Landscape of the unknown: Mobilizing three understandings of landscape to interpret American and Indian cinematic outer space

摘要

Many landscapes are available to only some groups and cultures. For example, oceans, deserts, mountains, etc. cannot be fully understood and experienced by all people in the world. However, there is one landscape that is likely available to all cultures-outer space. By investigating this panorama that is accessible all over the globe, geography can gain insight into landscape interpretation. Film is an ideal medium for this endeavor. Unlike most film landscape interpretation that concentrates on landscape as a text or a way of seeing, I argue that three understandings of landscape, landscape as mediated by technology, landscape as a way of seeing, and landscape as engagement, all interact with one another to create cinematic outer space. I use this landscape as portrayed in the United States and India as case studies.