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In the pre-war era, the romantic ideal for boys and girls was to
become a film star. However, in today's society, the aspiration has shifted to
getting on television or leading a pop group, perhaps even making a best-selling
record. This shift in aspirations perhaps reflects the decline in influence and
importance suffered by cinema as an entertainment medium. Cinema queues have
become a rarity in the UK and the USA, though not yet in Malaysia.
Three-quarters of cinemas in Britain have closed down or gone over to gambling
games like Bingo. A cynic even tells a story of a man who asked the local cinema
manager what time the program starts, and the manager replied, "What time can
you get here?" The cinema industry has shifted to producing features, domestic
serials, Westerns, hospitals, and law-serial dramas exclusively for the
television screen.
So what is left for the cinema? Very little, but what remains can still succeed
because of the current limitations of television. The long drama, the epic,
usually on a biblical or classical theme, needs time, space on the wide screen,
and color, which are limitations on television screens and channels available.
However, this is a transitional period, and ultimately no films will be made for
showing in cinema theaters. This assumes that enough people will be able to
afford television sets. There will still be a long period during which the
poorer sections of the population will look to the cinema as their primary means
of entertainment.
The experimental theater of France and Italy has done much to turn cinema
technique into an art form. Epics can be good, sometimes very good, but often
lose their dramatic value through too much noise and movement. If only such
films are seen, the cinema-goer can defend their habits. However, the viewer is
open to criticism if they prefer films showing ex, violence, or horror.
The main charge against cinema-goers is that they waste time that could be
better spent on productive or creative activity. It is true that no student or
ambitious person can afford the time to spend long hours at the cinema. If they
prefer to watch the worst type of films, there is a chance that they will carry
some wrong ideas, if not actual violence and immorality, into their own lives.
However, the cinema can be a legitimate means of relaxation if used properly.
Moreover, there are certain advantages to be gained from intelligent and
moderate cinema-going. As the medium is vision and sound, illiteracy is no
barrier to learning, and the cinema can broaden the minds of many people.
Providing it is not used for propaganda purposes, the cinema can also
disseminate good social, moral, and even religious ideas and ideals.
Documentary films are valuable adjuncts to military training and in many
advanced studies. Films are also a useful means of not only disseminating but
also recording the cultures of nations. The folk stories, plays, and dances of
Indian, Malay, and Chinese cultures have been captured forever, and the films
recording them will ultimately become historic documents.
Like any other means of communication, the cinema has been, and will be, debased
from time to time. But at its best, the film is of value to the community, and
the cinema, properly used, can be of positive value in the fields of both
entertainment and education. |
