THE MICHIGAN DAILY SATURDAY, JULY X,1967 ) TUE MICHIGAN DAIlY SATURDAY. JULY 1 1 ~7 -1. - - .- . - , % , -A a . A V XF 9 ,, FILMS 'ervant' Screens at Cinema II ith Unevenly-Worked Theme Medicare PartiallySuccessful By STANTON PEARLMAN Cinema IIis currently showing' "The Servant," a film written by Harold Pinter and directed by Josephy Losey. It is the story of the development'Of a master-serv- ant relationship into an inverted, one where 'the servant, Dirk Bo- garde, is in the superior position._ Many of Harold Pinter's person- al statements on art indicate a certain cavalierness with regard to theme development. It would seem from his writings that he considers! the portrayal of the growth and interaction of people as the prom- inent aim of his work. In this limited view of aesthe- tics, where human description is so flimsy that it cannot stand to provide an intellectually solid sub- structure around which a movie can be developed, transient in- sights and spectacular revelations are the means for artistic corn- munication. With such atview of theme, consistent and involving cinema is impossible. Pinter, along with Losey, do not follow their own dicta to their' final inconsequential extremes, i.e., when Bogarde, during a game of they do attempt to present some hide and seek, discovers Tony artistic indication of the direction crouching in a absolutely horri- and purpose of the story by use fied masturbatory pose.) of the vast tools that the cinema One of the weaknesses of the provide. film, stemming from the authors' Consider, for instance, the often rejection of the need for parallel finely worked sexual theme, which structure, is the absence of the does not, as it would in a bad portrayal. of Barret's motivation, film, come through apart and dis- but there appears to be a clear tinct from the story. Rather it jealousy on his part of Tony's provides a beautiful and explicat- fiance. Sing support to the thematic con- All the turning points of the tent. films are depicted in sexual terms. The master, Tony, is presented Barret first makes real headway as an effete individual, incapable in gaining control of the house- of completing a sexual endeavor. hold when he is able to have his This is made clear by both the "sister"seduce Tony and thus camera work, with its many per-, put Tony in a position of con- verse and voyeuristic, but never sumate guilt, which he exemplifies culminated, shots, and the script, by hiding when the servant comes which has Tony rejected at all home. When Tony is presented the key moments by those with with the fact that he has lost whom he is sexually involved, the rivalry (the object of whom, Barret, the servant, enters the the sister' or the servant, is picture as amother figure. He uncleer) he enters his last and interrupts the beleaguered Tony most dissipated stage. and mor sinouslo causes hi omes In this same scene it is brought ter to feel guilt at his sexual ac- to the master's attention that he tivities, (The epitome is provided Is master of nothing, that the _______ _______servant has given him all that PERIOD PIECE: Eric Soya's 'Seventeen': From Here to Paternity By ANDREW LUGG "17" is such a bad film that it eally does not warrant review. Ve will, however, explain why, fte'r making a few remarks about he short films that are being hown by the local commercial inemas. Among theatre managers there eems to be an attitude of any- hing goes. It certainly does not or this reviewer and judging by he hissing which nearly every hort film shown in the past two nonths has received, it seems that he audiences would agree with ne. We are getting a little tired of he formula-made travelogues and heap, run-of-the-mill animated. a r t o o n s. Advertisements for prance, Greece or what ever, be- ides (in my experience) being ompletely dishonest - "Splendor if Paris," now at the Campus is prime example-are invariably adly filmed. I mean the color is ff, lighting is bad and the cutting. s at best competently childlish. "Orinoco Jungle" and "Dr. ,'ogglebird," also at the Campus, re two more shorts that were nade ,by film-makers with zer~o rtistic ability. "Orinoco" may be eprecated for its patronization Af the Savage-where' are the di'- -ectors, like Robert Flaherty "Nanoock of the North" etc.) who ,pproach their subject with hu- nility and who try to understand ultural differences-and for its eliance on one key shot to carry he film. No, a couple of minutes f the biggest waterfall in the Norld is not enough. Whilst we are talking about Flaherty, we might add a few iords to the tumultuous endorse- nent that this great American irector has received. Anthropol- gists, all over the world, use is work as source material: The knthropology department here at he University shows Nanook very semester. Americans are ertainly able to make good, ocumentaries. But if Hollywood, spurred on y cinemas like the Campus, con- inue to hold the upper hand as ar as 35mm short films are con- erned, we are never going to have mnother Flaherty, and we will lave to put up with dishonesty- dishonesty which, incidentally, s epitomized in that disgusting orror, "Africa Addio." "Dr. Fogglebird" adds to the ,lready too many animated car- oons that are an offense to in- elligence of any description; let lone to a predominantly student udience. The Daily regrets its failure to review the University Play- ers' production of MacBeth. Our reviewer seems to have been somehow incapacitated' between the performance and the writing. On this occasion, no review is better than an hastily written one. -Review Editor Maybe these shorts are cheap, but would we not rather disperse with them and have a shorter program instituted? This would be better than wasting our time. But,. of course there are plenty of good shorts around and it is these that we should be seeing. Now for "17." It is a period piece about pre-World War I adolescence: masturbation, first (Daily policy demands a euphem- ism) "pre-marital sex," and all that. "Youth" is exploited in. a banal, unwitty romp, which is no more than bad taste. A boy caressing a sponge or throwing water over his (concealed) penis will always get a snigger, just as will all the bad double-entendres with which this film, abounds. It is all too easy for words. One of my notes says: every- thing takes too long. Long and boring. Annelise Meindre's film has not one redeeming moment. The complete ort of "17," so dif- ferent fro mthe pure ort of "You Only Live Twice," is the reason for my saying that this film is not worth reviewing. he has, when he is unable to make his fiance accept the fem- inine sexual role as a replace- ment for his lost lover. The masturbtory and sexual guilt is brought to completion in the final scenes when the ser- vant- harps on Tony's lack of recognition of his effort, in a stylereminiscent of the storied Jewish mother, to the point where he has Tony helping with the chores. Unfortunately this care in de- velopment is not even throughout. the film. The drinking theme, the marriage theme, etc. all are lost and picked up at various times as the creators meander a- round the screen. While they are capable of the incredibly strik- ing and consistent opening scene, where camera and script combine to show Tony as the physically superior, but basically insecure person in the diad; they also work together to produce the hor- ribly overworked and trite stair scene, where the same sort of camerawork, combined with a banal dialogue, cause the viewer to laugh at, rather' than involve with the characters. The inadequacy of this aes- theic philosophy can be most clearly shown by resort to the work of a master with integral control of theme, characterization and camera work, and our next WASHINGTON (A) - Medicare ing that areas in which 90 per cent celebrates its first birthday today, of the beneficiaries live now are generally blessed by the elderly, getting repayed in 21 days or less. acclaimed by administrators, and They hope ultimately that this can tolerated by doctors. be reduced to 10 days or less. Whether the massive new plan And they propose to eliminate of health care for the aged is the main paperwork problems of viewed as an achievement or a hospitals and carriers with a sim- mistake, this much is evident: The plified procedure for outpatient system is in full operation, and the hospital billing. elderly are making extensive use No Proposed Changes of it. For the present, the administra- More than 7 million of the na- tion has proposed no major ex- tion's 19 million citizens who are pansion or basic changes in medi- 65 and over have received medi- care. But increased benefits may, care benefits totaling more than not be far off. The government has $3 billion, announced a study of the feasibility Many Displeased of adding prescription drugs, one Not all the elderly are entirely of the big costs of modern medical pleased with the way the program care, has worked so far. Acaed benefits or not, no one Some have been disillusioned, doubts th, tne cost of medicare confused and irritated. Some have will increase. Medical costs, on the suffered financial hardship by rise for years, went up spec- having to pay doctors' fees and tacularly in 1966. Hospital daily then wait as . much as several charges rose 16.5 per cent, doctors' months for the medicare machine-, fees 7.8 per cent. Studies forecast ry to process their bill and for the still more increases.I insurance carrier to return their What has caused these in- money. creases? One elderly woman wrote her The American Medical Associa- congressman that "medicare print- tion says medicare was a contri- ed books of damn lies and sent buting factor. But federal officials them to us. The books said they maintain-and hospital officials were going to pay everything or a generally agree - that medicare lot of things, but so far I have got has been at most a minor in- nothing." fluence. 'Deep Gratitude' Wage Increases But many senior citizens-and The largest-single factor was big their families - have expressed wage increases won by nurses and deep gratitutude for the program. other hospital employes during the "I wish I could do some kind- year. Wages are about two-thirds ness in return to every taxpayer of all hospital costs. who has made this possible for me Despite much higher medical and other older citizens," wrote costs, the Social Security admin- Dora H. Moitoret of Seattle after istrators, who run medicare say finding her-share of a $934 hospi- the program's costs for the first tal bill was just $40. year exceeded estimates only Hospitals and insurance carriers slightly. have denounced Icertain billing re- But already they say there may quirements as a maddening maze have to be an increase in the flat, of red'tape. $3-a-month premium for the vol- Oppose Expansion untary, supplementary coverage of And doctors, while apparently doctor bills. finding they can live with medi- Few Additional Patients care, oppose expansion and any Federal officials report the ad- moves toward a general federal vent of medicare has produced health care program-"socialized nothing of the flood of additional medicine." patients predicted by some of the As late as last Monday. the critics. They put the increase in American Medical Association hospital use by the elderly at 15 to made clear its continuing oppo- 20 per cent, or an increase in over- sition to the program. all hospital use of less than 5 per Dr. Milford 4. Rouse of Dallas. cent. the new president of the AMA, Patients who have had trouble said his organization recognizes with medicare are mainly those medicare "but does not support whose doctors take the option pro- or endorse it." vided by the medicare law, to bill Complaints Overcome their patients directly rather than Federal officials maintain, how- accept "assignment" of the charges ever, that none of the complaints to the government. is fundamental and that, all are To pay the bills. patients on being overcome, or will be. And occasion have had to take out they say some such difficulties are short-term, high-interest loans. inevitable in any new program of About 57 per cent of the doctors such scope and complexity. in the nation have been accepting They point with pride to great assignment at least some of the reductions in payment delays, say- times. But nearly 60 per cent of all PREDICT STRIKE '1'- /k. ) j I i t{tS 1 Economlists Forecast Upturn; Price, Tax Increase Likely NEW YORK (RP)-The economy, now entering into the second half of the year, has been the object of the usual number of specula- tions, forecasts, and hard-core predictions. But they all show a general trend: The consensus is for an economic upturn, accom- panied by higher income taxes and rising prices. Strikes also may be a part of the picture, especially in Detroit. This will mean a very testy per- iod for administration policies. More so than in the first half of the year, the fiscal decisions made in Washington will dominate the news. Chief of the economic estimates out of the capital is that a resur- gent civilian economy will com- bine with heavy government spending, especially for Vietnam, to produce a strain on the economy. The fear is that we Americans will demand too much from our pay the bills, both the Federal Reserve and presidential advisers now share the belief that income taxes will have to be raised. j Not everyone agrees with this analysis, nor does everyone agree on the proposed cure. For at the moment the economy is rather docile; it has not yet begun the feared inflationary expansion. It is not straining. The chief cause of such eco- nomic pressure would come from federal spending, some of it for domestic programs which Repub- licans feel could be cut back. But the costly war in Vietnam is the real culprit. A tax increase would help pay for this war costing $20 billion a year. It would. transfer funds to the military - defense economy, where many of the big bills are. It would lessen the government's need to borrow money in the market place, where interest rates already are very high. acterized his activities for a year. And there are some clear reasons. -Many big - ticket purchases have been postponed as long as possible. Many potential home buyers have delayed as long as they can. There is now an up- ward trend in housing, autos and some retail sales. -The automotive industry has put a lot of bad news behind it, although the threat of strikes re- mains ahead. Midyear sales have been strong. And with an early production start on 1968 autos- with safety features installed- sales are expected to stay strong. -The consumer is fairly well off financially, having banked heavily for several months. His Idesire for goods is now backed by some solid savings, even though real spendable income has been declining. Nevertheless, it is impossible to forecast accurately the future pattern of consumer spending. Rising prices, especially for homes, some apparel, medical care and some foods could force the con- sumer to retrench again. But how he will react to price increases in these areas-last year it was boycotts and caution-is unclear doctors' bills have been sent in by patients themselves. Directly billed patients also have to do their own paperwork to get reimbursed. Often they've been confused by the forms, filed im- proper applications and had them returned by the insurance carriers to be done again. Dismayed and overcome by it all, some patients have simply sent the carriers a stack of bills. Propose Itemized Bill Most of these difficulties would be cleared up by variations of a proposal before Congress that would permit repayment on the basis of an itemized, but unpaid, bill. The idea has broad support and is given a good chance for en- actment in some form. Medicare patients also have: complained about the "deducti- # ble" fees which make them liable, William R. Hutton, executive for example, for the first $50 of director of the National Council of doctor fees during a given one- Senior Citizens, says a survey of year period. the council's two million members Some senior citizens groups turned up evidence of "what can have proposed that the deductibles only be described as severe gouging be removed. But medicare Director by many doctors." Thomas M. Tierney says that Social Security Commissioner would greatly increase the cost Robert M. Ball believes there has of the program. been some gouging, but says he Major Protection has no evidence that it is at all "Medicare wasn't intended to widespread. cover everything," Tierney ex- Ball points out that before medi- plains. "It was designed mainly to care, many doctors charged their protect against the big illnesses, elderly patients less than normal and its doing that." fees-or nothing at all-and now Some of the elderly also have have raised their fees to the level accused doctors of raising their paid by younger patients. fees drastically because "medicare i Because of such reimbursement, is paying." But medicare pays only many doctors are well pleased with as much as the carrier determines medicare. As one put it: "We're is a "reasonable and customary", now getting paid for work we used fee. to do for little or nothing." * i : 1 production facilities, that we will And, simultaneously, it would. attempt to buy and consume more lessen the ability of consumers to than we can produce efficiently. make additional demands on the This would be inflationary, de- economy by reducing their fi- mand would exceed supply, and nancialability to do so. prices would rise. For the moment, however, the' There is another aspect to such consumer is showing evidence of a an economic picture. By demand- bit more daring than had char- ing more than we can produce, - ~ --__ we are saying, in effect, that we want more than we can pay for. To counter this strain, and to Phone 434-013pres week's review will a movie. analyze such VIA II ents L OSE Y'S :: r.YV::: """ ". v: vmv.4Y::.": :.Va -mhY:: ":a .:"RiY:^nv. "^:Y: r:: ".Y:: c ..........: .. DAILY OFF CIAL B ULLE TIN ........ :. ............................ .................... .... ....smm m m aa sm sr.".v." cr.. s n i"::....r: n:^: r-rx":c":. a rr::ar."..::":r.". .....: -r'r: ax:"rv'ra:^ x