Surviving Los Angeles by Exercising Privacy

In queer film and television, the urban context often serves as a backdrop for portraying LGBTQ+ culture. In Sean Baker’s 2015 film “Tangerine”, set in the unofficial red-light district of Los Angeles, the urban setting plays a crucial role in depicting marginalized queer communities. The film’s raw aesthetic lays bare LA’s hostile environment and shows the challenges of inhabiting a city that is actively rejecting its vulnerable populations.

The film follows a day in the lives of Sin-Dee and Alexandra, two trans women of colour, as they traverse the streets of Los Angeles on Christmas Eve seeking revenge after Sin-Dee discovers her pimp boyfriend’s infidelity. The plot is driven forward by the protagonists’ constant movement from one location to another and their interactions with acquaintances and strangers they meet along the way. Catapulted in a single day in their life, the viewer is tasked with keeping up with their fast-paced movements across the city while also being afforded glimpses into the characters’ intimacy.

Mike Davis’ depiction of Los Angeles in the chapter “Fortress Los Angeles: The Militarization of Urban Space” helps contextualize the environment portrayed in Tangerine. He emphasizes that the city’s relentless efforts to secure itself led to the dismantling of accessible public space. He describes how the city’s use of hostile tactics, like reduced access to water, barrel-shaped bus benches, overhead sprinklers, and locked trash bins has spatially confined marginalized groups in increasingly smaller areas.[1] Since the article’s publication in the 1990s, LA’s rise in a controlled privatized environment has only worsened the life conditions of marginalized populations as shown in Tangerine. The film illustrates that there are only a few places that the protagonists are allowed to enjoy apart from the streets.

Ted Killian’s Article, “Public and Private, Power and Space” helps analyze how the film’s protagonists make use of public space. He moves beyond definitions of public space and focuses on the power relationships within these spaces. For Killian, publicity and privacy are not inherent characteristics of space but rather expressions of coexisting power dynamics. For instance, publicity is the power of access and privacy is the power of exclusion.[2] Tangerine’s marginalized characters have little to no power of exclusion and no power of access. Faced with this situation, how do they manage to enjoy public space?

Los Angeles’ sprawled and unplanned nature directly affects Sin-Dee and Alexandra. Busy with ever-continuing car traffic, the film’s main setting on Santa Monica Boulevard echoes the character’s chaotic lives and proves to be hostile. Los Angeles’ destruction of accessible public space in favor of secured privatized spaces directly impacts Tangerine’s marginalized characters.[3] With limited access to spaces that allow them to exist in a city that rejects them, they must find strategies to survive such as caring for one another, finding privacy, and sustaining familiarity with their environment. To expose how those themes come through in the film, this essay studies how the film techniques achieve authenticity, examines selected scenes formally, and explores how the juxtaposition of different scenes can create new meaning. Finally, the essay concludes by answering how the images and sounds from “Tangerine” tell something about Los Angeles and how incorporating aesthetic strategies common to film shapes architectural urban studies.

Realism and Authenticity

Sean Baker employs several strategies to convey realism such as on-site shooting. “Tangerine” is geographically accurate adding authenticity in portraying the reality of people living in this neighborhood. In a sprawled city dominated by cars, the protagonists’ travels between spread-out locations happen mainly on foot, on the bus, and on the metro. The distances they cover walking, as well as the metro, and bus rides, give the viewer awareness of the city and show what it means to physically move between its locations. For instance, Sin-Dee travels around 12.5 km on foot and 15.8 km in transit over the movie’s course. Mapping their movements shows how they repeatedly revisit locations and provides insight into the familiarity they have with their environment. When they visit locations, the viewer is made aware of their familiarity with the area with the many encounters they make. Alexandra distributes her flyers for her performance to every acquaintance that crosses her path. As the film progresses, they revisit locations that had been previously shown making the viewer increasingly familiar with the city’s environment as well.

Figure 1. "Sin-Dee’s Locations in Order of Appearance," Mapped by Alexandre Néron.

A) Donut Time

B) Launderland

C) El Gran Burrito

D) Vermont/Santa Monica Metro [Metro transit]

E) Hollywood Blv.

F) Grand Motel

C) El Gran Burrito [Bus Transit]

H) Mary’s Hamburger [Bus Transit]

A) Donut Time

B) Launderland

Baker’s unusual use of an iPhone 5s camera for shooting and the use of non-professional actors adds to the film’s realism. “Shooting on the iPhone 5s enables a highly flexible camera, which relates intimately to the bodies consistently in motion. Such cinematic mobility affords the viewers immediacy and intimacy about the characters’ interaction, as they move in and out of strip malls, donut shops, and run-down motels.”[4] The filming setup, paired with on-site shooting allowed non-actors to feel more comfortable on camera as phone cameras are approachable. The small camera size also allows closeness with the actors and brings the viewer in proximity to the characters. “The proximity to the characters conveys their comfort with their own bodies, which differentiates this film from conventional depictions of transgender characters who are shot from a distance to create their exotic otherness.”[5] The smaller filming setup also permitted filming in tight spaces such as Donut Time and Mary’s Hamburger’s bathroom which brings the viewer into the characters’ privacy.

Scenes Formal Analysis

Intrusion – Sin-Dee Smoke Break at the Metro Station (15:02 – 17:07)

Figure 2. "Sin-Dee Smoke Break at the Metro Station," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

The bus bench scene signifies a pivotal moment in the narrative. Alexandra and Sin-Dee have parted ways, leaving Sin-Dee by herself to deal with the emotions stemming from her boyfriend’s infidelity. She finds herself in a very public space during this highly emotional moment. The viewer witnesses her enjoying her privacy until a bus arrives, invading her space. Once the bus departs, she is finally left alone to process her emotions and choose how to react.

In the first cut of the scene, we follow her walking, tracking her in a full shot. Baker utilizes a bicycle and an iPhone camera with a stabilizer to track her movement. The perceptible shakiness of the camera, despite the stabilizer, contributes to the dynamism and determination of her walk. [6] Upon reaching the street corner, the cut changes to a low wide-angle shot, placing her small in the center of the frame. The wide-angle evokes a surveillance camera and echoes Los Angeles’ hostile surveillance mentioned by Davis. Sin-Dee attempts to capture the attention of passersby who actively ignore her while she asks strangers if they have ‘fire’ to light her cigarette. She must yell at a man to force him to pay attention to her. When the cigarette is lit, the scene cuts to a close-up shot of her face against the sunlight, with the metro station in the background. Although the film is set in winter, the dry heat of LA is perceptible through the sunlight. The lack of shade and vegetation makes the street corner particularly uncomfortable, but it doesn’t deter her from sitting at the bus stop, as her lack of access to private spaces is a usual constant in her life.

The cut changes to her sitting on the bus bench in a still high-angle medium shot. Her face is at the bottom of the frame, where her gaze is also turned. By evading the frame, this suggests she is enjoying privacy by closing herself off from the surroundings and letting down her guard. This view alternates with another low-angle shot from behind the bus bench that conceals her and further emphasizes her privacy.

A bus enters the frame and invades her space. The gazes of people coming off the bus infringe on her privacy. The bus’s advertisement with a model’s piercing eyes peeking above the bus bench further expresses the intrusion into her privacy. From the front-facing shot, a man enters the frame and invades Sin-Dee’s space, signified by her annoyed reaction. She turns her gaze to the other side of the frame to maintain the little privacy that remains, looking away from strangers gazing at her. When the bus leaves, she regains privacy, although she is more exposed to the street and its traffic. The traffic’s continuous flow is less intrusive than the pedestrians who came and gazed at her. Left to herself, she can process her emotions and choose how to react to her boyfriend's cheating. The classical music that played throughout the scene, marking the moment’s stillness, transitions to rhythmic electronic music when she makes up her mind at the end of the scene.

Care and Intimacy – Getting Ready in the Club Bathroom (46:39 – 48:29)

Figure 3. "Getting Ready in the Club Bathrooms," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

The club bathroom scene is significant in the film as the space that provides the most privacy and intimacy throughout the plot. When in this space, Sin-Dee, Alexandra, and Dinah let their guards down and are shown to be more vulnerable. Their attitude contrasts with their outside selves when in the streets they must remain tough to survive. The bathroom is also a space of care, where acts of kindness are enacted between them. Alexandra and Sin-Dee’s relationship is akin to sisters as they fight, teach, forgive, support, and let down one another.

The scene starts with a medium shot of Alexandra preparing herself in front of the mirror with Sin-Dee watching her. The camera is at its most zoomed-out for this scene and emphasizes the space’s tightness. The camera is handheld and constantly reframes as it moves closer, positioning itself between Sin-Dee and Alexandra. This frame shows a full view of Alexandra’s right profile while her left profile is displayed in the mirror’s reflection. Intruding in their conversation, the camera pans to the other corner of the room where Dinah observes them while sitting on the toilet. The lighting color changes in intensity on the two sides of the room and hints at their emotional distance. The camera cuts for the first time to show a full view of the bathroom, with Dinah in one corner and Alexandra and Sin-Dee in the other. From this point, the camera cuts in between close shots of both sides of the bathroom. In a brief instant, Sin-Dee enacts care towards Alexandra by doing her make-up until Dinah entices her to consume drugs. Energetic music fills the scene as Alexandra loses Sin-Dee’s attention. She is then left to herself and shown alone with her reflection. The mirror extends the bathroom’s space into another world where Alexandra exerts control over her image.

In a subsequent moment in the bathroom where only Dinah and Sin-Dee smoke together, complicity and care emerge between them. The tight and intimate space combined with the close-ups of their faces and gaze exchanges illustrates their growing closeness. Throughout the scene, a dim red light emanates from above the mirror and calms down the characters' energetic natures. Even the rotating disco lights on the ceiling have a calming, hypnotic effect rather than an energetic effect. The lighting choice contributes to creating another world away from the hostile streets outside.

Family and Domesticity – Forgiveness in the Laundromat (1:23:41 - 1:25:38)

Figure 4. "Laundromat scene," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

The film’s closing scene is significant in showing the characters' access to domesticity and the importance of their relationship for support. After the Donut Time escalation where Sin-Dee learns of Alexandra’s betrayal, Razmik and Dinah return ‘home’. Meanwhile, Sin-Dee flees Alexandra, who keeps following her to patch up their relationship. When Sin-Dee is assaulted by people in their car, Alexandra takes her to the laundromat to clean her up. This moment is pivotal in the film as it shows the strength of their bond.

Razmik and Dinah are shown in alternating frames during their return home. Razmik has access to domesticity, yet he is isolated in his own family. A still wide-angle shot of him alone in his living room illustrates his isolation. His living room appears uncomfortable with its low ceilings and oddly arranged furniture. Even though he has access to a home, he and his family are trapped because of their marginality. Meanwhile, Dinah returns to the motel/brothel where Sin-Dee took her from. She is refused access as she was replaced by another girl. She is left to spend the night outside in the cold with little clothing. A full still shot of her waiting in front of the motel also shows her isolation and how she is trapped by her marginalized situation.

After being assaulted, Alexandra takes Sin-Dee by the hand and leads her to the laundromat. Although they have not yet reconciled, Alexandra takes care of Sin-Dee. A handheld tracking shot follows them walking along the window in front of a strip mall. Their assured walk indicates to the viewer that they know where to access a space to clean Sin-Dee. When they enter the laundromat, a pan accompanies their movement from an all-glass exposed entrance to the back of the laundromat, where they find a nook with a sink. A still medium shot of them inside the nook shows the tightness of the space and illustrates its privacy from the street. In this vulnerable moment, Sin-Dee must undress and take off her wig soaked with urine. Alexandra washes off her body and supports her when she must take off her wig. Being forced to dress down is especially difficult for Sin-Dee as this strip is part of her identity and prevents her from ‘passing’ as a woman.

The scene cuts to a low-angle still medium shot of them both sitting with their backs turned against the laundromat’s glazing. This long shot has them alternating gazes toward each other as the first step in their reconciliation. As they continue to flee each other’s eye contact, Alexandra takes off her wig as a peace offering and gives it to Sin-Dee. The camera cuts to a still shot of the moment, seen from outside looking into the laundromat. Alternating exterior shots show them exposed by the well-lit space. Although they can be seen from the street, the moment they share is enjoyed in privacy. The scene cuts back to the interior still shot of Alexandra helping Sin-Dee to put the wig on. At this moment, they exchange tender eye contact. The scene ends with Sin-Dee reaching out her hand to Alexandra, which signifies her forgiveness. The screen turns to black with the laundry machine sounds continuing throughout the credits. Although they don’t return to a domestic space, Sin-Dee and Alexandra return to each other. Their bond of support and care for one another allows them to overcome the harsh conditions of their lives.

Juxtaposition of different scenes

In the film’s plot, the protagonists keep returning to the same locations and establish familiarity. I had an interest in juxtaposing different scenes that explore those familiar locations during daytime and nighttime to observe how they change. I was also interested in comparing how the exterior and interior of those spaces changed in perception in response to light to understand how it impacted the character’s privacy.

Figure 5. "Donut Time Storefront Location Night/Day," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Figure 6. "Donut Time Interior Location Night/Day," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Donut Time is a heavily present location where a lot of screentime happens. Like most of the spaces shown in the film, such as strip malls, storefront facades are mostly glazed from 24 to 30 inches from the ground up to the ceiling. The highly glazed facades paired with strong fluorescent lighting drastically change perception from day to night. From the exterior, the inside appears completely exposed at night. On the other hand, in the interior, it is the street’s activity that is most visible during the daytime. In the opening scene, people and cars passing in the street are much more visible. The context plays different roles, appearing more or less in the scenes depending on the time of day. This reverse relationship makes the interior feel more private at night for people inside although it is more exposed.

Figure 7. "Donut Time Escalation," Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Figure 8. "Donut Time Exterior High-Angle Shots,” Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Sean Baker used two cameras while filming to alter shots between different angles. In exposed locations like Donut Time and Launderland’s final scene, exterior high-angle views briefly interrupt interior shots. Similar to Sin-Dee’s bus bench scene, where strangers’ gaze intrudes on her privacy, these exterior shots indicate the passerby’s perspective looking into the interior action.

Figure 9. "Strip Mall Day Approach,” Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Figure 10. "Strip Mall Night Approach,” Sean Baker, Tangerine, 2015.

Varying levels of exposure serve the characters as well. When looking for Sin-Dee, Razmik easily sees through a fast-food glazing to find an acquaintance to help find Sin-Dee. When put in comparison to Sin-Dee looking for Chester, Launderland appears much more private in the daytime. In their approach, Sin-Dee needs to come much closer to see inside than Razmik in his car at night.

Conclusion

Sean Baker’s film “Tangerine” showcases Los Angeles’ multifaceted layers. Techniques used to make the film, such as on-site filming, the use of an iPhone camera, and non-professional actors immerse the viewer in the raw unfiltered reality of LA’s streets. Plunged into the backdrop of a chaotic and hostile city, much like the protagonists, we find ourselves becoming familiar and at ease in spaces originally designed to be anything but comfortable.

In “Tangerine”, the city can be felt through its inhabitants, backdrops, noises, and spaces visited by the characters. Since we revisit these spaces at different times, it allows us to witness how they change. By juxtaposing images and sounds from day and night, we notice the subtle shifts in atmosphere. Suddenly, the city appears more alive as it is constantly shifting in time. The film’s aesthetic strategies such as natural lighting, sound, and movement convey atmosphere beyond visuals. Incorporating these strategies could shape architectural urban studies to fully account for the dimension of time.

Sin-Dee and Alexandra not only navigate LA’s streets but also leave their mark on the city. Their vibrant personalities, struggles, and resilience seep through the film’s aesthetics and the spaces they move through such as strip malls, donut shops, and run-down motels. Their mutual support and care for one another allow them to survive in this harsh city. The city shapes the protagonists, but they, in turn, shape the city. In the end, Tangerine challenges the viewer to see Los Angeles as a living city shaped by the rhythms of time and the subjectivities of its inhabitants.