i.chai

Stephen Gaghan, //Syriana //// Syriana// attempts to demonstrate the oil industry's role in the Middle East. The issue is seen from a variety of perspectives. The film seems to be pessimistic of the current situation. Many scenes in the movie have a credibility of being possible events.There are many groups involved in the movie, which includes the Arabs, the C.I.A., the Department of Justice, the oil companies, and the lawyers. The issue is that everybody wants the oil pipelines running, but the entire world supply is diminishing, and there is a battle to control whatever that is left. In almost every scene, you can feel the intensity of the chaotic events. This film demonstrates in part the historical and commercial background of this issue. If oil was the medium of //Syriana,// it is very similar to //Traffic,// which was drugs. In this film, oil is the center of everything. I find this to be true in the sense that when gas prices rise, everything else rises. The film illustrates a harsh reality. Oil controls people. It can also get people killed because of subsequent actions. The jumping of scenes is relevant to what can be going on in the world all at once. There is a positive corporate agreement in the United States, but in the other side of the world, hundreds of people can lose their jobs. If one button is pushed by a C.I.A. technician in Washington, an Arab prince can be killed by a missile in the desert. There are several parts of the film, where if you were to blink you would miss an important piece of information necessary for understanding the simple, yet complex idea of “who’s who”, and “who’s doing what and why.” The film suggests that everyone is controlled by a single substance. It is almost like a machine that controls the way we live our daily lives. It does not matter if you are part of the oil company regulating pipelines, a C.I.A agent, or a middle class worker. Everyone is a part of this system. What was interesting was that in one way or another all of the characters’ fates are tied to each other, similar to the movie //Crash//. However, //Syriana// is on a much bigger scale.

Michael Winterbottom, //Code 46 // The film takes place in a futuristic world, where machines control many aspects of human life. The fact that they are using machines to “improve” human life, automatically leads me to think of Utopian ideas. It can be compared to ideas in other films such as //I, Robot// and //Alphaville.// In both films, machines are created to control the daily lives of humans. However, there is always some kind of fault in the system, which causes many problems and ultimately ending with a failure. It almost seems like an impossible feat. There is always some kind of moral issue that is raised. An example in //Code 46// would be the ability to read other people’s minds simply by taking what is called an empathy virus. In the film, the main character takes the empathy virus to help him investigate. However, knowing how people feel or think affects your own judgment and actions, not always for the better. Also the idea of erasing certain pieces of one’s memory is controversial. The more it is used, the more oblivious the world is to anything that is going on. However, I believe that this film brought up interesting possibilities that are not too far from truth. Machines and drugs have a relatively large impact on our lives right now. Besides some technological features, I believe that this film demonstrates many occurrences and conditions of the present time.

I thought that the choice of setting was interesting. The futuristic setting in Shanghai seems to make sense based on an architectural level because of their major advancement over the past decade. Although they moved forward technologically, Shanghai also contains underdeveloped areas. In an analogy, the modern Shanghai could be the “inside” and the slums can be considered the “outside” of the city in //Code 46//. This brings up political and class issues, which is something that exists to a point of tedium. In the film, they completely separate the integration of the two, which brings up a pessimistic view on the current situation. Nevertheless, this film clearly points out the fact that the world is evolving. It started to make me wonder if we are on the brink of something big.

Stan Allen, “From Object to Field”

When Allen introduces geometric versus algebraic combination, the difference is relatively clear. As he introduced the Cordoba Mosque in Spain, I automatically can understand the derived geometric form. As its construction spanned over 8 centuries, it has kept its integrity in terms of design. The additions that were made seemed as if it was planned from the start. This to me emphasizes a bottom up design, which is what I believe Allen is trying to communicate with the field study. This idea is reinforced later when he talks about the rectilinear grid being the oldest and most persistent organizing devices. Imposing a rectilinear grid on a site would be categorized as top down. Allen points out the importance of the local condition. Small variations in the field call for a change in the grid. One of the most intriguing concepts was that “all grids are fields but not all fields are grids.” This made sense after understanding his previous ideas. It is important to consider the local relationships in architecture over the complete form and composition in the field conditions. Relationships are important in planning for urban settings. Here, these grids are combined with the natural field conditions, where there is variation, yet some repetition. There are several thresholds on a site, where repetition cannot occur without changing is nature. It is interesting how he brought up studies of flocks, schools, swarms and crowds. There is a relationship in the way that they are initially formed, and the way they precede. When he talks about the patterns of flocks, I immediate thought of its relation to geometry. When he talks about the variables of crowds and swarms, I deducted it to its relation to algebra. The fact that there are variables in algebra reminds me of his emphasis on the “bottom up.”

Mark C. Taylor, “From Grid to Network”

The world is constantly in motion. It is moving up with technological advances, communications, and new information. It has shifted as Taylor stated, “From a world structured by grids to a world organized liked networks.” The amount and availability of information has grown exponentially, which calls for newer forms of organization. This is something that is changing and will most likely continue to evolve. The style of design from Mies, to Venturi, and finally to Gehry demonstrates the progression of architecture. Classical architecture is something that will always be looked back upon like a reference. Future architectural designs will derive from the political, social and cultural aspects of the future. As technology advances, architecture will transform in a new form. There are many variables to a design. Similar to what Allen states in a field, there are conditions such as social and economic that are all added into the complexity of design.