Viewers’ Views

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32958, 3 July 1972, Page 4

Viewers’ Views

“POINT COUNTER POINT” Pandora’s criticism of “Point Counter Point” missed most of the point. The 8.8. C. dramatisation of it emphasised the plot dealing with the assassination of the Fascist leader which was a very timely subject when the book was published in 1928. However, Aldous Huxley was obsessed with the question of whether or not bad means could ever have beneficial results, and such questions as: “Should one assassinate Fascist or Nazi leaders?” obviously left him undecided. For this reason he made the assassin, Spandrel], anything but a hero. For this reason he imagined the Fascist movement growing even more rapidly after the murder of its leader. Still, it is odd that a critic should find such themes so uninteresting. Pandora reminds us that we really do live miles from the world’s culture centres.— MARK D. SADLER. [lf the correspondent had read all “The Press” reviews of this programme, or had remembered what was in them, he might have made a more temperate objection to the final review. “Point Counter Point” was commended warmly and regularly for its content, presentation and acting. Even the final review said there was no lack of quality in the material or the production, but merely sug-i gested it was a relief it was over, because the excesses of! cyncism and evil had begun : to pall, through their quan-i tity.—PANDORA]