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The imagery of “Chinatown” in Film

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Abstract

Chinatown has formed different constructions, imaginations, and representations of Chinatown imagery in different films as a narrative space, visual element, or cultural symbol. The use of Chinatown imagery in different films has always been borrowed and appropriated from each other, developing or transforming a Chinatown imagery that belongs to the image itself. Since Blade Runner, Chinatown imagery has been used extensively in Sci-Fi films to construct cyberspace. Cyberpunk Chinatown imagery is no longer a mere label, symbol, or decoration through narrative empowerment. However, it carries more cultural connotations and life, thus using various visual elements and narrative plots to “reinvent” a new Chinatown imagery. The deconstruction and reproduction of the Chinatown imagery in the Detective Chinatown series show that Chinese films pay more attention to this overseas spatial imagery and thus translate more Chinese stories into Chinese film production practices in the era of globalization.

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Notes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Digital Media School, Beijing Film Academy, Beijing, China

    Xindi Yang

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  1. Xindi Yang
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Correspondence to Xindi Yang.

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Yang, X. The imagery of “Chinatown” in Film. Int. Commun. Chin. Cult 9, 85–97 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40636-022-00246-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40636-022-00246-4

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