Critique on critiques

Contemporary literary criticism in Sri Lanka:

by Ranga Chandrarathne

It is unarguable that the prime task of a literary critique or a criticism is to explore a work of art whether it is a drama, painting, concert, fiction or a film, in a critical manner, examining and dissecting many aspects of the work of art at hand.

Apart from commenting on the merits and the de-merits of a work of art, a critic should also look into the aspect of its contemporary nature, universality in application and above all the purpose of the work of art and the specific linguistic or literary devices that the artist employed in achieving his/her objectives in an innovative manner within the constrains of that particular media and how he/she achieves them.

Primarily, in order to make an objective analysis, a critic should, at least, posses a fair all round knowledge of all most all forms of art and the new developments in this arena and latest trends in each medium of art such as film, drama, paintings. He or she should also posses knowledge of technical developments in his or her specific area of concern.

Formal literary criticism in Sri Lanka began to take shape at the tail end of the 1960's with the widespread reforms and renaissance in education sector. As an independent nation, Sri Lanka introduced universal education in the mother tongue of its diverse races and communities.

While section of the high class Tamils, Muslims and Burghers continued to educate their children in the English medium which was invariably their mother tongue, the vast majority of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims switched on their medium of instruction either to Sinhala or to Tamil.

For the first time, literary criticism was incorporated into school and university syllabi and was taught at school and university levels. News paper both in vernaculars and English began to carry literary reviews and analysis and as most of the critics of the day were products of universities and well-read men and women, various criticisms on fine arts which appeared in daily and weekly newspapers were of a higher standard.

One of the significant aspects of early criticisms was that they were not only in-depth and comprehensive reviews that enlightened the public on fine arts but also helped the public to understand and appreciate a work of art, whether they were films, dramas or fiction.

Lester James Peries	Sumitra Peries	Dharmasiri Bandaranayeke,
guiding the nation on originality and genuinity in Art.

From the very inception, literary critics who extensively wrote on art and culture can be categorized into two groups; those who did in-depth and comprehensive criticisms and those who made analysis at a superficial level from diverse perspectives.

Reggie Siriwardene, Philip Cooray, Benedict Dodampegama belonged to the former category and the salient aspect of their critiques was that they were of higher standards in terms of diction as well as language and idiom.

However, Jayawilala Wilegoda who carried a regular column on cinema in 'Dina Mina' were not that comprehensive and of the standard as those of Reggie Siriwardene who wrote to Sunday Observer and Daily News. (There were other dominant names such as A. J. Gunawardene and Ajith Samaranayake, literary critics of universal fame).

Piyasiri Nagahawatte and Piyal Somaratne were leading critics in Sinhala on cinema and prepared the Sinhalese audience which invariably helped Sinhala film makers as the audience was aware of the work before hand.

Prassanna Vithanage-analyses social issues from a realistic perspective	Saumya Liyanage- guiding the nation towards understanding complexities in the medium of cinema.	Enokaa Satyangani Keerthinanda-harrasments, a blessing in disguise

This public awareness was raised through daily newspapers. Especially the drama review by D.C. Ranatunga on 'Dina Mina' and reviews by Nihal Ratnaike on 'Daily News' were very popular columns on drama and theatre. They were also of higher standard. Other notable critic of that era was Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama who continuously wrote diverse criticism on allmost every drama and film.

Apart from newspapers, radio, in the absence of television, made a substantial contribution to literary criticism, especially, by its programme 'Shatriya Sangrahaya' which was dedicated for reviews on drama and films. Prof. Sucharitha Gamlath and Prof. Sunanda Mahendra de Mel often participated in the programme.

Although the number of newspaper, publications, and TV and radio channels increased over the last decades, quality of the criticism carried out in various news papers steadily declined, some of the newspapers publishing haphazard and partisan criticism by a section of public who aired extreme and inflammable views on drama and films.

Significant aspect of these critics is that their criticisms betrayed not only their gross ignorance on the medium of cinema and but also the extreme views and prototype beliefs they clung on to. Another factor that contributed to the steady decline in contemporary literary criticism is the departure of a generation of informed critics including Tissa Abeysekera and Sathischandra Edirisignhe who wrote a regular column in 'Dina Mina' from the scene.

Benadict Dodampegama	Reggie Siriwardene	Gamini Haththotuwegama

Lack of journalists and critics who are dedicated to this area and the absence of regular criticism, especially, in Sinhala newspapers on drama and theatre, have adversely affected the declining audience as well as the artists and dramatists.

Sinhalese newspapers carry, intermittent reviews, especially, on drama unfortunately if the drama happened to be of a friend of the critic.

It is pathetic that criticism on cinema and drama has increasingly becoming partisan and a section of critics refrain from making any comment on a piece of art on the irrational basis that they are not in conformity with their parochial and obsolete views. Critics unable to understand and appreciate works of art have on some occasion, gone to the extent of denouncing the creator as a mad and mentally ill.

Principal different between the contemporary critics and their criticism and those made in 1960's was that those critics, though they might have their own political view, did objective analysis and were knowledgeable of Sri Lankan and international development in the field of fine arts.

Literary criticisms which would have been an educative process, has unfortunately become avenues for expressing racial or parochial ideas and personal view. Personal views have become criteria and tools in analyzing a work of art. For instance, an anti-feminist, at the very out set would reject a work of art with strong feminine character, purely on the basis of his extreme views.

Suranga Seneviratne’s debut soup opera(Angani)-Shed light on novel application of the medium	Ranga Bandaranayake-intellectual audience awaits serious work of Art such as Sinhalese production of Crime and Punishment which has not yet materalized

However, in reality, one may not be able to condemn a work of art in that manner as feminism sprang from social inequalities and institutional discriminations in a society which are traditionally taken for granted. So called critics should understand that a description of a storyline or location description would not constitute either a critique or a review. It would be a mere advertisement in the format of writing.

It should be stated here that with all the due respect to Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara that his criticisms on cinema were haphazard and often interchanging characters and scenes of different films.

His grasp of the subject and understanding of the medium is gravely dubious and it is doubtful whether he had seen these films and understood them correctly. It seems that his criticism spring from extremist ideas and views rather than understanding the subtleties and complexities of the serious works of art.

It is pity that a mushrooming generation of fake critics who make their analysis at a superficial level, in the manner reminding us of group of blinds trying to understand the shape of an elephant by touching diverse parts of the animal's anatomy and identifying the animal with a particular part each touch.

Newspapers also failed in their duty when they publish extreme view sent by ill-informed or misguided persons as reviews. Newspapers should not entertain delirious critiques by persons with extremist views or cultural puritans who believed in a static and homogeneous culture.

The great critics such as Reggie Siriwardene was disgusted even to speak on art and culture towards the end of their lives as the environment was so unpleasant and hostile to serious work of art.

However, now the artists and dramatists do not like to talk about arts and culture as they have been thoroughly disappointed with the prevailing hostile environment for serious works of art. Serious tradition of criticism has not been established with regard to the medium of soap opera.

For instance some attempt by young generation of tele-drama producers to make creations based on world literature, had been denounced as tele-plays which would not appeal to the general public. Ranga Bandaranayake, Athula Peiris and Suranga Seneviratne are some of the young producers who made a genuine attempt to make artistic creations within the confines of tele-drama.

On the other hand, the artists could not escape from the harsh realities of a backward society they live in. In a heart rendering documentary, Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne who contracted AIDS through blood transfusion, commented on the harassment and inhuman treatment meted out to them by the society at large, including the so-called professionals.

Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne and her husband Dr. Michael Abeyratne were leading figures who had produced generations of medical officers and consultants. Those so-called professional who harassed and insulted Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne and Dr. Michael Abeyratne, would have been fit citizens if they, at least, read Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors or Mid Summer Night's Dreams.

It is no wonder that artists have been pacified by this environment and what is needed is a process re-education which will bring about a radical change of attitudes and obsolete ideas.

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