Focus: A Film Review (1950-1951)

121 people to concentrate effectively, Father McEvoy divides the Mass inito short time sequences ; at the beginning of each important stage we are told how many minutes we have for, e.g., preparation for sacrifice, or for thanking God. The strip can perfectly well be used independently of the book, but if the teacher, at least, has a copy of the text she will be greatly aided in building up appropriate instruction and in enriching for the children the significance of the pictures ; the book, however, is designed to be the personal property of the individual child for use at home for quiet reading, and at Mass in lieu of a child’s Missal. The strip could be used with older juniors, and both strip and book would also be appreciated by senior pupils. The Mass for Little Children By S. N. D. V.I.S.2259. 20 frames. Price : 7s. 6d. from the Catholic Film Institute. This is a carefully planned teaching strip in which the doctrine of the Christian Sacrifice is clearly yet simply worked out. It consists of 8 pictures linked by explanations, with prayers and verses designed to fix in memory the main points to be remembered. Our Lord’s wonderful deeds, His miracles, are exemplified in the changing of water into wine at Cana, and in the feeding of the 5,000. These in turn typify the great Miracle of the Last Supper, when Our Lord changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood, and told His apostles to do the same. On Calvary Our Lord is shown offered in Sacrifice, and the remaining pictures relate the Mass to Christ’s oblation and to our own offering of self with Him to God. This should be a very useful strip for the teacher of infants and young juniors, and in experienced hands would lend itself to various methods of use. D. OTHER CATHOLIC FILM STRIPS Bishop Challoner Catholic Truth Society. 2 reels. Hiring Charges : 2/6; price 10/-. A knowledge of the Catholic past and of England’s fight for the Faith so often stops short at the more spectacular period covered by Monsignor Benson’s books, that any attempt to familiarise Catholics with the work of an English Bishop to whom we owe so much is to be welcomed. The strip is the work of a real historian, and an expert on the period. Much of it is composed of contemporary prints and of reproductions of original documents and title-pages of the various works published by Bishop Challoner. The notes which accompany the strip are more than usually necessary to explain the pictures, and the utility and interest of the film would be much enhanced by being handled by someone thoroughly versed in the subject. The type of illustration used and in fact the general mode of treatment is not really adapted to younger children, who cannot assimilate a mass of pictorial detail, but it would be useful for boys and girls of 14 and over, as well as for adult groups. Good Tidings of Great Joy Dominican Picture Apostolate. 24 frames. Colour. Price : 12s. 6d. This strip, described as a first venture, is produced by the Picture Apostolate, whose books and picture publications must be well known to Catholic teachers. It is planned as a forerunner to a complete series of strips to cover the matter contained in their series of Outline Books. The strip deals with the childhood of Our Lord in a series of brightly, but on the whole, not too crudely, coloured pictures. The first frame is an attractive “picture map” representing the scenes of the Gospel bv appropriate small groups placed upon a map of the near East. The remaining pictures take through the story from the vision of Zachary to the return to Nazareth after the Finding in the Temple. The gospel reference is given for each picture. The scenes and figures are adapted to the child mind, being simple and homely and of the type to evoke questions ; little children would probably enjoy telling the stories of the pictures to each other in class. In a few instances something of desirable dignity has been sacrificed, and in one or two cases Our Lord’s features are weak and childish without being childlike. The strip is very well planned, and would provide matter for a series of lessons. It errs, possibly, in trying to fit in too much, and perhaps the inclusion of St. John the Baptist’s story may be a bit confusing