| The City | ||
|---|---|---|
| This clip is not available for streaming at this time. Please contact WPA. | Tape Master: | 11284 |
| Catalog #: | 490320 | |
| Clip Number: | 490320-1 | |
| Orginal Film: | NTOWNS-007 | |
| Timecode: | ||
| Location: | New York City and Metropolitan Area | |
| Year Shot: | 1986 (Actual Year) | |
| Audio: | Yes | |
| Color: | No | |
| Headings: | CITY PLANNING: New Towns | |
| Description: | This film is in B/W; looks to be shot in the 30s. 17.33.15-Series of shots of SKYSCRAPERS from low angles, the buildings seem to choke out the sunlight and create a feeling of enclosure and suffocation, the announcer gives a sarcastic rendition of the investor-capitalist's credo of more, more, more, the images tell of dehumanization. High-vantage shots of anonymous masses of people getting off trains and walking to work. Shots of crowded streets and sidewalks. Shots of a line of secretaries typing correspondence, wide shot of a room full of typing women, the audio is of a cacophony of male "executive" voices dictating the various insincerities of business correspondence. Pan down side of a skyscraper, pan down side of another skyscraper, Shot of kids playing ball in a street and scrambling out of the way of a car that passes, rushing back into street when the car goes. Shots of three teenage boys on sidewalk who suddenly rush to the scene ofà, a woman throws open the second-story window to look out to street, an ambulance has arrived on the scene, a crowd gathers around as a body is carted off. Shots of kids engaged in various kinds of dangerous play in the crowded streets-lighting trash fires, riding soap-box cars, hanging off the back of STREETCARS for a free ride [this is a brief but very cool shot, as one of the kids looks back gloatingly at the cameraman!]. 17.36.14-beautiful shot of two young boys having a play joust or swordfight with swords made of scraps of wood and garbage-can lids for shields. Shot of a bum passed out in a doorway who gets rousted by two faceless cops. Series of shots showing the lack of open space, suggestive of detriment and contribution to delinquency: Boys playing STICKBALL in street. Shots of teenage boys leaping from a pier into the river, a game of stickball goes awry when a ball breaks a window. Shots a FIRE ENGINE pulling out of a station house, siren roaring. There is in fact a Dalmatian sitting in the middle of the front seat between two firemen. A scene of drama as traffic blocks the path of the fire engine, a COP furiously directs traffic. Shots of people wolfing down food at sidewalk food stands and crowded restaurants. Soundtrack of cacophony of "waitress" and "cook" voices. Shots of Bread Slicing Machine and giant slot toaster in the diner, more shots showing how the PRODUCTION-LINE ethos has spread to our consumption of food in the industrial age, including a mechanized machine for flipping pancakes. Dizzying sequence of shots of anonymous mouths eating and equally anonymous machines and workers producing food. | |
WPA FILM LIBRARY
