Action films

It has been difficult to find my way through Jane Freebury's recent film reviews, three on the same day. (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 23). There are too many titles that don't reveal much, unless you've seen the films.

The concluding paragraph, however, is something that should interest film importers. Some people say that no matter what metropolitan city you are in, anywhere in the world, you have a choice of film genres. The exception is Jakarta, where cinemagoers are on a forced diet of action films. This fact has been borne out by Freebury. I am grateful to her for bringing up the subject.

As I see it, Jakarta's cinemagoing public are ignorami in matters of film. They want to see the same thing again and again: so-called "action". They do not care about storylines. Dialog would scare them.

I think film importers should do more than merely speculate on the public's taste. They should create an appreciative public for better films. For me, one action film a year is more than enough. Maybe there are many others who think likewise. Many film lovers deplore the denial of seeing films such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. These films are based on literary works. They have been created by expert filmmakers. They have really competent actors and actresses. Here is a chance to keep up with the international film world, but the film importers are perhaps afraid of a financial flop. If films to be imported are only judged by their box office earnings abroad, one can go wrong. Why not have somebody who can make a balanced evaluation of worthwhile films? Nonaction films, I am sure, will also attract many viewers. I think the public would not mind to pay, say, 20 percent to 50 percent more for the film genres (drama, comedy, etc.) rarely seen in Jakarta's plush cinemas. Yes, these cinemas are luxuriously equipped, but they rarely show the better films the international market has to offer.

S. HARMONO

Jakarta