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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University Wellington. Vol. 24, No. 1. 1961

Fine Arts Section

page 7

Fine Arts Section

Films

A society long overdue in the University has finally been incepted under the name of the Victoria University Film Society. If last year's programme is any criterion, we may in future expect a high standard of current, foreign and historic material to be available. Less than a year old, the society received immediate aid from the University staff, film distributors, and the enthusiastic support of students. In wishing its committee success, we hope it enjoys another outstanding year of membership.

Mention must be made of the Wellington Film Society; responsible for screening many excellent movies who, last year, included such famous films as Die Dreigro-schenoper, The Wolves' Trap, Stormy Weather and The Grasshopper, in its programme. All students are welcome to this society, and inquiries concerning membership may be made direct through the Fine Arts Editor.

In using this first issue of Salient to more or less outline the year's topical events, we may confidently add the series of illustrated talks given by Catherine de la Roche, noted film authority, as one of the highlights. There has been some talk of Miss de la Roche giving this year's lectures at the University: whether this is so or not, persons interested in the cinema will find great enjoyment in these informative and witty discussions.

Of special interest to the cinemagoer in Wellington has been the recent reopening of the Paramount Internationale. With the object of running as an art theatre, the Paramount, we hope, will continue to be a source of good foreign movies. Screenings so far have included Kurt Hoffman's play on life in the Third Reich—Wir Wunderkinder; and one of the finest Shakespeare films—Julius Caesar. Scheduled for release later this year is Alan Resnais's brilliant Hiroshima mon Amour.

Films being commercially screened in Wellington at present include a British comedy, School For Scoundrels: an epic Western, The Unforgiven; and an even greater epic colossus—Solomon and Sheba.

The first-named movie may be said to be indicative of a current trend running through the British cinema industry. The comedies at present emanating from this country are being produced on a scale equal to that when Mack Sennet and Hal Roach held the reigns on "funnies" 35 years ago. Unfortunately, the former lack all the finesse, creation and action inherent In the latter. There is neither drive nor imagination in these British films: this is not to say they are received harshly everywhere—the Americans especially lapse into plaudits over them. Scoundrel is generally typical of this messy mass, with one or two good credits, however. The story Is an adaptation from Stephen Potter's books on oneupmanship, scripted by— amongst others—Peter Ustinov: the film does not lack a basic plot, nor does the direction (by Robert Hamer, responsible for Kind Hearts and Coronets) allow absurdity to overrule a sense of feeling and cool, pervasive humour.

Selling well to the Americans: a scene from the British comedy, "School for Scoundrels," starring Terry Thomas, Ian Carmichael and janette scott

Selling well to the Americans: a scene from the British comedy, "School for Scoundrels," starring Terry Thomas, Ian Carmichael and janette scott

John Huston's The Unforgiven is much more of a film in many more ways. In posing its problems and in failing to solve them we are up against once more a trend noticeable in not only this film but in a whole gamut of American movies: the problem namely being that of ethnic prejudice. Huston has, however, incorporated some fine points into his film, which, by the way, is set in the Texas Panhandle shortly after the Civil War. His masterful photography (in the capable hands of Franz Planer) is as always his highlight: the composition is generally excellent, and the cast, headed by Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn, also generally capable.

Solomon and Sheba, filmed in Super-70 Technirama, is another trying biblical spectacle, this one from the hand of King Vidor, who has, when "freedom of expression" was a little more liberal than it is today, made many memorable films —The Crowd (1928) and Hallelujah! (1929). Starring Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida, the movie is essentially a dull tirade, a masterpiece of mediocrity, and, in other words, a liable, box-office draw.

This year, in Salient, we are devoting a section to the activities and events of what we may call Fine Arts: that is to say, a section concerned with many facets of the arts of human Imagination and culture. We are thus, here, going to concern ourselves Initially with activities relating most closely to students—movies, music, drama, concerts, books and so so.

Indeed, most of this space will regularly be taken up with reviews of films, concerts, plays, and articles on not so irrelevant subjects as gramophone discs, short stories, etc. A design of any abtruse quality is certainly not intended: our primary purpose is to give indication to the student of what is happening in the city in the arts.

Naturally, our scope in covering "the many facets" is limited to the number of writers we have on hand: one cannot possibly expect two or three writers to be authorities on everything, or even to have the time to write everything. If there is any student willing to help in organising a column as this, he or she will be more than welcome.

Perhaps many students—in all probability many freshers—do not realise that Salient is not a closed book: it is open to all. Students with enough initiative to help in their own magazine will, of course, only be directly helping themselves.