Tati’s representation of the modern city of Paris in ‘Playtime’ is mainly a criticism however he does not completely disregard the advantages of city life. This essay will outline the several different techniques Tati utilises to criticise the modern city and furthermore recognize its magnificence.
‘Tati-ville’ as it was dubbed, is an exaggerated depiction of a hyper-modern Paris built in the International Style of architecture, made entirely of Glass and Steel. Tati created a multi-million pound mini-metropolis in order to use visual images as his main technique to criticise the city. Using these images Tati could show the audience with their own eyes what Paris could look like in the near future. Forced perspective is used to make buildings
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It is not apparent until later in the film that ‘Playtime’ is set in the heart of Paris because classic tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Coeur are only seen in a reflection showing that traditional Paris scarcely exists. Tati demonstrates how traditional Paris has been spoilt by humanity who by selling their souls to mass production, destroy their own history for this new modern obsession. Interestingly it is the youngest tourist Barbara, who is intent on seeing the ‘real Paris’. This is evidenced when she sees a traditional flower seller stall and tries to take a photograph. She is unable to do so as the people obstruct her in the busy streets, even spoiling the last fragment of Paris. Her day seems continuously spoilt as she is rushed onto the bus by other tourists to various venues without being able to see any of the sights. There is a pitiful moment when she catches the reflection of the Eiffel Tower in the glass door of the building however she is only able to gaze at it momentarily before she is called inside. Instead she is shown modern technology such as silent doors, a broom with lights on the end and a Greek pillar bin. None of these ridiculous objects have any link to France at all and ironically they are not very useful. Tati wants the audience to question why the tourists have come here as they could see all these things everywhere therefore we could argue that ‘playtime’ is not a criticism of the modern city but a criticism of the American influence on French Values as Tati purposefully makes the tourists American. Tati blames businessmen who, thinking of profit, adapt Paris to create a replica of what Americans enjoy in their own country rather than remaining traditional. There is a sense of loss for the Parisians, like Tati who have lost the city they knew; therefore you could argue that Tati does
In conclusion, this essay has outlined an example range of ‘making and remaking’ on City Road in relation to ‘connections and disconnections’. It outlined how differences and inequalities are produced, how a person’s identity is attributed to them by other people and it is not always chosen and finally, the relationship between; society, making and remaking and connection and disconnection.
Equal Playing Time A high school student athlete; she gives up her social life and after school time for playing, practicing, and perfecting the sport she loves in hopes of making it to college, or an even higher level of competition. She has chased this dream for all of her life, going to camps, spending her free time sharpening her craft, becoming the athlete she visions; only to get put on the bench and replaced with someone who barely made the team and shows up to practice 2 times a week because the coach is required to give students the same amount of playing time. A player not working as hard as another does not deserve playing time benefits because the coach is required to give it to them.
Firstly I would set this play in the 21st century so that a modern audience could relate to it. Algernon, one of the main characters in the play, would live in a luxury apartment in the centre of London, over looking the River Thames. His apartment would have a minimalist theme to it and would be influenced by aesthetic; for example he would have a piece of abstract art on the wall for no reason other than that he thinks it looks nice.
Using the quote by Habermas as a starting point, select up to two buildings designed in the twentieth century and examine what ‘sudden, shocking encounters’ they have encountered, or created. Analyse the building’s meanings as a demonstration of an avant-garde, or potentially arriere-garde, position.
The phrase Paris capital of modernity refers to the time in the second half of the nineteenth century when Paris was considered one of the most innovative cities in the world. This was largely a result of Haussmann’s renovation of the city between 1851 and 1869. A Prefect of Paris under Napoleon III, he transformed Paris into a city with wide streets, new shops and cafes, and a unified architecture.
Being sat on the bench isn’t a very pleasant thing to do while watching your teammates play the entire game is it. According to some people many of them think that coaches shouldn’t have to play all players the same amount of playing time because they suck on that sport. I agree on that High school coaches should be given each player the equal amount of playing time.
To escape the invented world that is presented to society, creating a more critical distance is necessary. Instead of allowing the media to use civilization, understanding the meaning and effect it has on them will enhance their perception. This directly correlates to Super Sad True Love Story, in which the populace has to grow through a collapse to fully grasp what is wrong within its society. Similar to The Truman Show, as Truman tries to escape Christof’s manipulations, he is blocked at every turn. The movie hinting to the viewers that they have to take a mental journey to secure their freedom. These cases are evident in the issue of the Paris attacks, reported in the article “Does Paris Matter More Than Beirut?” as the only people that are wondering why Westerners do not seem to acknowledge Beirut are critics. The media therefore draws society in, able to easily deceive and manipulate. As a result, the illusions created by the people ought to be escaped solely by
Next let us consider the vivid scenery depicted throughout this specimen of literature. Compared to other attempts at re-imagining this piece of literature none of them materialized virtually close to the number of scenes in this film. First, amidst the introductory we are given the scene of Lena catching the public bus transportation system home from work, affording us the opportunity to view the magnificent city on...
Rose, J. K. (1997, November 8). The city beautiful movement. University of Virginia. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/citybeautiful/city.html
Both Kassovitz’s La Haine (1995) and Meirelles’ City of God (2003), utilise distinctive techniques in order to present ideas of power, poverty and conflict, as well as to reflect their urban environments in a particular way. Both directors present conflict between the poor and the powerful through a range of powerful micro and macro techniques to create films which expose the problems related to urban areas, and the context that each was set in, which contributes to getting the messages of their films across and thus has a greater impact on the audience.
The framework that Jameson utilizes helps us understand why the city owner in “I Bought a Little City” alters a perfectly industrialized city with antique ideals. Jameson introduces the idea that postmodernism, the absence of innovation, is a concept that plays an active role in our society but is not accepted as so. This is not widely accepted because it is frowned upon to not be unique or exclusive in our day to day lives. Being able to cultivate your own styles and ideas makes you a more desirable person in our culture. Jameson concedes that postmodernism has a main characteristic, stating “one of the most significant features or practices in postmodernism today is pastiche” (Jameson, 1983, p.113).
On a positive note, there are designers who have accomplished what seems like the impossible and created spaces that stand timeless in their place. The Eiffel Tower, Grand Central Station, Sydney Opera House are just a few examples of spaces that provide a unique experience for the people and contribute to the identity of the city.
In the “Metropolis and the Mental Life”, Georg Simmel aims to explicate the confines and conventions of modern life. Simmel accomplishes this as he compares modern life in a metropolis with that of the countryside, noting the behaviours and characteristics of people in response to external factors. Simmel explains this by explicitly detailing how social structures affect certain personal connections. Several prominent themes of urban living are investigated and considered by Simmel in his article, the main points, harshness of the metropolis, modernity and subjective and objective cultures, are discussed in this essay.
Renzo respects that is it important to not become self referential with design. Therefore, to truly understand the reality of a city, Renzo will never accept a new job without visiting the space first. This is to find the fundamental emotions, which he states is the true source of inspiration (Archinect, 2006). Furthermore, Renzo and his team will make hundreds of models after research to test their theories. “Versions enable us to understand how the pieces will work with each other”, Renzo once said (BMIAA, 2015).
It takes a while to process everything that is going on, but once you see the whole picture, the smaller details come out and are noticeable, even within the visually assaulting Square. The tall buildings are the first things you recognize; just the sheer size of them makes you feel like a tiny, unremarkable speck of dust. Each has its own character and was created with a unique design. A uniting factor of the buildings is the windows. The glass surface reflects the afternoon sun’s light, making a giant mirror from the buildings’ sides. The mirrors create an enormous hall of other building’s distorted reflections. Hanging from the buildings are advertisements for everything under the sun. Many billboards are for the different musicals that are going to be shown at Broadway soon; the classics, like West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Annie, and Wicked, are always there. Others are announcing the release of a new HP laptop, or Samsung HDTV. Some unveil a high fashion store’s new fall line of sweaters and jeans. Of course, there is the obligatory Coke commercial, telling you to enjoy a refreshing bottle of ice cold Coke.