International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1931)

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42 Committee on Intellectual Cooperation contains a list of the rules and principles adopted in practice by the official censors of films. These may be classified as follows: (a) internal policy. — Films or parts of films are prohibited which are offensive to the dignity of the Imperial family or to the constitution of the State or which contain elements at variance with the respect which all citizens owe to the country. For other reasons of internal policy all films are forbidden which deal with racial conflict or seek to show the inferiority or superiority of an}' race, as also films of a revolutionary character or films which preach anti-social doctrines. This last group comprises films concerned with popular risings, riots, etc. (b) foreign policy. — It is strictly forbidden to show any film or scene which might cause offence to other nations or strain diplomatic relations. (c) crime. — Films are forbidden if they offend the honour or reputation of individuals, exhibit forms of cruelty and savagery repulsive to the ideas of civilised peoples, or which treat crime in such a way as to exalt the crime itself or its perpetrator. (d) immorality. — This category, which necessarily accounts for the largest number of prohibitions, includes undesirable forms of sordid and violent human passions, the intimacies of family life, adultery, improper kissing, embracing and nudity, suggestive or obscene dances, unseemly behaviour, scenes between men and women which excite the passions and anything of the kind which, in the censors unchallengeable opinion, may be considered dangerous to public morals. (e) religion. — This last category concerns the safeguarding of religious principles and, in particular, of respect for the family, piety towards the dead and Japanese ancestorworship. Children. — The protection of children in Japan is secured in a general way through the above-mentioned decree of 1925 and, specifically, through the separate departments. The Ministry of Education has for this purpose appointed a committee to give its opinion on the educational character of films and on their value not merely for teaching purposes but from the point of view of the forming of the minds of children and young people. The separate departments in the main observe the following rules, supervision being effected by the police: (a) Admission to cinemas is forbidden to children under 14, unless accompanied by their parents, guardian or other responsible person; (b) In no circumstances are children under 14 allowed in cinemas after 9 p. m. At 8,50 notice is given warning all children to leave the hall during the next ten minutes ; (c) Any performance to which children are admitted and which lasts more than an hour must be broken by a ten minutes interval, during which all the windows must be opened; (d) As regards the size and hygienic conditions of the room, there must be no overcrowding and by one means or another the room, must be adequately ventilated even during projections; (e) when, by reason of severe weather it is impossible to open all the windows, the spectators must all leave the hall in the interval, whereupon the windows will be opened, the audience returning to their seats at the end of the ten minutes. As regards the admission of schoolchildren to cinemas, 6 out of the 47 departments have special regulations. In others control is exercised directly by the schools. For example 43 elementary schools and 51 high schools forbid their pupils to visit the cinema, while 60 other elementary schools and 50 high schools grant permission under certain conditions. The official censors help the individual departments and school authorities in their duty, of safeguarding children. Thus they prohibit films which: (a) are likely to be harmful to the intellectual and moral development of young people and to sound principles of education;. (b) are such as to suggest evil thoughts