question_answer 24)

Discuss in small groups taking off from points in the text.  2. Poetry and films

Answer:

Because of its ruinous and impossible costs and the necessity of immediate huge returns, the cinematograph cannot fulfill its essential Junction: to serve as the supreme weapon of the poet. —Jean Cocteau The greatest similarity in poetry and films is that both are creative media. The producers in both cases are artists—sensitive persons—who work on a different medium. Nevertheless, films cater to a wider audience and the money stakes are more. Hence, films cannot have art for art's sake.   Bollywood produces approximately 800 films a year, most of which are musicals and feature elaborate song and dance numbers. There is constant work for lyricists, music composers and music directors. Good poetry and music are also deciding factors in the popularity of a film. Hence, movie music is released as tapes and CDs before the movie is released and account for the bulk of popular music sates in India.   Why poetry? Some say that the long tradition of Indian temple spectacles, sacred dramas danced and sung still shape Indian tastes. Others point to the linguistic diversity of India. Only films that transcend language barriers have any hope of being all-India hits. Music, not being tied to any one language, expresses the feelings of the characters even to people who can't follow the dialogue. Early lyrics tended towards the literary and drew heavily on contemporary Urdu and Hindi poetry. The pop lyrics of later years are deplored by film traditionalists.