Cinema (Hollywood) (1947)

LITTLE CINEMA most of the large societies have revived: and several new ones have started in addition. Many of them are now grouped into a Federation organized by the British Film Institute so that they can share a common policy and arrange for standard terms for the renting of films from the many distributors in Britain handling foreign productions. The number of major film societies in Britain is now about seventy: in addition, there is the widespread 16mm. club movement for which there exist no statistics. These provincial societies show for the most part French and Russian films, of which there are a large number of titled prints in Britain, and a smaller number of films of other nationalities. British documentaries and the early films of historical interest from the National Film Library make up the main part of the supporting programmes. Occasional revivals of British and American feature films — (Citizen Kane, for example, is a favorite) — are included. The Film Society movement is, however, wider in its interest than this would indicate. It has many sections which specialize in showing the following types of films: ( 1 ) Films of historical interest in the development of the art and history of the cinema. (Most of the films for these programmes come from the National Film Library and are available on both 16mm. and 3 5mm. Many, of course, are silent.) (2) Films of scientific interest. There is a very large number of Scientific Film Societies meeting regularly all over the country to see programmes of scientific and documentary films. (3) Films with political themes. The Workers' Film association has a large international library for organizations who want to study contemporary political and social problems through the cinema. (4) Films about education and social welfare. Teachers and social welfare workers of all kinds meet regularly to see documentary films covering every aspect of their interests. There is a particularly strong movement for the use of the educational film in Scotland, with many keen amateur film producers. ( 5 ) Religious films. The Churches are showing an increasing interest in the cinema, though there are few good religious films, as such, available yet. Plans for the future production of religious films have been worked out. (6) The amateur film-production clubs. This movement is strong and supports a monthly journal called Amateur Cinema World. Regular club meetings are held to show amateur films, (fiction and documentary), and frequent competitions keep amateur film standards high pre-war. As soon as cheap sound projectors are once more available, there will be no limit to the development of 16mm. film projection in schools, church halls, club premises, village community centres and all places where people meet together socially. It would be incomplete to finish this account of the film society movement without reference to the development of education in film appreciation and to the discussion-groups meeting to study the film. This work is limited only by the shortage of competent lecturers. The Ministry of Education has for many years regarded the film as a suitable subject of study along with literature, drama and the other arts, and is prepared to finance courses for its study. Many schools study the film, some of them as part of the regular curriculum, most of them informally in discussion-groups which are not part of the regular curriculum of study but are part of the school film-club movement. The British Film Institute, often in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Film Societies or the local Education Authorities responsible for the educational administration of the urban and rural areas of Britain, organizes a continuous series of intensive courses on the film all over the country. Film-makers and technicians, (both in fiction and documentary), are realizing the importance of meeting the public represented by such audiences and speaking on various aspects of their work. Again, the only limit to this educational programme appears to be set by the small number of people qualified to conduct the lectures and discussions. The increasing recognition by the general public that the film is an art and a social force as well as an industry, demands the development of this educational work in the future, for in the end, it is the pivot of the film society movement, the object of which should always be the increase of film appreciation and the recognition of the outstanding importance of the cinema in the world today. Maya Deren: A STUDY IN CHOREOGRAPHY FOR CAMERA Xew And Xow . (Continued from Page 19) where people go when things get too much for them. The opening scenes are particularly striking, as Miss Crawford is wheeled through busy corridors to be "processed" and become one of dozens of "cases" to a harried psychiatrist appalled at the stream of damaged lives which frustration and insecurity spew at him all day long. These scenes owe their power to the direction of Kurt Bernhardt, trained in the subjectivist German school. His best achievement comes later in the film, when Miss Crawford's stepdaughter returns from a concert to accuse her of murdering the first Mrs. Massey. The second wife turns on her in fury and kills her. Tranced, terrified at what she has done, Miss Crawford stares at the body. Then she hears the sound of a car, and, looking out the window, sees her stepdaughter alighting — returning from the concert. Nothing has happened except in her mind. This is not handled as a dream or an hallucination. It is one of those moments of introspection known to every human being when we look into ourselves and learn, with fatal recognition, exactly what we are capable of. 22 CINEMA