In exhibiting works of art-whether in a gallery, a cinema, or anywhere

The following passage is adapted from a 2001 article by a film historian.

In exhibiting works of art-whether in a gallery,
a cinema, or anywhere else-the primary question
usually is: which works should be exhibited together?
In many exhibitions the selection is often tied to the
(5) creator of the works. For example, we might have
an exhibition of Rembrandt's paintings'. Another
reasonable method might be to choose paintings with a
particular theme or of a particular historical period, for
example, Modernism. In all cases the aim is to select a
(10) series of works with something in common. In the
world of cinema, this notion of "collecting the similar"
has its analogue in the retrospective. This involves
collecting together and screening several examples of
the work of a particular director, star, studio, etc. In
(15) recent years a rediscovery of early (pre-1915)
nonfiction film has been taking place, and such films
have been the subject of some notable retrospectives.

But I would argue that the philosophy of
"collecting the similar" is often inappropriate for
(20) screening early film, especially nonfiction, because
it means showing several films of the same type one
after the other in the same sitting, which would never
have been the practice at the time the films were made.
Gathering together several short films (and in the early
(25) 1910s most films were under fifteen minutes) by the
same maker or studio, while useful for historians and
academics, is often profoundly dull for the viewer. With
some exceptions, nonfiction films have always been
supporting films, not main attractions. Early
(30) cinemagoers never saw a collection of similar films
screened together; they almost always saw a program
that was a mix of everything from dramas and comedies
to travelogues and news. Even into the 1920s a mixed
program was the norm.

(35) Film archives and retrospective festivals often
behave as if the production of the films were the only
side of the coin. Film archives spend vast amounts of
time and effort in restoring films as they supposedly
were when originally produced. These restorations are
(40) presented with great fanfare as authentic versions, or
"directors' cuts." Yet as far as the exhibition side is
concerned, authenticity is sometimes allowed to go
out the window. Films are presented in an inauthentic
setting, utterly shorn of the program that once gave
(45) these films life and context, a setting that allowed
particular films to shine, but also to balance and react
against other kinds of films. Film presenters discovered
the magic of programming in the early years of the
twentieth century, or more likely inherited it from the
(50) vaudeville tradition. It ill behooves us alleged early
film lovers to forsake their insights today.

1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

(A) Screenings that consist entirely of early nonfiction films are poorly conceived because they ignore the context of the films' original screening.
(B) The practices that are best suited to exhibiting works in an artistic medium like painting are not well suited for exhibiting cinematic works.
(C) Early nonfiction films have not received the critical recognition that they deserve.
(D) The artistic goals of early nonfiction films are different in many major respects from the goals of contemporary cinema.
(E) For modem audiences to properly experience early nonfiction films, film archivists must produce restorations of those films that are as authentic as possible.


2. According to the passage, which one of the following is true of early nonfiction films?

(A) They were produced by studios that focused exclusively on nonfiction films.
(B) They were rarely credited to individual directors.
(C) They were heavily influenced by the vaudeville tradition.
(D) They were usually intended to be supporting films.
(E) They were no less popular than most comedies and dramas of the time.


3. The author would be most likely to reject which one of the following principles?

(A) Works of art should be presented as authentically as possible.
(B) Dissimilar works of art should never be displayed together.
(C) Contemporary exhibitions of works of art should be informed by knowledge of how past exhibitions collected works together.
(D) Art exhibitions should never be designed without regard to how each work contributes to the whole.
(E) Art exhibitions should sometimes collect works that are all by the same artist.


4. The passage contains information sufficient to answer which one of the following questions?

(A) How many nonfiction films were made in the years before 1915?
(B) Did directors of early nonfiction films ever work on other films as well?
(C) How long were most films in the early years of the twentieth century?
(D) Out of what historical tradition did the idea of "directors' cuts" originate?
(E) How popular were early travelogues and news films with audiences of their time?


5. The author most likely intends the final sentence of the passage to

(A) call into question the sincerity of those who purport to be early film aficionados
(B) carry an implication regarding the proper way of exhibiting early nonfiction films
(C) trace the historical basis behind the screening practices of early twentieth century film presenters
(D) suggest that it is incumbent upon those who enjoy early films to seek out the earliest versions they can find
(E) challenge the notion that early film can ever be fully understood by contemporary audiences


6. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) An exhibition of works by a single artist is likely to be less interesting than an exhibition that contains a mixture of works by different artists.
(B) When several works of art are exhibited together, the audience's response can be greatly affected by the interplay among those works.
(C) Film archives and retrospective festivals are too beholden to practices that have their roots in the vaudeville tradition.
(D) Most early cinemagoers did not think of nonfiction films of the time as belonging to a separate genre from comedies and dramas.
(E) A work of art will be misunderstood by historians or academics unless it is viewed in an authentic setting.


7. It can be inferred from the passage that the author holds which one of the following views regarding the "directors' cuts" described in the final paragraph?

(A) They are usually little more than clever marketing gimmicks and are entirely lacking in artistic value.
(B) Producing them is largely a pointless endeavor, in that it is striving for a goal that can never be fully achieved.
(C) Paradoxically, even though they are produced in an attempt to increase authenticity, in many cases they are less authentic than other versions.
(D) The time and effort expended in producing them is potentially wasted if no attention is paid to other aspects of authenticity.
(E) In the vast majority of cases where such a version is available, it represents by far the best way to experience the film.