The art of sound pictures (1930)

1 84 THE ART OF SOUND PICTURES urged to act desperately in order to carry out his compliance with the danger. He experiences dominance and compliance in conflict, the compliance to which he is compelled gradually defeating the dominance which has assumed a subsidiary position in the emotional compound. This gradual defeat is extremely unpleasant. Fear is the most unpleasant of all emotional sufferings. It is far worse than the pain which is threatened. It renders the person suffering it less efficient, less vigorous, and less selfcontrolled. Here is a case which neatly illustrates the bodily weakness resulting from intense fear. A robust Alpine climber was sitting on what he supposed was the edge of a cliff, when he suddenly saw the ice swept away by an avalanche a few feet from where he sat. He found that he was dangling his legs from a thin shelf of sheer ice which might give way at any moment. He experienced a devastating fear. He could not move for several minutes. He seemed paralyzed. Ultimately, he managed to roll over on his stomach and to creep back, inch by inch, still half paralyzed, according to his own description. The moment he reached solid earth, he fainted and was unconscious for about ten minutes. WTien he recovered, he could neither stand nor walk, and it was several hours before he could proceed. The use of fear in moving pictures is two-fold. In the first place, it may be used as a foil to successful dominance or subsequent satisfaction. It may also show character development. One of the most appealing themes in the early days of the motion picture was the story in which the hero overcame his cowardice, ultimately developing