Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Nashuyuan Serenity Wang: Michelangelo Antonioni is a director who is known for his distinctive visual style and his articulation of landscape, architecture, and cinematic space to express the themes of ennui, urban alienation, uncertainty, solitude, tediousness, crisis of modernity, mismatch of values, struggle and pain of feelings. The article examines the relationship between space and cinema in the work of Antonioni and how he holds space and “architecture as the fundamental site of film practice,”[1] especially through urban landscape, in relation to La notte (Antonioni, 1961), L’eclisse (Antonioni, 1962), and Red Desert (Antonioni, 1964). It not only focuses on the representations of cinematic space, architecture, and their functions, but also the geo-emotive mapping in space-human relation and the ways in which spaces act as the catalyst for connection between journeying bodies and their physical and mental movements. It aims at discussing the unique position of space in cinema as it forms a sphere between the past and the present, the physical and the mental; therefore, looking at people who choose to go back, belong to, move around, or accept these spaces is to understand how humans can rediscover or situate themselves in the seemingly decayed but actually valuable realms, in which their roots, memories and spiritual belongings can be reclaimed.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
NSW: The study of this sense of seeking, while problematizing personal relationships with spaces in cinema, is crucial as it allows a direct confrontation between the vulnerable, dysfunctional space and the human inner loss and responds to such complex experiences of dislocation. This article explores the following questions: how do the protagonists behave or express themselves within and outside their own spaces? How does the travelling or fleeing space function as the characters’ agency? To what extent do spaces of decay and unfamiliarity paradoxically embody the characters’ and the films’ mood? How physical and psychological spaces simultaneously construct multilayered meanings through the concrete landscape and mental mapping? To what extent the dislocated spaces function as a unique position that either reveals or constructs the real and alternative spaces. The case studies are perfect examples that demonstrate the idea of space being a living body which witnesses, engulfs, or confronts human bodies and emotions. In Antonioni’s work, spaces act as protagonists that drive the narrative and enhance the meaning of visual and emotional interpretations. Apart from the urban landscapes and the built sites, this article also examines the graphicality of specific claustrophobic spaces, such as Antonioni’s distinctive use of doors, frames, walls, and how they depict the characters’ problematized encounters with people, physical environments, and psychological turmoil.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
NSW: During my undergraduate studies at Warwick, I was particularly interested in Italian cinemas under the inspiration of Professor Stephen Gundle; and the concept of cinematic space, human and physical geography have also been my passion. Therefore, the starting point of writing this article and researching on this area in my later studies stemmed from when I started to think about these two areas together. I found it was so fascinating when exploring how these two concepts can be applied to each other as Italian cinemas are referred to as “social cinemas”; therefore, the social realm of a national cinema can certainly cooperate with the cinematic sphere. It is not only a sociocultural exploration, but also an anthropological and psychological approach when we combine the notions of cinematic materials, social contexts, visuals, and human sensations.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
NSW: I believe that the Film Department at Warwick is one of the leading film faculties in the country with professional staff and facilities. Apart from the normal lecturers, seminars and teaching sessions, the research seminars, talks and our personal discussions with our tutors and mentors were very valuable. Moreover, the department provided many opportunities for us to take part in various film festivals, workshops, and activities related to writing about film or film criticism.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
NSW: I have gained so many insightful inspirations in my research and also got so much help in shaping and developing my extra work and future career plans. My mentor and other faculty tutors who inspired me are all respected film scholars in different areas. Their works, ideas, and the fact that they have always been striving for innovation and quality in their thoughts and ideas really fostered my advancement as a film scholar.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
NSW: The editorial notes and feedback are really helpful. It allows me to see the weakness of my article more clearly and helps me to develop my writing style and things that I did not notice when I first wrote it.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
NSW: I hope to reach the audience that are particularly interested in Italian cinema and/or cinematic space, or the audience who would like to explore cinema and film reading in depth. I genuinely hope to raise the awareness/attention of the concept of space, both physically and mentally, or even sensationally in cinema and, if I could, to make the audience feel this field is a fascinating and key area to be explored in the future. Through my work, I intend to show that space acts as a character, a witness that correlates with every single element within the diegesis.
FM: What are your future plans?
NSW: During my PhD research and studies, I will extend my vision and knowledge, focusing particularly on Asian cinemas, especially rural and overseas cinemas, which are the emerging and relatively new subgenres that lack exploration at the moment. Through my research in these fields, I hope to come up with something new and valuable, moving away from the conventional urban-centric cinemas and zooming into a broader area that has many potentials, moving forward. For my future career, I genuinely hope to contribute to film studies with my knowledge, ideas, and discoveries, becoming a film scholar who will keep learning from others, offering valuable thoughts and ideas, and eventually inspiring more and more people with the charm of film studies as an intellectual area. Moreover, I served as a judge and film reviewer of Beloit International Film Festival; in the future, I hope to participate in more film festivals and contribute to cultural exchange and communication through different national cinemas.
[1] Vidler, Anthony. “The Explosion of Space: Architecture and the Filmic Imaginary.” Assembly, no.21, August 1993, p. 46.
Author Biography
Nashuyuan Serenity Wang graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in Film and Television Studies in 2017. After finishing her MA Film Studies degree at UCL, she is currently a PhD student in the UCL History Department, focusing on health and dislocation in Chinese rural and overseas cinemas. Her research areas include cinematic space and architecture, Italian and Asian cinemas, and film aesthetics.
