Friday, January 25, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five
Friday, January 25, 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five
Godard Festival
Friends of Newsreel, MLB, Aud. 3
Fri. 7, 8:40, 10:20, Sat. 7:15, 9:30
Weekend (1967) is a unique
and shocking film directed by
French filmmaker Jean-Luc God-
ard with exhilarating ease and
professionalism. Ostensibly a mO-
vie concerning a young man and
woman about to commit cold-
blooded murder for their own
materialistic gain, Weekend
turns into unrelenting surrealist
fantasy replete with mile-long
traffic accidents, cannibilism
and revolutionary violence.
Godard'sd seemingly sponta-
neous absurdity is nothing like
you've ever seen before; he ex-
ploits, explodes and explains this
film to the bare bone. Weekend
is being shown on a doublebill
with Godard's 1+1, a documen-
tary on the Rolling Stones and
the May events that occured in
France during 1968.
Tout Va Bien (1973) stars Jane
Fonda and Yves Montand in a
story of revolutionary ethics set
duringa factory strike. An inter-
esting failure, Bien offers dyna-
mite performances and a disen-
chanting script.
Montand is brilliant as the
television commercial director
who tries to rationalize his sup-
erficial life style, and Fonda
plays to the hilt an arrogant, self-
righteous journalist who runs into
politics and trouble. On the same
bill is Godard's .1 P. M. (1969),
starring Tom Hayden; Rip Torn
and the Jefferson Airplane.
-MICHAEL WILSON
Jean Renoir Weekend
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Sat., Sun., 7, 9:05
Although Jean Renoir is an in-
cisive social satirist, he is best
seen as a humanitarian. His
films transcend the society he at-
tacks and become a defense
against all that is anti-life-whe-
ther it is war, convention or the
rules of the game.
Grand Illusion, one of the
most famous anti-war films, is
Renoir's best work. He probes
The Green Wall
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Fri., 7, 9:05
The Green Wall, a Peruvian
film released in 1969 directed by
Armando Robles Godoy, traces
the path of a family out of and
then back into bureaucratic city
life, and into and then back out
of life in the Peruvian jungle.
Perhaps the most honored
film to come out of Latin Ameri-
which he finally gets to see the
ocean he has been trying to get
through-out the movie, is one of
two or three most effective end-
ings on film.
Ten years later, Truffaut picks
up the story again as Antonie is
discharged from the army. In a
series of bizzare adventures he
tries unsuccessfully to hold down
jobs as a night clerk in a flop
house, a private detective, a
shoe salesman and a TV repair-
Sleeper
Michigan
Sleeper is the newest Woody
Allen film and almost the fun-
niest. If it weren't for his idiotic,
chase scenes, Allen's latest could
have been his greatest-what we
are left with is a running stream
of never-ending sight-gags about
a man who wakes up 200 years
in the future and wishes he
never had.
Your sides will ache as you see
the future through Allen's eyes,
and the incredible sets (created
by the same man who did
Fantastic Voyage) will astound
beyond belief.
A new Woody Allen creation,
even when it's too silly some-
times, is still a monumentous
occasion - don't miss it. Co-
starring Diane Keaton (his new,
real-life girlfriend), Sleeper was
written, directed and scored by
the inimitable Allen himself.
MICHAEL WILSON
Also
Fifth Forum is showing Char-
riots of the Gods. State presents
Magnum Force; Campus features
The Way We Were; and New
World Media's International Film
Series presents Peasants of the
Second Fortress in E.Q. Rm. 126
Fri. at 8.
Interested in aChallenge?.
We are looking for a group of friends in-
terested in a unique living experience. We
feel we can offer more than a dorm, apart-
ment, or a co-op. WE ARE
PHI SIGMA
Cinema .we..ekend.
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below the surface horrors to
show causes of WWI, finding the
European aristocracy at fault.
Erich von Strohiem is great as
the German commander of a pri-
son camp who befriends a
French captain who shares his
social rank and tastes. He is
forced to kill him as a result of
helping two of his men to es-
cape. Only the middle class es-
capees emerge from the mad-
ness.
The Elusive Corporal is Re-
noir's last film and is also deep-
ly concerned about the human
condition in war. A group of men
undergo hardship and despair but
also share a companionship that
ultimately makes the ordeal liv-
able. As in all his films, it is
life, warmth and humor that is
the saving grace of man's im-
perfect soul.
-KURT HARJU
ca, it has won the Best Film
Award at four international film
festivals.
The film is in Spanish (English
subtitles).
-BRUCE WEBER
Truffaut Weekend-
Antonie Doinel Trilogy
Cinema II, Aud. A
Fri., Sat., Sun., 7, 9
Truffaut's humorously incom-
petent anti-hero, Antonie Doinel
(marvelously played by Jean-
Pierre Leaud), is the subject of
these three incredibly funny and
moving French films.
The 400 Blows shows him at 13,
caught in the prison of the class-
room and between the conflicts
of his mother and father. A lone-
ly outcast, he rebels in his imag-
ination and becomes an Ameri-
can gangster. The last scene, in
man. His love life is equally
chaotic but in the end he finally
gets away with some of those
stolen kisses.
In Bed and Board, he is mar-
ried and running a flower shop
but still not satisfied. When his
wife discovers his fumbling at-
tempts at adultery, they separ-
ate. He is eventually successful
in bringing about a reconciliation
but not without some hilarious
misadventures that firmly put
him in his preposterous place at
last.
-KURT HARJU
Th.e Hellstrom
Chronicle
UAC-Mediatrics, Nat. Sci. Aud.
Fri., Sat. 7, 9:30
David Wolper Productions is
known mostly for its National
Geographic TV specials. In The
ellstromn Chronicle, the Wolper
documentary style is used to
make a chillingly realistic sci-
ence-fiction film about the even-
tual domination of the world by
insects. Using only the fictional
Dr. Hlellstrom' s narration and
beautifully photographed foot-
age of the insect world, the film
presents the thesis that, were
man to disappear, intelligent life
would most likely re-evolve from
the insects. The film provides
a much more fascinating look at
the insect world than any
straight documentary could
ever hope to do. The Hellstrom
Chronicle is a cleverly con-
structed, visually stinning film.
--JAMES HYNES
Have a few extra moments
during the day? Need
something to occupy your mind?
THEN, tuck a copy of
~4eV£r4tgan OnittJ
Crossword Puzzle
under your arm.
Intellectual challenge
even for the hest
KAPPA. Call us at 662-0385. It may be the
experience of a lifetime.
Night.Owl Film Festival
A WEEKLY LATE NIGHT
PRESENTATION OF
FEATURE FILMS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHTS
ALL SEATS $1.50
OLIVER REED
VANESSA REDGRAVE
in
KEN RUSSEL'S
I
"THE DEVILS"
11:15PM.
(X)
FIFTH FORUM
210 S. FIFTH AVE.
ii ANN ARBOR-761-9700
I
Company' presents a witty
view of singles and society
By DAVID BLOMQUIST
It would be virtually impossi-
ble to compare the Busby Berke-
ley spectaculars of the 1920's
with Company, the Ann Arbor
Civic Theatre's latest production
- except to note just how far
that rather nebulous cross be-
tween vaudeville and opera call-
ed the "musical" has come in 50
years.
The chorus girls and cast of
thousands of No, No, Nanette are
nowhere to be found in Company.
What we have instead, is an hon-
est attempt to explore the faults
of society using both words and
music: not a new theater idea,.
but one unused for recades -
perhaps not even since the last
days of grand opera.
Librettist George Furth and
composer/lyricist Stephen Sond-
heih pose an interesting ques-
tion in Company: is society pre-
judiced against single people?
Do we think it is "wrong" for
men and women not to marry?
Our test case is a 35 year-old
bachelor, Robert, who appears to
be quite pleased with life - and
the three girls he dates. His
married friends, however, refuse
to believe that "Bobby" can real-
ly be happy without permanent
"company" around the house.
At first gently, and then persist-
ently, they try to prod him into
marriage.
Furth's witty book is the
strong point of the show. Al-
though he deals with many ster-
eotyped situations - the over-30
couple trying pot, for example -
he always seems to find a new
and quite hilarious angle on the
subject.
Sondheim's score, however,
adds almost nothing to the show.
None of the songs have any
memorable moments; indeed,
the entire score suffers from an
identity crisis. One number fea-
tures some clarinet lines that
could have been lifted almost in
toto from a '30s Gershwin musi-
cal; another seems practically
like a direct copy of "Pajama
Game's "Steam Heat" routine.
Yet despite the handicap, the
Civic Theatre's production pro-
vides an entertaining 150 min-
utes. A strong, well-directed cast
turns in solid performances, cov-
ering the weak score with some
brilliant choreography staged by
Barbara Canner.
Illness forced director Robert
Chapel to take over the part of
Robert at the last moment, but
he came across well despite the
lack of rehearsal. The ten who
make up Robert's circle of mar-
ried friends supported him al-
most flawlessly. Only their sing-
ing left a little something to be
desired.
Flawless work was not confin-
ed to the stage. The orchestra,
directed by Bradley Bloom, han-
dled accompaniment chores with
surprising power for an amateur
group (consequently at points
singers on stage were drowned
out by a wall of ascending strings
from the pit).
Jerry Janesick's set featured
multi-level platforms covered
with silver foil placed against a
silhouette of the New York City
skyline. Some pleasant lighting
touches from Curt Ostermann
complemented the effect.
Civic Theatre has at present
a good production of a rather
mediocre musical. The vigor of
the cast is contagious, and one
cannot leave Mendelssohn with-
out a smile and more than a few
laughs.
if
you
see
news
happen
call
76-DAILY
i
ACU-1 Bowling Tourney
SIGN UP UNION LANES
Winners go to Kent State
February 9 and 10
TONIGHT thru Sunday
Mendelssohn Theatre's Alive
WITH
COM1PANY
STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S MUSICAL
FROM
ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE
"Marriage May Be Where It's Been,
But It's Not Where It's At!"
763-1085 for TICKETS-$4.00
Added Perfs SAT. 10 p.m. and SUN. 7 p.m.
_ __-_
ALL-CAMPUS TG
AT
THETA X1
1345 Washtenaw near South Univ.
Friday-Jan. 25
begins at 9:00 p.m.
(ladies admitted free)
Live Band--MEDUSA BEER
FUFTI4 FIJNIJU
210 S. FIFTH AVE., ANN ARBOR
761-9700
VISIT EARTH IN
ANCIENT TIMES?
NOW WE
HAVE PROOF! BASED ON THE
CONT ROVERSIAL
BOOI THAT
SHATTERED
CONVENTIONAL
4tTHEORIES OF
HISTORY AND
ARCHEOLOGY
ca
OPEN DAILY U HURRY!
12:45 ENDS
SHOWS AT 1, SUNDAY!
3,5,7 & 9P.M.E
231S . State
ITATE
,.,ra ,,fomat,,. 662-6264
FRIDAY
Promptly at
7 & 9 p.m.
DIAL 668-6416
1214 South THE
University - REST
I
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CAT l* C(IN
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