Although the term "national cinema" is commonly applied to many film theories and critiques, there is a lack of recognition of the characteristics of national cinema and of the way in which national cinema cinema is conveyed. I argue that national cinema is reflected in films associated with a specific nation-state, as evidenced by the comparison of two unique national films: Ida from Poland and Chungking Express from Hong Kong. The stylistic choices in direction, cinematography, editing and sound for these two films can demonstrate national cinema in multiple ways. With these four cinematic styles creating characteristics of films, Polish cinema and Hong Kong cinema can be better understood through their history and nostalgia, their quest for identity and their manipulation of techniques. This essay will examine the similarities and differences of four styles for the opening scene of Chungking Express (00:45-02:47) and the scene returning to Ida's convent (56:54-58:04) which make echoing the unique characteristics of national cinema. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay First of all, staging plays an undoubtedly important role in the transmission of national styles. Ida and Chungking Express produced a magnificent production. The Ida scene communicates the stylization and standardization of the Polish film school which highlights the national character of the Poles. It is set inside a cathedral with a massive dome, allowing little artificial intervention to create a relatively raw environment, adapted to reality as much as possible. Accessories rarely exist inside the convent. This embodies the minimal realism of Polish cinema. The Divine Cathedral is period-accurate and community-based, given the close entanglement of nationalism and Catholicism in Poland. The Chungking Express scene develops in a relatively artificial environment where aggressive shoulder-to-shoulder gestures take place between people of different races on chaotic and busy streets. This echoes Hong Kong cinema, reflecting the hustle and bustle of daily life in Hong Kong and the cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong. The costumes and makeup of Ida and the other nuns are unified and heavy, which seems repressed and lacking individuality while Brigitte Lin's costumes and makeup are very powerful and fashionable. Brigitte wears a blonde wig, a raincoat, and black glasses with red frames to accompany Marilyn Monroe's stereotypical red lipstick in the scene. These elements serve to highlight his attempts to become more Western, symbolic of his confusion about his own cultural identity. This is a representative feature of the Hong Kong handover era to show the confusion surrounding the city's cultural and ideological identity (Hu 2006). Soft lighting is adopted to shine natural light on the nuns, which imparts a metaphysical aura and sense of peace. Harsh lighting is used to amplify the movement of Cop 223 and Brigitte through the claustrophobic crowd. Both sequences use low-key lighting to ensure high contrast which helps create dramatic mood and character sculpting. This suggests that most Hong Kong and Polish cinemas attach importance to producing tension and developing plots. The elaboration of color is noticeable in Hong Kong cinema and Polish cinema. Bright colors, especiallyred, blue and green, are highlighted in the opening scene of Chungking Express to produce a deep emotional impact on the screen, symbolizing loss, longing and the search for comfort. In contrast, Ida is a black and white film which ties it more to that period in terms of black and white. It is common in Polish cinema to make a film that reflects history. Secondly, the cinematography of Ida and Chungking Express is a signature that plays a special role in conveying the Polish style and Hong Kong style. Ida's aspect ratio is 1.37:1, the standard academic ratio frequently used in Polish cinema. The aspect ratio of Chungking Express is 1.66:1, which is impressive in Hong Kong cinema to produce a widescreen effect. Ida's daily life at the convent is presented at a direct angle with locked frames parallel to the horizon. These are calm, meditative approaches without delicate work with a handheld camera. While the handheld camera is used in Chungking Express to travel hurriedly and unsteadily, it adds realism by being shaky. The tilted frame unbalances Cop 223 and the people in the background to embody the chaos and urban alienation in Hong Kong. Regarding framing, the widespread use of long shots and negative space effectively isolates Ida from the other components of the sequence, creating uncertainty and confusion. The use of off-screen space shapes the audience's experience and draws attention to Ida's movement. This relates to the trend in Polish cinema that encourages the role of the individual rather than the collective (Bill 2015). Ida's trademark composition also highlights Polish cinema as she embodies the movement of the Polish film school through exquisite manipulation of techniques and knowledge of film discipline. On the other hand, Chungking Express uses a tracking shot, remaining average, to follow the movement of the actor. The opening scene creates more curiosity in the minds of the audience due to proper framing. One of the highlights of the cinematography in Chungking Express is the special effect called step printing. Slow motion and startup worked together to make the scene play at less than 24 frames per second, creating the sensation of jerky motion as Cop 223 chases down the street. The resulting blur makes it impossible to define individual faces and instead encourages viewers to see the crowd as a singular entity. It is therefore a question of illustrating the isolation and insecurity within a large indistinguishable megalopolis. Simultaneously, viewers will feel disoriented, claustrophobic and identify with the characters. This fulfills the aim of Hong Kong cinema to involve exhausted Hong Kongers in the chaotic world of cinema, and then comfort them by restoring a sense of belonging. Third, it is worth mentioning how subtly the editing manifests the national style in these two films. The shutter is 180 degrees in both films, reinforcing the continuity of their stories. Chungking express applies a non-linear editing process which is disruptive and corresponds to the “neo” characteristic of Hong Kong cinema. The opening scene is an interesting one where the director beautifully juxtaposes shots of busy streets with the running of two main characters through cross-cutting. A jarring effect is achieved that offers the audience little sense of connection between the characters and events displayed on screen. A kind of distortion and interlacing is successful in disorienting the viewer in this sequence, almost a convention that embodies the films of the Hong Kong New Wave (Hu 2006). Dissolve is. 2 (2006): 67-79.