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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 8, No. 1. Friday, March, 2, 1945
[Introduction]
This year I intend to review as many films as possible in these pages, but priority in reviewing will go to what I consider the best film screening at the time of issue. I hope there will be few reviews of the ordinary mediocre him (the "Saturday night" affair). The point about having film reviews in "Salient" is twofold: firstly at a band of supposedly intelligent people, we should be interested in seeing, discussing and reading about intelligent films, and in trying in some way to ensure that the extremely low level is raised a little; and, secondly, as film critics see so many bad films that they seek diligently for the good ones, this column might bring to your notice a worth-while film tucked away in some little suburban theatre.
These films warrant chasing, by the way. Hold up hands those who saw The Ox-Bow Incident. Quite a number. And most of you took a tram to Miramar or hitch-hiked to Lower Hutt to see it, didn't you? For my first crit, this year let me say that this is the finest film I have ever seen, and probably the finest that has ever been made.
A grading system will be adopted this year, and, chiefly because the Listener has the perfect method, and anything else would be a poor imitation, we will use stars, viz., ***** the important films;**** worthwhile, but not screen history; *** just plain movies; ** slightly terrible; * Oh, God! No star will signify one of the stinkers of all time. Under the grading it is intended that the type of film will be signified, viz., comedy, drama, melodrama, farce, musical.
I shall also endeavour to have a word to say about all plays, professional and amateur, that appear in Wellington. These will not be graded.
I hope and trust nobody in the college will agree with a word I say, and that correspondence will be brisk.