Movies or Film? Why not cinema?


The consequences of language.

As you can see from my category title, I say "movies," not "film," at least most of the time. You "go to the movies," you say "let's go to the movies," and not "let's go see a film." And I don't even want to talk about the Hollywood industry people who insist on saying "picture" or "motion picture."

It is interesting though that the quality of movement had stuck in people's minds so permanently. People got over saying "talkies" after sound was introduced. It was exciting for a while, but then normal. So why did they go back to saying "movies"? Movement didn't get exciting again. No one could have been intellectualizing here and deciding: What's so extraordinary about this medium is the movement, so let's use the term that highlights the true essence of the thing. And "motion picture" is a silly term, because it emphasizes the contrast to pictures that don't move--"still photography"--as if we were all concentrating on the fact that movies are a category of photography. We don't even usually say "photography" when referring to movies. We tend to say "camera work."

Why "camera work," which emphasizes the act of tinkering with the machinery? We don't refer to our dinner as "stove work." We don't call our clothes "needlework." And "cinematography," like "cinema" emphasizes the screen, putting the image onto the screen, while "photography" emphasizes the use of light to create the image. Yet no one is really thinking anymore about the origins of the words. I think people say "photography" to call attention to the colors and shadings, and "camera work" if they are interested in the way the camera was moved around during shooting. But in less arty and more social terms, "camera work" sounds less affected than "photography" and both are less affected than "cinematography." But if you're talking about the camera work at all, you're already in different territory from the ordinary let's-go-to-the-movies moviegoer.

And people like this will never be able to stop saying "movies." I was going to recommend using "cinema," because it is such a cool and distinctive word. Why you could name your daughter Cinema, what with that "a" on the end and the suggestion of cinnamon. (Irrelevant side note: What possessed Prince to title a song "Cinnamon Girl," when Neil Young had so famously used that unusual title?)

But it is usually ridiculous to say "cinema," as it is always ridiculous to say "picture" or "motion picture," so the real fight is between "film" and "movies." "Film" is what you say when you want to talk about Art, or when you need to say "film student" or "film school." (How much tuition could these places charge if they called it "movie school?) I think it is good that there are two words though. No reason, really, to need to choose. You're going to say "movies" for nearly ever ordinary and casual purpose, and the existence of the other word is a benefit, because whenever you hear yourself or somebody else saying it, you can think, "hey, why did I just say film instead of movies? or "why does this guy keep saying film?" and there is a lot of potential for interesting insight coming out of that observation.

Posted: Sat - May 1, 2004 at 10:10 AM      

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