Cinema has been one of the greatest influences in our modern lives, which is a form of art, the sventh art along with painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, play and music. It is important to know the difference between movies, film and cinema.
Film is the technology, movie is the business and entertainment, and cinema is a synthesis of the three that focuses on aesthetics. Cinema, a visual art of story–telling with rich inputs of music, screenplay, cast and script that mirrors the contemporary society in which it functions. Cinema is the universal picture and concept that defines humanity. It captures a moment in time that can echo in eternity, with the right work and preservation. From emotional tragedies to candy-floss romances to adrenaline fused thrillers, cinema derives its sustenance, ideas and imaginations from all of its surroundings. It is not only a visual treat to its audience but it also an account of sociological, economic and political set up in which a person is living.
Some people mistakenly associate cinema with entertainment and pleasure. Most people go to the ‘cinema’ because they want to have a good time. They want to forget the stress of their job or other worries in their lives and that’s one of the reasons why cinema is so important as an art form – it offers people a momentary escape from reality and their monotonous lives, regardless of what kind of content they’re watching but it is more than that.
In the words of Jean-Luc Godard, “cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world”.
But for others, cinema a matter of identifying with the characters or a fascination with the craftsmanship that makes high-quality content possible.
We love our movies, and for good reasons. Cinema is the only art form that allows us to identify with the characters on an emotional level. We see them as real people struggling with real problems and facing real challenges. We live vicariously through them and find in them our own personal fears and desires, hopes and aspirations. The wave of ‘Literally Me’ characters might be a suitable example of this. That is why we continue to watch movies and go to the movies, even when the next cool thing is just a click away and buying a movie ticket can cost more than a week’s grocery.
We watch movies because they can make us experience moments that are outside our everyday lives. They allow us to step into the shoes of a soldier and witness the horrors of a war. They allow us to walk in the rain with a couple falling in love They offer us to fly a plane or drive a car at breakneck speeds. Films have the power to transport us from the time of prehistoric hunters and gatherers to futuristic space explorers. Films provide commonality among across all manners of divide.
And they speak for those who do not have a voice. We watch movies because movies matter. They let us suspend our disbelief. They inspire us, scare us, make us laugh, cry, dream, question but most important of all, they make us empathise. Movies allows us an opportunity to look at human beings with all their flaws and still accept them for who they are. As one of the greatest film critics, Roger Ebert said,
“We are all born with a certain package. We are who we are. Where we were born, who we were born as, how we were raised. We are kind of stuck inside that person, and the purpose of civilization and growth is to be able to reach out and empathize a little bit with other people, find out what makes them tick, what they care about. For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy. If it’s a great movie, it lets you understand a little bit more about what it’s like to be a different gender, a different race, a different age, a different economic class, a different nationality, a different profession, different hopes, aspirations, dreams and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us. And that, to me, is the most noble thing that good movies can do and it’s a reason to encourage them and to support them and to go to them.”
Cinema was about revelation, an aesthetic, emotional and spiritual revelation. It was about the complexity of characters and their contradictory and sometimes paradoxical natures, the way they could hurt one another and love one another and suddenly come face to face with themselves. It was about confronting the unexpected on the screen and in the life. It dramatized interpreted, and enlarged the sense of what was possible in an art form.
But with the digital age and ‘Netflixication’ of this audio-visual art form, cinema is slowly losing its meaning. The most worrisome data of concern is the ratio of people aged between 14-24 that are losing their interests in cinemas. People of this age group gave a 23% decline in watching a movie at cinemas in 2019 according to a website named BGR . There is a dire need for making the youth aware of the purpose and significance of ‘true cinema’ and what it promises to offer.
True cinema, or what is referred to as ‘art house’ cinema, has a unique impact on people and society. Unlike mainstream commercial films, true cinema is not made for profit or mass appeal but is a form of artistic expression that seeks to challenge, inspire, and provoke its audience. These films often deal with complex issues and themes that require us to engage our minds and think critically.
Through films like ‘Bicycle Thieves,’ ‘Breathless,’ ‘Persona,’ ‘Aparajito,’ ‘Stalker,’ and 'The Seventh Seal' we can gain a deeper understanding of the human condition, exploring the depths of our emotions and our existence. Moreover, truecinema has the power to inspire us to be better people. Through films like 'Amélie,' 'The Lives of Others,' and 'The Tree of Life,' we can see the beauty in life, the power of love, and the importance of human connection. These films can inspire us to be more empathetic, compassionate, and understanding, making us better individuals and citizens. Furthermore, true cinema has a significant impact on society, challenging social norms and exposing injustices. Films like 'Do the Right Thing,' 'Moonlight,' and 'Pariah' deal with issues of race, gender, and sexuality, forcing us to confront our prejudices and biases. These films can serve as a powerful catalyst for change, inspiring us to fight for justice and equality.
Now, if cinema is such an important medium, then it is important for us to understand and watch movies more critically and be an active recipient of it so that we get the most out of it. Because when we understand the nuances of a medium, we can enjoy the most subtle moments within that medium. Watching movies critically and thoughtfully, gives us better insight to deal with our social anxieties, broken hearts, loneliness, conformism and the absurd. It helps us connect with one another as better beings. Movies may not be able to cure disease or save millions of lives, but they can certainly transform them, one frame at a time.
negatives and prints of many films are deteriorating, and unless they are properly preserved, generations. With the advent of digital technology, films can now be easily reproduced and distributed, but this does not mean that they are immune to the ravages of time. The original negatives and prints of many films are deteriorating, and unless they are properly preserved, they may be lost forever. Film restoration may not be the coolest topic when it comes to cinema, but it is an important one. The importance of cinema preservation extends beyond the films themselves. The preservation of cinema is the preservation of our cultural heritage, our history, and our identity.
Could you imagine films like The Godfather, Citizen Kane, Mother India, Citylights, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Mera Naam Joker, Mughal-e-Azam, Deewar, Lawrence of Arabia or any other film close to your heart being lost to posterity, never to ever be seen in its original quality or, even worse, never to be seen at all because the original copy was improperly stored?
It may seem unimaginable, but this has happened countless times before to other films. One recent example being a 100-year-old silent film Behula made in 1921 by Kolkata’s famed Madan Theatre, directed by a French filmmaker Legrand Camille featuring one of India’s first superstar Patience Cooper made in the heyday of the silent film era. This film was considered to be lost forever until five-reel print was found in the vaults of the Paris-based Foundation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, where it had been preserved for all these decades and has been recently acquired by National Film Archives of India. It was screened at the 7th Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2022 in Mumbai at Regal Theatre on 5th December, 2022. This was an initiative of Film Heritage Foundation and the International Federation of Film Archives under the direction Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and under the guidance of Shri. Amitabh Bachchan and Mr. Martin Scorsese.
The impact of cinema on people and society cannot be overstated. These films have the power to challenge, inspire, and provoke us, broadening our horizons and making us better persons. As it is very correctly, "Art is the closest we can come to understanding how a stranger really feels." Cinema is a form of art that has the power to connect us all, creating a better world for everyone.
Submitted by:
Shoaib Shaikh
B. L. S. LL. B at Government Law College, Mumbai.
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