THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Sunday, January 2E
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, January 24
11
cinema
Aretha: Something was
missing
'Stalking:' In need of guts
By HENRY GRIX
The Stalking Moon, now show-
ing at the Michigan. is suggest-
ed for General Audiences, but
that doesn't mean it was made
for kids. With Gregory Peck,
Eva Marie Saint, gore galore
and a Paraphernalia fashion
show in the lobby, it was ob-
viously designed for audiences
in general.
However, such promotion
seems unnecessary for a film
that can, at times, succeed on
its own merits. The Stalking
Moon is a classic cowboys and
Indians flick intriguingly re-
made as a thriller; and some-
times it is scary. Director Ro-
bert Mulligan patiently paces
his film, transforming an old
fashioned, action packed Wes-
tern into a taut, tense chase.
Charles Lang's stylized color
photography creates an eerie
lunar landscape out of the jag-
ged cliffs of the Southwest.
However, the technical per-
fection of The Stalking Moon
deprives the film of its guts;
I can't help wishing the whole
thing were shot in black and
white. Preoccupied with produc-
ing a slick vehicle, Mulligan
proves unable to maintain the
delicate balance between the
seen and the unseen for the
body of the film. Although he
redeems himself with a nerve-
racking climax, the rest of the
movie advances too predictably
to that end.
Part of the blame lies with
Alvin Sargent's weak screen-
play, but Mulligan was obvious-
ly counting on making most of
his impact visually. Whipping
the tired old horse opera, Mul-
ligan might have expected to
*redeem his story with his cam-
era. But technical masterpieces
are contrived on a quick succes-
sion of shocking actions. Like
Bullitt, they exploit violence
and gadgets in order to keep
the eye in gear and the m i n d
disengaged.
However, The Stalking Moon
needs to command the atten-
tion of both eyes and brain,
pending the psychological shock
of discovering the dreaded In-
dian behind the door or over
the cliff. But Mulligan limits
his impact by never condition-
ing the audience to anything
but thge spectre of violence
through the beginning of the
film.
Nor are the .characters well
enough developed by the script
or the make-up for the viewer
to empathize with them. Eva
Marie Saint, after ten years as
an Apache hostage, looks much
as she did in North by North-
west.
"I wonder what she w e n t
through all those years," a cav-
alry sergeant gawks as he de-
livers her from her bondage.
Obviously she's passed by a
slough of make-up men who
eliminate wrinkles even during
a furious dust storm.
Peck, who displays the poten-
tial of portraying the unadult-
erated hero Gary Cooper be-
came, seems believable when he
tells Miss Saint he "never lived
with anybody in my life." But
he is won, corrupted, by this
woman who is fleeing the fatal
wrath of her Indian husband
for stealing away with their
half-breed son.
During the slower moments of
the film, one wonders why Miss
Saint has been willing to sacri-
fice the lives of the inhabitants
of two stagecoach outposts and
risk the life of the man she
hardly knows (but loves?) to
save her son, when she just as
easily could have taken the train
to Columbus, Ohio and civiliza-
tion.
The only explanation seems
to be because she is Eva Marie
Saint and is starring. So when
her husband overtakes her on
Peck's ranch, we know she will
escape unscathed. Just as sure-
ly, we know all of Peck's friends
will be killed off until there is
a final struggle in the bluffs
around the ranch.
Such predictability would have
been acceptable if prolonged by
real thrills. But in creating a
film for General Audiences, Mul-
ligan declined to depict the vio-
lence. Although the victims of *
the stalking Apache are brutal-
ly murdered, you never see the
Indian in action until the end
of the film.
By that time, you are ready
for a quick, brutal denounce-
ment and Mulligan delivers. But
somehow I wasn't satisfied;
maybe I still wanted the Indian
to win in the end.
I
q
f
t
On the editorial page of yes-
terday's Daily (Jan. 25), a
letter to the editor appeared
signed by Keith LeGrand Mr.
LeGrand informed the Daily
yesterday that he is not the
author of the letter. We regret
the error and express our apol-
ogies.
i
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IKTITAF
~MUSKET
MAIL ORDER Quota is filled for Friday
and Saturday's performances.
For Tuesday thru Thursday there is still
time to drop order forms off at Musket
office-Michigan Union.
I r
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it
LAST 2 DAYS
t
"RECOMMENDED
WITHOUT RESERVATION"
N.Y. Post
LOX andBAGEL BRUNCH
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
Noon
$1.25 per person
fQ
' ,
followed by a panel discussion on
The Stuoentent Strke
featuring: MARK SCHREIBER-Student Housing Assoc.
PETER DENTON-Tenants' Union
TOM BROWN-U. of M. Student-Community
Relations
MICHAEL FORSYTHE-Attorney
HILLEL FOUNDATION 1429 Hill St.
tIle
Jean Genet's
erotic view'f the world
where men's strange desires
are fulfilled!
children under 18 years of
age will not be admitted
under any circumstances.
Sun.-5:15, 9:15
Mon.-9:15
CREATIVE ARTS FESTIVAl
PRESENTS
SUNDAY, JAN. 26
CIVE BARNES
drama critic N.Y. Times
SPEAKING on
Theater '69 New & iving
Tickets 75c and $1.00 may be purchased at the door UNION BALLROOM-2:O0 P.M.
Creative Arts Festival Spaghetti Dinner
5-6 P.M.-HERITAGE ROOM-UNION
IFS LVINE
appearing at the Grand Opening of his environment "ELECTRIC SHOCK"
6:30-ROOM 3C-UNION
-r
Sun.-3:00, 7:00
Mon.-7 :00
U
L- 4II
FSFtN AVE,
791 97.000.-'
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY ONLY
Mad Marvin Invites
You to Trip with him
and his friends
in his 2nd colossal
Vo
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K)_
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'GOOD LAUGHS! AMUSING!
An ingenious idea pursued with logic
and fresh invention. Original in all
respects... infidelity, crime of
passion and punishment!" '
laugh program
Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun.-11:00 P.M.
Vth Forum-separate admission
-
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-Ihave, to
get my ad
inby
NOON!"
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-Archer Winsten, N'ew York Post k'
HE FIRST MOTION "SEE IT! BIZA
:TURE COMEDY AND FUNNY AT
ntiT A UAI C CAME TIM
laS
"TI
PIC
ADCIi
RRE
THE
F! A;
ANbUT AMAN 'b
RETURN TO HIS
MOTHER'S WOMB!
...QUITE FUNNY!"
---Vincent Conby,
New York Times
j JHITL IirtlL. M
WILD SENSE OF
HUMOR:.. AN
UNUSUAL COMEDY!"
- Ann Guorino,
New York Doily News
Thank you for making last weekend's program No. 1 such o success.
If you missed program No. 1 because of the sold-out shows
be sure to come early for program No. 2-It's equally hilarious.
THE COMEDY GREATS-Program No. 2
W. C. FIELDS-"The Pharmacist"
LAUREL & HARDY-"Double Whoopeee" a really great one featuring an appear-
ance by JEAN HARLOW.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN-"Easy Street" The best knowns of his Mutual Series, a sub-
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