The cinema : 1952 (1952)

YOUR CRITIC RIGHT OR WRONG ! I33 vitals of a sensitive artist, but often enough a c defender of the faith' against the parasitic artist who exploits the overcommercialized art forms of the novel, the drama and the film. This implies, of course, that the critic himself is a writer who recognizes standards level with those implicit in, the work of the best artists. The twentieth century has created certain new conditions in which many artists find they must work. The film itself is an extreme example of the new kind of art-industry which is typical of our time, when ever-increasing numbers of people seek an ever-increasing amount of entertainment for which they will pay well if it happens to suit their fancy. Everyone knows that films cost a great deal of money to make, and that the creation of each new film is like designing a new prototype in the factory-studios where films are made. Everyone recognizes that with increasing costs increasing returns must be earned. Everyone, too, knows that in most countries where films are produced only a comparatively small proportion of the money paid by the public reaches the pockets of the producers. The challenge which must be met by the true film-artist is to succeed within the conditions prescribed for him by the institution of the cinema. The authorities of distribution and exhibition bring every pressure to bear on the film-maker to force him to accept their views as to what does or does not entertain the millions who attend the cinemas. They are frequently right, but they are sometimes wrong. Commercial showmanship depends on inventiveness and courage as well as on a nice appreciation of what has been successful with the public before. The dead repetition of old formulas brings the law of diminishing returns to bear on the boxoffice. The artist and the business-man are chained together on the treadmills of mass public entertainment. But the