There is a thought that film plays a less crucial role than other types of art such as literature and painting. While I admit that there are situations when film seems to less critical, I do not believe that the others are more valuable at all.
To begin with, it is, to some extent, appropriate that film is not a fundamental choice among the arts. One distributing factor is that film is becoming more commercialized rather than focuses on its initial artistic purposes. Many filmmakers raise capital through brands’ product placement, which cannot be seen in literature and painting. The abuse of this advertising form, despite not being prohibited strictly, can distract audience from the narrative and make the scenes unnatural. Therefore, many films no longer serve as a form of art but a model of business. Another reason is that it is easier for ordinary people to create works of literature and painting than films as a way of relaxation. Almost students are taught literature and painting but not film-making as a compulsory part of curriculum, so they have knowledge and skills to produce basic paintings or pieces of literature.
In spite of that, there is agreement that film is vital in our life due to its non-interchangeable role. This is because film can integrate with music, another form of art, through soundtracks while the same cannot be done with literature and painting. By this integration, audience usually feels more deeply connected to the characters as well as the stories, and songs in conjunction with particular contexts often stay longer in their memories after listening. As a result, they can enjoy both of forms more profoundly. Moreover, film can be accessed by more people, regardless their ages. For example, a majority of children aged under six are illiterate and attracted by funny things, so they are more likely to watch films, such as cartoons, instead of reading books or going to a painting exhibition.
In conclusion, film may lose its position when filmmakers depend much on financial backers or ordinary people want to create an artwork. However, because of its popularity, I doubt that film is less important compared with other artistic forms such as literature and painting.