What should we watch?

A dramatization of a particular event can add a great deal to the student’s appreciation of the subject. The beauty, as many parents will find, is that they don’t even know they’re learning something until it’s too late. Obviously film is most compatible with Drama and English, and possibly history. Other subjects hide in film however and the clever student or parent can make use of the DVD collection. Some films are obviously unsuitable for younger students and I would avoid at all costs the dual nonsense of mindless horror and pornography.

Pornography in its broadest sense is an art form (believe me I struggled with the use of ‘art form’ to describe pornography) that serves no purpose but the titillation of the audience. While it is true that the great dramatists and authors have been titillating us for several thousand years, the modern pornography is not something to be regarded with curiosity. Severe horror films that seek to repulse, vapid straight to DVD action films and the erotic nonsense that used to form the running order on bad satellite television channels all count as pornography in my book and all need to be removed from circulation. There are many who will argue the toss on this one, but stand your ground. The only thing ever gained from watching this tripe is slight nausea and a feeling that two hours have been wasted. There is enough action, horror and eroticism in mainstream cinema; there’s no need to go looking in the bin for them.

To add to this there are several measures that are advisable on your internet connection. There is no way that you will prevent your children from viewing unsuitable material all the time, but you can ensure that it doesn’t happen at home while they should be working. Getting a good net nanny is vital and will also give you peace of mind while they are toiling away on the computer. Recent studies put the average viewing time for unsuitable material on line at between one and three hours a week. The material is damaging enough, but the time is what concerns me more. Just as with endless television, getting used to wasting hours of a day on line simply gets the student into an addictive pattern that is hard to break.

There is so much out there that is great, why settle for the nonsense that floats to the top. Dig deep and you can find cinema that enthrals, excites and energises.

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