an enclose space and rampant propaganda, totalitarian regime is easy to achieve, and so does dystopian society.
The case in Divergent is different from Snowpiercer, the environment for Tris to survive is not a direct motivator for her to persuade a better life. Frankly saying, the social structure in divergent does successfully form a utopian for everyone to live in harmony, if Erudite did not overstep and destroy the peace and tranquillity, Tris might stay the same forever. Yet, she discovers her hidden identity as a divergent, and sees the inequitable treatment she will receive in the future, she finally strikes for her freedom. “Fear does not shut you down, it wakes you up.” (Four, Divergent.)
Conclusion
“Since dystopian cities are, thus, undesirable societies, the opposition between the city and natural environment means that nature stands out as a welcoming shelter for the characters that try to escape from the totalitarian rule.” (Angle Rodriguez 2014:88) Referring back to the previous paragraph, an enclose city space can be simulated as a prison for its inhabitant, and therefore, revolutionist like Cutis and Tris strikes for their freedom. To conclude this essay, one last similarities on urban representation in dystopian film will be used. Like Rodriguez pointed out, in contrast to a dystopian city, natural stands out as a better place to go. In the ending of Divergent and Snowpiercer, characters finally escape from the city (post-war Chicago) or train into the nature (Outside world). Looking back to the early passage in this essay, one can identify that urban spaces can be simulated as tool for totalitarian regimentation in dystopian, it is set up for fear instead of trust. And often, the conventional family unity is dead, people are unified in spaces by social segregation under authorities’ surveillance. Beside the repeating elements mentioned earlier, Dystopian cities are typically visualised in one of two ways. They can either be Hyper sanitised, monochromatic and minimalistic, where the rigidity of social order is echoed in the appearance of cities, e.g. Divergent. (Figure 14) On the other hand, they can be shown as dirty, overpopulated and chaotic (Figure 15), e.g. Snowpiercer. Although this essay illustrates a rather negative representation of dystopian urban spaces, however, “within every dystopia there is a little utopia”, this quotation in the introduction passage explained the necessity of embracing negativities, without dystopian elements, there would be no incentive to improve for our society, and the roles that varies the balance between negative and positive must be fulfil.
Figure 6 Still image from Divergent, Brainwashed Dauntless (Source: online) )
Figure 7 Still image from Snowpiercer Armed guard waiting for the riots (Source: online
Film Project A day in the life of a Production Assistant
Pre-Production
Production Stage Post-Production
Pre-Production
Production Process Director Assistant Director Director of Photography Boom Swinger Sound Recordist Production Assistant Lighting Director Actors
Boom Mic Lighting Equipment Clapperboard Camera Recorders
Film Overview
Budapest iPhone 7 Plus
Creative Cloud.
“When imagination and innovation come together, anything’s possible.”
Before . After Photograph
Adobe Photoshop
Temperature
Prague iPhone 7 Plus
Highlights
Saturation
Temperature
Budapest iPhone 7 Plus
Level
Saturation
Structure
Temperature
Budapest iPhone 7 Plus
Highlights
Saturation
Temperature
Prague iPhone 7 Plus
Level
Saturation
Structure
Photography
C
Modernist staircase Photo taken at SUBU building, Talbot campus, The stairs are build in the middle of the building , gives a natural rounded shape. Camera, Canon 500D. 1/60, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Avant-garde Makeup Using flower petal as makeup Camera, Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Modernism lighting Streetlight in the evening Camera, Canon 500D. 1/3, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Modernist Portrait The model wore a vintage dress, trying to recreate late 90s trend Camera, Canon 500D. 1/60, f/8, ISO200
Schรถnbrunn Palace Camera, Canon 500D
Prague
Camera, Canon 500D
Austria
Prague
iPhone 7Plus
iPhone 7 Plus