Should Films Make You Think?...

Radio Record, 26 June 1936, Page 5

Should Films Make You

Think?...

Asks

Gordon

Mirams

UST over forty years ago-on April 23, 1896-the career of the motion picture on the theatre screen beA day or so ago | saw a preview of "Things to gan. * the United Artists’ picture written by H. G. Come,’

Wells and produced by Alexander Korda; and I believe that there could be no finer example of the screen's amazing progress during those forty years than this achievement from a British film studio, for it proves conclusively that nothing within the imagination of man is ~ow impossible of -realistic depicfon on the screen. And the mere fact that a writer "who is confessedly a publicity man is allowed the privilege of saying that under his own name in the leading article of a journal likethe "‘Radio Record" is in itself a rather striking testimony to the progress of the screen from being the most despised offspring of the entertainment industry to its most prosperous znd vigorous son. Even if I were not specially interested in "Things to Come" i honestly believe that I should stil] class it as the most astounding picture yet made. Some people may

see in- this statement the excuse for a glow of British pride. Hitherto, while England has produced at least as many fine actors. and actresses as America, on the technical side there

has always been a lag After "Things to Come" that can certainly >» longer be said. But here it is only fair to point wut that Ned Mann, the craftsman mainly responsible for these technical miracles, is an American, Georges Perinal, the cameraman, is French; William Cameron Menzies, the director, hails from Connecticut; and Korda, the producer, is Hungarian. Which rathseems to make "Things to Come" a triumph for internationalism; and that, of course, is exactly as it should be with a film written by such a great internationalist as Wells about a subject of such international importance as the future of the world. Even the greatest spectacle can be a dull affair if it lacks life-or, as some people prefer to call it, ‘‘human interest." Yet what could be of greater human interest than a prophetic vision of Humanity It has been truly said that "Things to Come," al‘though ‘t does focus attention’ on, several individual characters, it is not so

much a drama of men and women as of all mankind. Wells himself has said that "‘Things to Come" jis intended ‘as entertainment rather than prophetic warning. Definitions of what . constitutes entertainment vary; but if you call it being "enter-

tained’’ to be interested and excited unremittingly for over an hour and a half, and to be made to think. furiously then and thereafter'on is--sues of such paramount present-_ day importance.as peace and war, and war's aftermath, then """Things * to Come" is certainly entertain- | ing. It is doubtful if anyone could sit unmoved through those opening scenes of Christmas, 1940 in Everytown (which looks suspiciously like London, and is obviously meant to), when ordinary men and’ women learn that the "‘next war," of which they have heard so much but have never bothered to prevent, has at last begun-and, as one would expect, without any "formal declaration." |The sky above the white cliffs of Dover is black with enemy ‘planes which pass in apparently endless formation toward their target. On several other aspects of the Wellsian imagination

there wil] probably be much healthy controversy; but at this point it must become obvious that to such form of aerial » attack there could be no adequate defence-only retaliation.

Despite preparations, antiaircraft barrage, and intercepting *plancz, some of the attackers miust slip through to rain explosives and gas on the _ helpless men, women and children of Everytown (wherever it may happen to be). No defence, only retalia-tion-and for years war rages throughout the. world, becoming ever more primitive and ruthless-a war of exhaustion, followed by the scourges of famine and pestilence. Then, in the chaos that was Civilisation, petty war lords arise (direct descendants, apparently, in Mr. Wells's prophetic imagination,’ of our present-day dictators). Might is right: there is unceasing inter-tribal war: culture disappears; education ceases: scientific progress is impossible because the very resources of science have been destroyed, But then from the skies comes a new race of air-men-the men of brains and culture who have survived the deluge of bloodshed, and in their hiding(Continued on page 27.)

Introducing . . .

GORDON MIRAMS, M.A., Dip.Journ., director of publicity for the J. OC. Williamson Corporation. Mr. Mirams, who was educated ut Christ’s College, was Sor @ number of years editor of the film section of the "Chrisichurch Sun." He is

! considered something of an authority on films, and has contributed numerous articles to Australian and New Zealand papers, AMM

Next week s signed article bas been written bv

Robin

Hyde

Tt concerns Walter D’Arcy

Cresswell, the "poet of Castor Bay."