Cinema Seminar: “Thou Shalt Not! Movie Censorship in the United States”
Presented by Nina Kleinberg, local film historian
Film: CINEMA PARADISO (dir. Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988)
This program includes Nina Kleinberg's 6:30pm seminar, followed by a screening of CINEMA PARADISO at approximately 7:30pm. Tickets are $13.50 for Amherst Cinema Members, $16.75 for students and seniors, and $18.50 for general admission.
About the seminar: You’re likely familiar with the MPAA ratings system and the kind of content associated with films rated G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. But have you ever wondered how we got here?
From the dawn of cinema in the late 1890s, movies have been subject to censorship—by the government, by the Church, by a random assortment of self-appointed guardians of public morals, and even by the film makers themselves. It was not until 1952 that the Supreme Court ruled that movies were protected by the First Amendment, and, even then, censorship continued… and does today.
Local film historian Nina Kleinberg will walk us back in time and through the many forms of censorship imposed upon the movies. What were the rules? Who made the rules? Was it just sex and violence? To what else did the censors say “Thou Shalt Not,” and how did filmmakers get around them?
About the film: Giuseppe Tornatore’s loving homage to the cinema tells the story of Salvatore, a successful film director, returning home for the funeral of Alfredo, his old friend who was the projectionist at the local cinema throughout his childhood.
As Salvatore reconnects with the community he left 30 years earlier, memories come flooding back, including recollections of his first love affair with the beautiful Elena, and remembrances of the local priest, who doubled as town film censor.
About Nina Kleinberg: Many of you know Nina from her appearances at Amherst Cinema, including her 2015 series Film School in 90 Minutes, her 2016 series Out of this World on 1950s science fiction, her 2019 series Print the Legend on classic Westerns, or her Science on Screen presentation on SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.
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