CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 February 1935, Page 3

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

NEWSREEL BECOMES PROBLEM The newsreel shown at the cinema is being widely discussed. There is a growing feeling that the newsreel if made to pander to mere sensationalism can be harmful. Mr. Paul Rotha, writing in the “Cinema Quarterly,” says: •. It seems likely’ that important issues with regard to the function and scope of the newsreel may at last be brought to a head by a widely-' shown item of the assassination of King Alexander .of Yugoslavia. On several recent occasions it has been evident that the newsreel companies’’ rival efforts for sensationalism would sooner or later provoke public indignation. The “Outrage at Marseilles” provides that required incentive. It is surely the newsreel’s task to present as accurately as possible a record of an event. As soon as it begins to dramatise, to construct an incident creatively by cutting for in-! creased effect, newsreel encroaches' into the documentary field. Once newsreel adopts documentary ap-' preach, almost any event can be given implications to suit any point of view/ In this age of social and political unrest, sqch manipulation holds many, dangers. The inclusion of the assassination 1 item in ordinary programmes, along] with colour symphonies and amusement films, is causing wide comment. It defeats the entertainment purpose of cinema, for no studio-made story’ can stand up to this vivid moment' ot real life. It suggests that there is scope for extension of news-theatres and that newsreels, except those ofj the most uncontroversial topics, should be removed from the general theatres.! Not for one moment is it implied that records of such events should be suppressed. It is important that 1 they should be exhibited to permit the public to draw their own conclusions.] 13m it. is equally important that they . should bo available only to those who desire to see them, and not inserted: in the ordinary programmes.

Such exploitation policy is not new. Recently we have seen human suffering literally forced before cameras and microphone, with the participants actually demonstrating their unwillingness to make public their private emotions. There can be no other purpose behind this than exploitation for profit. I do not blame the newsreel cameramen. They have courage and skill and are only obeying instructions. I accuse the policy behind some newsreels and deplore their lack of social responsibility.