Cinema - Its Uses And Abuses Composition

Film is the popular name for moving pictures created by projecting countless photos onto a screen using light. When sound is added, the pictures on the screen can talk and sing, and these are called talkies. Film is basically a visual illusion.

No other scientific invention has sparked such strong opinions as film because nothing else has such a clear divide between good and bad. Film is very useful - useful for everyone, young and old, rich and poor, average and intellectual. However, film can also be very harmful and negatively impact an entire generation. It all depends on how it is organized and for what purposes these movies are used.

A good film with a meaningful story is a wonderful source of joy and relaxation, essential for mental and physical well-being. We can find entertainment from other sources like books, radio, and the stage, but none can be as engaging or capture our minds as thoroughly as film does. That's why thousands of people go to cinemas every day.

Film also has great educational value. While only literate people have access to books and newspapers, anyone can enjoy a film and learn from it. Since films teach through entertainment, the lessons are easily absorbed by the mind.

People go to the cinema for fun, but they unknowingly receive a lot of instruction as well. It's an excellent way of teaching if done properly. Films can become perfect tools for teaching all subjects - literature, philosophy, science, economics, and more. Watching Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' or Shaw's 'Caesar and Cleopatra' on screen can give a better understanding than reading the books multiple times. Similarly, a film like "Fall of Berlin" can provide a better history lesson on the Russo-German fight during World War II than any book that takes days to read. Governments can also use films to promote schemes or impart health lessons effectively.

However, film has a dark side too. Sometimes, filmmakers neglect higher ideals to cater to the base taste of the masses. They prioritize making profits by producing vulgar content with silly romances, absurd situations, corrupting songs, and vulgar dances that demoralize society, especially the youth. Censor boards exist in all countries, but they often fail to handle the cunning tactics of producers.

To prevent the negative impact of films and harness them for the greater good, every country should establish a board of cultured individuals with significant powers to approve the production of healthy films. Instead of censoring films after production, the story, settings, and content should be approved by this board beforehand. In short, every possible measure should be taken to ensure that the power of cinema is not used for personal profit at the expense of social morality.