I enjoy trashy sci-fi movies. Sometimes I pretend to be a fan of monochrome, French art house movies in a vain attempt to be hip; but in reality, it's the trashy sci-fi I go for. Over the years, I've noticed recurring themes in these pictures. For instance, the rubber monster will always carry the leading lady away with her legs wiggling rather than exterminating her on the spot. The aliens will also take on human form, which has a double benefit - they are able to subvert human society with ease and the special effects budget goes much further.
However, the feature which occurs most often - particularly in the 'invasion' flick - is the montage which demonstrates the warring fleet of flying saucers have landed in every country of the Earth rather than just America, where the action inevitably takes place. And the way this is achieved, is to show the spinning craft hovering over well-known landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Pyramids are regular favourites.
However, the feature which occurs most often - particularly in the 'invasion' flick - is the montage which demonstrates the warring fleet of flying saucers have landed in every country of the Earth rather than just America, where the action inevitably takes place. And the way this is achieved, is to show the spinning craft hovering over well-known landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Pyramids are regular favourites.
Clearly Hollywood has learnt to use buildings as a shorthand for capital cities and indeed, entire nations. It's fair to dismiss Hollywood's tendencies as irredeemably eccentric, but in the wider world, can a single building ever capture everything a city has to offer?
For good reason, Rome is known as the Eternal City. It was once the epicentre of the world from where a vast empire was governed. Consequently, we see the city as ancient and historical and think of the Coliseum as its venerable face. This does the Italian tourist industry no harm at all, but how useful is it, for instance, to a Roman software company? One can imagine a psychological barrier existing which drives international clients to Tokyo or New York thanks to Rome's archaeological public image.
Similarly, Sydney stands for all that is modern and innovative. Partly due to Australia being a young country (or at least white Australia) but largely because of the unmistakable vision of the 'sails' of Sydney Opera House. Undoubtedly this is an iconic building and a triumph of 20th century architecture. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to many other aspects of Sydney's culture to assume the Opera House represented everything the city has to offer.
I'm sure aspiring architects like to imagine their projects will become the very essence of a community and occasionally they may come close. But no building can be all things to all people, so to view a single structure as being emblematic of a whole city is slightly lazy and glib. If the citizens of other countries perceive Big Ben as the summary of all London life, or the Pyramids as embodying everything about modern Cairo, they're buying into a myth and missing myriad other facets of those iconic towns.
Ultimately a single building is a useful device to represent a location and as a focus for tourism advertising campaigns. But it can never be the figurehead for every organisation, activity or person found there.
Unless you're making a cheap science fiction movie, of course.
Similarly, Sydney stands for all that is modern and innovative. Partly due to Australia being a young country (or at least white Australia) but largely because of the unmistakable vision of the 'sails' of Sydney Opera House. Undoubtedly this is an iconic building and a triumph of 20th century architecture. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to many other aspects of Sydney's culture to assume the Opera House represented everything the city has to offer.
I'm sure aspiring architects like to imagine their projects will become the very essence of a community and occasionally they may come close. But no building can be all things to all people, so to view a single structure as being emblematic of a whole city is slightly lazy and glib. If the citizens of other countries perceive Big Ben as the summary of all London life, or the Pyramids as embodying everything about modern Cairo, they're buying into a myth and missing myriad other facets of those iconic towns.
Ultimately a single building is a useful device to represent a location and as a focus for tourism advertising campaigns. But it can never be the figurehead for every organisation, activity or person found there.
Unless you're making a cheap science fiction movie, of course.
