Aug. 18.
The controversy in the correspondence columns concerning the desirability or otherwise of showing such a film as "Rasputin and the Empress" raises an interesting point regarding national susceptibilities in such a community as Shanghai. If what those who have seen the film have to say about it, and what the newspapers in other countries have written are to be taken as any criterion, the picture is a remarkably fine one, admirably played and well photographed, and from that point of [view something of a case can be made for its presentation here, But there is a large section of the community which resents the showing of a picture which casts an unfortunate light upon aruier and his family who have acquired all the attributes of martyrdom. The White Russian, wherever he is to be found is loyal to the house which govern-led him before the revolution; he looks forward to the restoration of the old regime and resents anything that may cast obloquy upon the system his loyalty' to which has led to his exile. It is necessary for those who would support the production of the picture in one of the cinema houses in Shanghai, purely from the point of view of the pleasure it would give, to realise that the be loyal White Russian does feel keenly upon the subject, and that he and his family represent a very fair proportion of the clients of the local cinemas. such circumstances his wishes on the subject have to be just as much respected as those of any other sonality whose representation in Shenghai is of more authoritative and effective nature. The objections may pear trivial to some eyes; perhaps in the longer view many similar protests which have been raised on national grounds have no stronger a justification in fact, but there is no. possibility lof gainsaying it that where national susceptibilities have the play they have in Shanghai, they have to be taken into consideration by the authorities There are grounds for believing that in the case of such a film as "Rasputin and the Empress" the protests do not entit ly arise from caprice, Rasputin career in major aspects is now a matter of established history, and whether protestants hike it or not the story can be read in a hundred books, some of which are undeniably authoritative, That, being so, the question may be asked whether any particular harm can be done by transferring the story from the printed page to the silver screen? Does not the objection to the showing of the story in a jeinema savour somewhat of a fruitless attempt at suppression? Those who Wish to see the picture, possibly because of curiosity or of desire to see the undoubtedly good work which as been put into the film, will contend that, the facts being notorious, it' really dot 'O-not matter whether public tion thereof takes the form of the printed word or a picture. To a very great extent they are right: but there also arises the b }question of historical remoteness which can be pleaded in support of the Russian case against hibition here. A certain pas: in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" led to heated protests by descendants of the characters portrayed in the play. The theatrical production was too close to the days about which it was written to escape the danger lof someone or other being hurt by what took place on the stage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.