The words “house” and “home” are often used interchangeably, yet they have vastly different connotations. A house draws the mental image of a physical shelter designed to accommodate people. Home, however, is a less tangible term, as it can refer to both a physical place or immaterial things associated with comfort or security. While house is not always synonymous with home, the physical and nonphysical sense of home can be explored by examining the fixtures in a household setting. In observing household settings in films, viewers can better understand how the characters, filmmakers, and society interpret the home. The Chinese cinematic masterpieces Crows and Sparrows and Yellow Earth explore the definition of home through the setting
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Therefore, it is important to choose specific scenes which are the best representations of how the main characters live. In Crows and Sparrows, the Chinese New Year scene is the most accurate representation of how Kong and the tenants live in a physical space. If we are to understand this film’s consideration of the home, then we must look at the most honest portrayal of Kong, which would logically occur in a state of personal freedom, since oppression constrains the character’s perception of the home. Under the Hou’s oppression, the dark lighting and confined spacing of Kong’s apartment makes his living quarters feel more like a prison. While the household setting in Yellow Earth remains the same throughout the film, the scene in which Brother Gu is introduced to the family is the best scene to examine. The decision to analyze this scene is more logic-driven than aesthetic-driven, since this scene is the only instance in which so much of the house is shown. The fact that the house is rarely shown in the film is indicative of how the film considers the home, as will be examined …show more content…
If Kong’s home calls to mind the term “more”, then Cuiqiao’s home must be characterized as “less”. The importance of space within the context of the poor family’s home is highlighted in Rey Chow’s article “Silent is the Ancient Plain”, in which it is stated that “the understanding of space in graphic terms is bound to remain caught in a rigid binary opposition between presence, represented by visible objects, and absence, represented by blanks” (89). The first thing that the audience observes when initially introduced to the family’s home is how little of the house is shown on screen. Dark lighting obscures the majority of the house from the viewer, so that focused light draws attention to the space occupied by the characters. The room is bare, earthy, and constructed of simple materials like stone. There are few visible objects in the room and these objects, the fireplace, a lamp, a table, and a bucket are all utilitarian. While it is important to note what is seen, it is equally important to note what is not seen. There seems to be nothing extraneous in this house, no decorations, no ornamental furniture, or other things associated with embellishment. The stylistic choice to hide or remove things which are found in houses like Mr. Kong’s says much about how these characters view the
Therefore, it is important to choose specific scenes which are the best representations of how the main characters live. In Crows and Sparrows, the Chinese New Year scene is the most accurate representation of how Kong and the tenants live in a physical space. If we are to understand this film’s consideration of the home, then we must look at the most honest portrayal of Kong, which would logically occur in a state of personal freedom, since oppression constrains the character’s perception of the home. Under the Hou’s oppression, the dark lighting and confined spacing of Kong’s apartment makes his living quarters feel more like a prison. While the household setting in Yellow Earth remains the same throughout the film, the scene in which Brother Gu is introduced to the family is the best scene to examine. The decision to analyze this scene is more logic-driven than aesthetic-driven, since this scene is the only instance in which so much of the house is shown. The fact that the house is rarely shown in the film is indicative of how the film considers the home, as will be examined …show more content…
If Kong’s home calls to mind the term “more”, then Cuiqiao’s home must be characterized as “less”. The importance of space within the context of the poor family’s home is highlighted in Rey Chow’s article “Silent is the Ancient Plain”, in which it is stated that “the understanding of space in graphic terms is bound to remain caught in a rigid binary opposition between presence, represented by visible objects, and absence, represented by blanks” (89). The first thing that the audience observes when initially introduced to the family’s home is how little of the house is shown on screen. Dark lighting obscures the majority of the house from the viewer, so that focused light draws attention to the space occupied by the characters. The room is bare, earthy, and constructed of simple materials like stone. There are few visible objects in the room and these objects, the fireplace, a lamp, a table, and a bucket are all utilitarian. While it is important to note what is seen, it is equally important to note what is not seen. There seems to be nothing extraneous in this house, no decorations, no ornamental furniture, or other things associated with embellishment. The stylistic choice to hide or remove things which are found in houses like Mr. Kong’s says much about how these characters view the