A Short Discourse on Cinema

By: Ashutosh Ghildiyal
Submitted: 2008-06-12 14:16:49
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One day they were discussing some movies and talking about how cinema is dead. I told them I thought that cinema is pretty much alive, with hundreds of movies being made every year. I told them that I thought it was doing pretty well and was a big business. One of them, I’ll call him X, said, “What does this word ‘cinema’ mean for you? Surely this word, with all its connotations including the images and sounds it evokes in your memory, has a different meaning for you than it has for us. Your approach to it is more or less similar to that of most people, that it’s a form of entertainment, pastime, escape, etc. Well, the original meaning of the word was ‘moving images,’ and as this medium evolved, and sound was introduced, it became ‘moving images and sounds.’ Right? Is this clear enough or does it sound alien to you? Suppose I’ve completely negated all my experience of cinema and have no memory with which to compare – what then do I see it as? I see it as nothing but images and sounds. It’s that, right? Images and sounds? Now, everything that’s done and would be done would be done with mixtures, different qualities, proportions, of images and sounds.”

I said, “All right. So what? I know this. That’s pretty simple. Of course, it’s images and sounds. But the main thing is the story – that it should run fast, should have speed, should be entertaining, you know. It should be good value for money.”

He was looking almost malignant now. I think he looked at me as if at some alien being. Nevertheless, he continued, trying to explain it to me.

“The story, the plot, the dialogue, songs, dance, actors, locations, etc. are all secondary – they are a part of this movement. The primary thing is the movement and the effect produced by that movement on the senses. Every part is equally important and has its own place in the whole movement.”

“Ah, that’s philosophy, not cinema,” I said.

“No, it’s not philosophy. It’s an actuality. You’re not considering what I’m saying because you’re used to seeing it in a particular way,” he said, sounding a little agitated. Then he continued, patiently, getting a grip on himself. “For the first time in the history of mankind, human beings can see themselves – they can watch themselves! This, if one ponders upon it, opens limitless possibilities for the human consciousness. Humans can take giant leaps towards breaking the barriers of consciousness and watch themselves, observe themselves – for cinema reveals. It is an art of revelation, not of hiding. It shows things as they are, though one may translate the seen into one’s own image.”

Now the other guy, whom I’ll call Y, took over. “Though all art forms have declined and mediocrity has taken over, the decline of cinema has been instantaneous. It has not even existed for a hundred years and has been totally and ruthlessly strangled. This is all the more serious because the degradation of cinema reflects the degradation of the human mind. Cinema, as an art form, can far surpass all the other art forms, though the others will still have their place. Cinema can use everything – images, sounds, written words, music, painting, poetry – all music, all paintings, all literature can be contained in it.”

Adding to that, X said, “Cinema can have a profound influence on the human consciousness. The trouble is, the mind that goes to see cinema and the mind that creates cinema usually get what they want out of it – that is, providing a form of escape, quick entertainment, wherein for some time the mind can be put to sleep and one can forget the self with all its problems and worries. Most practitioners of cinema use it for mercenary purposes. Obviously, anything that is created for making money, fame, and for personal ambition will be mediocre. Furthermore, it also has to be popular – that is, more and more people should like it, it should have mass appeal. Art, be it music, literature, painting, was never meant for the masses. It can never be for the masses. Therefore, since the reason for and approach towards a thing reflect most on the final product, the state of present cinema, since it is approached from the point of view of popularity and commercialism, has declined beyond measure. Cinema, not only in this country but the world over, has suffered premature death.”

I said, “All this is quite new to me. I don’t see your point. But anyway, it doesn’t matter. We can have differences of opinion, right? Let’s leave it at that.

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