The new spirit in the cinema (1930)

INTRODUCTION xxxi life and labour originated by locality, or region.1 This theory is very finely illustrated, perhaps unconsciously, by Jean Epstein, in his production of " Finis Terrae," which was exhibited at the enterprising Avenue Pavilion.2 I say unconsciously because it is most likely that the producer was mainly concerned with " entertainment " values, such as are to be found in a good sentimental, artistic and human film. He may not have been aware of the extraordinary sociological values of the subject. Yet there they were all the time. One detected the evolutionary process of a region (wild sea coast) producing a natural commodity (seaweed) in great abundance, and this in turn calling forth a community of primitive and hardy fishers to gather, prepare and market the commodity, and so to subsist on this labour, while developing the characteristics of their environment and function. Hollywood has had a similar natural evolution, as natural as that of some of our great industrial centres, cotton, brewing, mining, etc. A very instructive form of drama resides in its unified, unfolding life and labour during the past fifteen years, a full description of which would have added to the importance of this book. But the necessary material for a complete picture of the evolutionary process was not forthcoming. By all accounts natural scientists have not discovered Hollywood as yet, probably because it was originally a desert, not worth much scientific attention. The result is there is no regional survey of Hollywood, at least I have not seen 1 See " The Sociological Journal." Also works on " Making of the Future." Edited by Patrick Geddes and Victor Branford (1917). 2 October 14, 1929.