On Cinema

Many an insomniac has found relief in the shape of late night cinema. I know a few former students who regularly drowse to the black and white films usually aired on TV at two in the morning. There is something about old Hollywood films, they claim, that soothes the senses and lulls the brain into thinking that everyone is safe and the world is perfect and there is no need to keep vigil over the night. The erstwhile students could not confirm if these were Capra films but they did say they noticed James Stewart in many of them.

Modern cinema, however, is not so kind. I was trying to take a quiet nap during a screening of Skyfall recently, but was rudely interrupted by the sound of loud explosions and gasps from fellow audience members. It was during the long drive that Bond and M make from London to Scotland towards the end of the film that I found particularly soothing, but it did not last. When I opened my eyes there was gunfire all around me and the screen was engulfed in red and golden flames. I had to wait until Bond had dispatched 500 or so villains before I could rest my eyes again. Twenty minutes later, Adele’s voice and the hands of an usher gently roused me from my sleep.

I don’t think I am alone in complaining that modern cinema no longer offers the peaceful sanctuary longed for by somnambulists. Our parents could very well go into almost any cinema of their day and enjoy a good two hours rest and not be disturbed by loud explosions and gun battles. The temerity of filmmakers these days, particularly those in Hollywood, to think that audiences go to the movies to hear loud noises and see flashes of gunfire, is most galling. If something is not done soon then we may be forced to take in earplugs and eye masks, and some magazines for light reading during the commercials. (But if you’re seen leaving your office at high noon with a pillow under your arm, you would have difficulty explaining yourself. Your daily ruse of going out on business at midday would come under severe scrutiny and the siesta that is the source of your virility and the lifeblood of your existence would be greatly imperilled. Not to mention your chances of promotion.)

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