Exploring Identity and Ethics in Tech-Noir Cinema
Paper by Yutao Geng.
In the course of film history, the fusion of Neo-Noir and Science Fiction has gradually formed a unique genre, known as Tech-Noir. This genre explores complex themes such as human nature, identity, and moral ambiguity by combining the visual
style and narrative features of classic film noir with futuristic and high-tech elements. In this paper, I will analyze three classic Tech-Noir films: Blade Runner (1982), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and Ex Machina (2014). These three films not only inherit the core characteristics of film noir in terms of visual style, character creation, and narrative structure, but also conduct philosophical reflections on human identity and artificial intelligence through the background of science fiction. These films are not only innovations in vision and style, but also a profound interpretation of the dilemma of human nature and technological development in contemporary society. Through textual analysis and citation of academic materials, I will demonstrate how these films express doubts about the boundaries between human nature and artificial intelligence through genre fusion, and reflect contemporary society’s anxiety about technological progress and moral crisis.
In the tech-noir film, the visual style is not only
Alienation and Political Trauma in Paris, Texas and Taste of Cherry
Paper by Marian Castro.
Texas, 1984. A long shot of a man walking through the desert, his clothes powdered with dirt and dust. He is holding an empty water jug, donning a red cap and a brown suit, his hair raggedy, his face confused and beard growing tangled and long. He is surrounded by stretches of the Southwest desert, desolate rock formations and mountains. Travis Henderson walks on, his face confused, yet determined.
Tehran, 1997. A man is driving through the raggedy outskirts of Iran. We see him driving with a sense of urgency in his searching eyes. He rolls down the window to talk to several men that he passes along the way, asking them questions, vaguely offering them a job that he does not specify. Many talk with him, but later disperse as he continues on. This man continues driving down the road. The camera remains in the passenger seat, offering the audience only a view of the window next to Mr. Badii. He drives on, still determined.
Amid the turbulent political landscapes of the late 20th century, Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders and Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of