THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Thursday, February 6, 1
_ , -_ -,
arts
festival
(auf fmann meets the monster
--music
A string of superlatives
for the'U' Philharmonic
GUILD HOUSE
802 Monroe
01
By DANIEL OKREN T
Feature Editor
'T7he New Republic's very
worthy and widely noted film
critic, Stanley Kauffmanh, came
o Ann Arbor last night, pre-
>ared to give a speech in de-
ense of Richard Lester's anti-
var film, How I Won the War.
But what Kauffrkann didn't
mow to expect, and what the
audience in Trueblood Aud.
Jidn't particularly know how to
eact to, was that strange char-
acter peculiar to Ann Arbor-
he Sklarfelheim-monster, this
ime reinforced by Bruce Hen-
tell of Cinema Guild.
The Sklarfelheim, a weird
reature whose components con-
ist of equal parts of Prof. Rob-
rt Sklar 6f the history depart-
ment and Prof. Marvin Felheim
if the English department, ap-
>eared on a panel with Kauff-
nann and Henstell, and partici-
Fri., Feb. 7
Joe Weh re r
Noon Luncheon 25c
"THE ONCE GROUP"
pated in the well-known ritual
of providing an amiable foil for
a visiting dignitary.
Kauffmann, an articulate
and friendly man whose appear-
ance came as prt of the Creative
Arts Festival, wasn't totally
helpless and lost in the cre-
ture's grasp. His defense of the
Lester film was first tested two
seasons ago when it was re-
leased, and he found himself
virtually alone among major
critics in praising the contro-
versial work.
But his defense is sure. "This
film speaks from the heart of
this age, the age of the put-on,"
he said.
"It is a view of history not as
tragedy," he added, "but as
stupidity. Stupidity is funny, but
this stupidity is so huge, it
goes beyond the ha-ha."
Kauffmann elaborated fur-
ther on Lester's particularly
novel-for this decade-choice
of subject matter for an anti-
war thesis,
"Lester chose as his subject
probably the most just war in
history, World War II," he said.
"It took super-historical guts,
para-historical guts, to make a
film about this war, in which
relatively decent men went to
war against relatively indecent
men. And Lester's point is that
even that kind of a war is ob-
scene."
And then the Sklarfelheim
bared its formidable teeth.
"Repetitious and on the whole
a bit dull," it said.
"The film is not that good,"
it elaborated.
"It is not very interesting as
a visual movie," it furthered.
After a few contrasts the
Sklarfelheim offered between
the Lester work and such films
as Gillo Pontecorvo's Battle of
Algiers and Buster Keaton's The
General, and after it rebuffed a
few people in the audience who
somehow didn't seem to under-
stand the comparisons, it rested.
But Henstell didn't drop the
ball.
"I find myself in the embar-
rassing position of being in the
majority," he said. "But if I can
speak for my peer group, those
who are 23, we acknowledge now
that war in general is stupid
and silly and obscene, and more
than that-that we are not go-
ing to fight in it, not now or,
ever."
But Kauffmann d e f e n d e d
Lester nevertheless, and quite
earnestly. "When Lester gets the
wheel whirling, it dazzles. When
it slows down, and the spokes
show, as in The Knack, it's not
so good.",
The spokes - the separate
jokes and gimmicks Lester uses
-didn't show so much in How I
Won the War, Kauffmann
maintained, and this enabled
the film to be an artistic suc-
cess. More than th'at, though,
he stuck 'to his original conten-
tion that the film was, as im-
portantly, a political success as
well.
And the Sklarfelheim growled.
WKNR
SPECTACULAR
By JIM PETERS
Writing about music is a poor
substitute for playing it, and I
think reading about it hardly
compares to listening to a per-
formance, either live or on disc.
And last night's concert by the
University Philharmonia at Hill
Aud. requires few words to de-
scribe its excellence. No one
who was there needs to be con-
vinced.
Wagner's "Flying Dutchman
Overture" didn't really equal
the high quality of the music
which followed; but it was solid
and bombastic, and the orches-
tra showed fine ensemble.
The magic began with th e
second suite from Ravel's bal-
let "Daphnis and Chloe." Con-
ductor Theo Alcantara's inter-
pretation was a little more sub-
stantial than the usual French
breathiness to which I am ac-
customed, but the Orchestra
was so powerful and exact in.
Ravel's wild crescendoes and
crashes that the overall impres-
sion was stunning.
Flutist Mary Yasco}t's solo in
TODAYr
Marisol
Showing slides and talking
about her life-size wooden
figures.
Trueblood Aud. 8 p.m.
the middle section was perfect.
Playing with the tricky line
with all the necessary rubato,
she teased the audience with its
subtle rhythms; it was Ravel,
free and unconstrained.
But it was Charles Avshar-
ian who deserves all the super-
latives. His solo in Jean Sibelius'
"Concerto for Violin" demands
long strings of complementary
adjectives describing his tone,
his sensitivity, his power; but
words cannot recreate the scene
or the fine music.
I think it is enough for me
to say that he is a true music-
ian, and his performance of-
fered Sibelius himself, on stage.
And the Philharmonia didn't
let him down.
Throughout the Concerto the
balance between soloist and en-
semble was perfect; the orches-
tra was always present, accom-
panying and commenting, but
the brass and strings were ready
IKTITAF
with brilliance when it was call-
ed for. The adagio second
movement was a good example;
and the rhythmic bass line of
the finale never wearied, re-
sponding to Avsharian's inten-
sity at all times.
The University orchestras have
treated us prety well so far this
term; first the Symphony with
Strauss, and then the fantastic
Philharmonia with Ravel and
Sibelius. I'd like to think that
last night's concert was not an
accident, not a chance com-
bination of compositions and
performers. I hope the Phil-
harmonia knows for sure.
CKLW presents
SAT., FEB. 8-GUILD DINNER (at cost)
(Replaces Friday Dinner)
For Reservations Call 662-5189
0
Thursday and Friday
SEXPERIMENTAL .FILMS
Cinema Guild presents an international collection
of the newest and finest short experimental films
available today.
THE NOSE (1963) Alexander Alexeieff employs his
weird pinboard animation to retell Gogol's nightmare
about a man who awakens one morning to find his
nose missing.
THE HAND (1965) Czech puppeter Jiri Trnka thinly
disguises an attack on the State's control- of the artist
in the most hauntingly poignant puppet drama on film.
TIMEPIECE (1965) Jim Henson's satire on advertising,
movies, and sex symbols-to the steady beating of the
human heart.
NUMBERS 11966) Czech Pavel Prochazka's animated
exploration of the world of numbers and their relation-
ship to people.
SPHERICAL SPACE Stan VanderBeek's lyrical nude and
nature study.
CLAY Modeling clay and stop action photography pro-
duce a funny yet frightening picture of the origins of
the species.
Also, GLAS, QUEER BIRDS,-TOYS, and other films will
be shown.
7:00 & 9:05 ARCHITECTURE
662-8871 75C AUDITORIUM
F
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With Special Guest Stars
YOUNG-HOLT
UNLIMITED
RHETTA HUGHES
FRI., FEB. 7 at 8:30 P.M.
COBO ARENA
Tickets: $5.75, $4.75,
$3.75, $2.75
Available at-Cobo Arena
and all J. L. Hudson &
Grinnell stores.
An Irving Granz Production
I ---- -- ------ - I
we
C.
FL
SENDS
SUNDAY
-Daily-Peter Dreyfuss
Kauf fmann at Trueblood
CREATIVE ARTS FESTIVAL
is proud to present
TONIGHT
MARISOL
"The first girl artist with
glamour"-Andy Warhol
SHOWING SLIDES OF HER WORK
TRUEBLOOD AUD.-8:00 P.M.
75-student 1.25-non-student
Tickets available in fishbowl and at door
"SO YOU THINK, IN THESE DAYS OF TICKLE-AND-
TEASE AND SNICKER-AND-SMUT, THAT YOU KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT SEX. IN THE MOVIES, EH?
FRIEND, YOU KNOW FROM NOTHING :.. BUT NOT
TO WORRY. 'THE LOVE GODDESSES' IS-AND ARE-
HERE, TO DELIGHT OUR SOULS WITH ONE OF THE
MOST ENJOYABLE FILM ANTHOLOGIES IN AGES!"
-N Y Herald Tribune
PLUS: "IDOL OF THE JAZZ AGE-
RUDOLPH VALENTINO"
PLUS: "BOGART'S BEST"
PLUS: "BOGART'S BEST"-Highlights from "The
Maltese Falcon," "Dark Passage" and
"Treasure of the Sierra Madre"
PLUS: "BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN"-condensed
version of 1935 classic with the late
Boris Karloff
PLUS: "THE PHANTOM EMPIRE"- with Gene Autrey
"Really out of siaht."-M.M.
HURRY !!
HURRY !!
* PLUS *
THE SPIRIT
and
"Worst That Could
Happen"
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Sun., Feb. 9 at 8 P.M.
MASONIC AUDITORIUM
Tickets: $5, $4, $3
Available at: Masonic Aud.
and all J. L. Hudson &
Grinnell stores.
ftf
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"MY LITTLE CHICKADEE" with MAE WEST"
SAT.-5:40, 8:10 THUR. and FRI.-8:10
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