Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie der Freien Universität Berlin Film Language Interpretation of the Image of the City Based on the Documentary Method Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktorin der Philosophie (Dr. phil.) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) vorgelegt von (M.Sc., Peking University) Hao, Xiaofei Berlin, 2014 Erstgutachter Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ralf Bohnsack Zweitgutachter Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christoph Wulf Datum der Disputation: 04.11.2014 Contents Erklärung ............................................................................................................................................... I Preface ................................................................................................................................................... II Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ III Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 Theory, literature and methodology ................................................................. 9 1. The image of the city .......................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Lynch’s image system ................................................................................................................. 10 1.2 Discussion and applications of Lynch’s findings in film studies ................................................ 14 1.3 City as a destination and its image-related research ................................................................ 16 2. The language of film ......................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Film language as a system .......................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Cinematic city.............................................................................................................................. 24 2.3 Film tourism ................................................................................................................................ 28 3. Introduction of two case studies...................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Taiwanese cinema ...................................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Edward Yang and his films .......................................................................................................... 32 3.3 Arvin Chen and his films ............................................................................................................. 36 3.4 Taipei as the city ......................................................................................................................... 37 4. Methods and methodology .............................................................................................................. 39 4.1 Picture and video interpretation in the documentary method ................................................ 40 4.2 Film language interpretation...................................................................................................... 42 4.3 Interpretation method and process applied in this research ................................................... 44 Chapter 3 A One and a Two: Nostalgia upon Diaspora .................................................. 46 1. Narrative structure interpretation: the time-space representation in Yi Yi’s storyline ................. 48 2. Pictorial interpretation of the image of the city in Yi Yi .................................................................. 54 2.1 Formulation interpretation of the overall structure of the image of the city .......................... 54 2.2 Mise-en-scène interpretation of focusing metaphors .............................................................. 68 2.2.1 Path: Index of city and Symbol of the stage ....................................................................... 68 2.2.2 Node: Symbol of affair and Index of communication......................................................... 74 2.2.3 Landmark: characteristic inherent to people in the city .................................................... 76 2.2.4 Edge: starting point to flashing back memory .................................................................... 78 2.2.5 District: blur of complexity .................................................................................................. 79 2.2.6 Mise-en-scène in total: the city as protagonist .................................................................. 81 2.3 Reflective Interpretation of Montage: similarity induced nostalgia ........................................ 83 3. Text and sound dimension of the image of the city ........................................................................ 86 3.1 Text interpretation: nostalgia induced by the familiar city space ............................................ 86 3.2 Environmental sound: nostalgia for the time passing by in the modern city .......................... 89 4. Overall interpretation of the image of the city ............................................................................... 89 Chapter 4 Au Revoir Taipei: Tourist view on the space of empathy .......................... 93 1. Narrative structure interpretation: the time-space representation in Au Revoir Taipei .............. 94 2. Pictorial interpretation of the image of the city in Au Revoir Taipei ............................................ 100 2.1 Formulation interpretation of the sequence structure of the image of the city ................... 101 2.2 Mise-en-scène interpretation of focusing metaphors ............................................................ 115 2.2.1 District: quotidian beauty under exotic view ................................................................... 116 2.2.2 Landmark: Index of scenery space .................................................................................... 121 2.2.3 Edge: separation of mobility ............................................................................................. 123 2.2.4 Node: immediacy of intimate space ................................................................................. 125 2.2.5 Path: space of empathy ..................................................................................................... 133 2.2.5.1 Street of farewell – pathos of separation .................................................................. 133 2.2.5.2 Lonely road – pathos of being all on one’s own ........................................................ 136 2.2.5.3 Streets inside the night market – enjoyment of bustling mobility ........................... 137 2.2.5.4 Traditional alley – a maze of opacity and unexpected .............................................. 139 2.2.5.5 Path in the metropolis – what course to follow? ...................................................... 141 2.2.6 Mise-en-scène in total: the space of empathy ................................................................. 142 2.3 Reflective interpretation on Montage: swing with empathy ................................................. 143 3. Text and sound dimensions of the image of the city .................................................................... 147 3.1 Text interpretation: the city space of empathy ....................................................................... 147 3.2 Environmental and background sound: aesthetic pursuit and novel feeling for tourists ..... 149 4. Overall interpretation of the image of the city in Au Revoir Taipei ............................................. 149 Chapter 5 City, Film and Destination: Comparative analysis on the image of the city between Yi Yi and Au Revoir Taipei ................................................................................ 152 1. Positions of the city: protagonist or scenery ................................................................................. 153 2. The image of Taipei and symbolic construction of place attachment .......................................... 157 2.1 Symbolic image of Taipei in Yi Yi .............................................................................................. 159 2.1.1 Modern Path – on the way, on the stage of city life ........................................................ 159 2.1.2 Space under the viaduct – undefined youth ..................................................................... 159 2.1.3 Residential neighbourhood – calmness of modernity ..................................................... 160 2.2 Symbolic image of Taipei in Au Revoir Taipei .......................................................................... 161 2.2.1 Night market – gaze at the cultural tradition ................................................................... 161 2.2.2 Little diner on the corner – obsessive framing of quotidian beauty ............................... 162 2.2.3 Residential neighbourhood – enveloped cosy womb ...................................................... 162 2.3 Taipei as ‘Heimat’ – both in Yi Yi and in Au Revoir Taipei ....................................................... 163 3. The image of the city, tourist imaginaries, and destination image .............................................