Cinema
' The Silver Lining ' at the Capitol "ROMANCE Sentimentale " of Eisenstein, rechristened by somebody The Silver Lining, is a short film, overshadowed by the laborious creakings of The Ghost Train, wedged between a sparkling " Krazy Kat " and an absurdly hilarious " Masquers " comedy act. It is strange, and unique, and provocative, but it is also a living work of art ; and all the tarnished intellects of Bloomsbury could never talk it to death. It is patently a great work of art, and a form of art for which no canons have yet been issued. It has no Aristotelian measuring rod, no Roger Fry to supply a running commentary, Soon there will follow other similar, greater, dissimilar films, moulded by the same spiritual force—that which compelled Beethoven to compose, William Blake to write, Michael Angelo to paint (and, as far as one can gather, God to create the Universe). It will be interesting to see how far this art of the cinema is allowed to progress before it is girt around with rules. Meanwhile, if there is anyone in this age of explanation humble enough and with faith and vitality enough to enjoy a work of art for which there are as yet no standards, let him hurry to the Capitol.
There is nothing to describe in this film ; no acting, no narrative. Superficially it is a series of photographs arranged to create an impression of autumn—glistening raindrops, stark trees struggling against grey skies, the sea in tumult, falling spray, dead reeds stiffly shaking by the lake, a woman singing at a piano, a log fire, shooting stars, storm-racked clouds engulfing the piano, the harvest moon. Then bur- geoning Spring. Tom from their context, all these images sound meaningless, as an isolated bar of music is meaning- less ; but this film overwhelms as music. The photography of Tisse is triumphant. " Romance Sentimentare " says all it has to say without a superfluous gesture ; it is as rid of all inessentials as a Sibelius symphony. One day Eisenstein or other great men will make films vaster than this, which will say more ; but what they say will be no truer ; for what this film says to each individual is the truth according
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