「国民教化メディア」としての映画

－映画法 (1939年) の評価をめぐって－

抄録

  This study examines the problem of film education. Little attention has been given to the fact that the Film Law (1939), known as the first cultural law in Japan, had the features of a “film-educational law.” What is more important is that this law has been evalued differently according to the standpoint of the evaluator. Those who promoted social education admired the Law, while those who emphasized school education made the opposite evaluation. Particularly, the latter said that the film for school education was excluded by the Law.

  But these views are unsatisfactory. The purpose of this study is to consider film as “national-educational media,” rather than limiting the area to school education. From this point of view, it is clear that the law intended to improve the position of educational films. That is to say, despite the “time-lag” before the effects of the Film Law became apparent, the Law had a positive influence on both social education and school education.

  I will expand this argument to look at present media policies and cultural policies. The important point to note is the unification of “entertainment and education” which those who promoted social education intended to realize.