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THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, June10, 1971
Aso-mna--bulist s viewof films,

By MARK ALAN FARBER
Special to The Daily
CANNES - I have found it
virtually impossible to see five
films a day. Yesterday, as well
as the day before, I, with two
of my compatriots, in spite of
our brave struggle, fell asleep
during the fifth unspooling. It
was all right for Thursday's
film, which was Al Freeman's
expert adaptation of Le Roi
Jones' play The Slave. It right-
fully deserved and received our
sominex ovation. However, last
night's screening of the v e r y
funny and well received Italian
entry Per Grazzia ia Ricevuta,.
which normally would have had
me rolling in the aisle, merely
had me snoring on the seat. I
have come to the conclusion
that a film festival is not the
place to see films.
Speaking of screen adapta-
tions of stage plays, I saw the
movie version of Joe Orton's
Loot. When are movie studios
ever going to learn that great
theatre rarely make good mov-
ies? Orton's play was a one
set farce, and when performed
on stage, the pace must be brisk,
brisk, brisk. Unfortunately,
when transferring a one-set
play to film, the one set is
always expanded to many dif-
ferent exteriors and interiors
and such intercutting com-
pletely ruins all farcial pacing.
Furthermore, Orton's plays are
verbal satire and not very well

suited for the screen, which is
a visual media. Enough a i m-
less theorizing. The film is
ghastly. Its director Silvio
Nairzzano, who formerly made
Georgy Girl, should have stop-
ped at his one success, and the
fine talents of Richard At-
tenborough and Lee Remick
should not be wasted.
While we're on the subject of
bad films, may I say that re-
viewing them always gives one
a chance to try one's wit, but
quite frankly, they are a waste
of two valuable hours watch-
ing time, and one hour writing
time. Here is a timesaving list
of films to pass by.
La Califfa - One of the Ital-
ian entries. Directed by Albert
Bevilacqua, a labor / manage-
ment, hate/love story. The Pa-
jama Game minus the music
but with a lot of spaghetti
sauce used as blood.
Mira - Belgium, with the
tale of the usual rustic slut and
straight guy making it and then
losing it.
The Flight - Russia's usual
long-winded epic about the red
and white (and I don't mean
wines). It has some wonderful
shots if you don't mind sitting
through the same story year
atfer year.
Goya - The Spanish film
biography of their famous
painter. Franco has subjugated
Goya's fascinating political af-
fairs to a boring love affair

with some high-placed chick.
Spanish Smaltz. Better to
spend two hours sharing at a
museum original.
Pidgeons - (An American
film not in competition) - The
boring story of a young man
(Jordan Christopher who can't
act to begin with) who has
nerve enough to utter before a
motion picture camera a line
like "I'm too old to be a hippy
and too young to be establish-
ment." Judith Christ gave it
four stars, but of course her
four stars are as beneficial as
four star generals.
Now on to a very good film.
Louis Malle's (The Lovers, Zaz-
zie dans Le Metro) latest L e
Souffle au Coeur or translated,
Little Heart Breaker. Says Mal-
le in describing his film, "my
film treats rather off-handed-
ly, that taboo subject - incest.
If I'm asked to make a rule
about it, I would say that mak-
ing love to your mother could
perhaps be an ' excellent thing,
and at all events, it is better to
do so than dream about it all
your life." This is precisely
what Little Heart Breaker whi-
msically demonstrates.
The plot is simplicity, and it
is only through expert h a n d-
ling that the film succeeds-100
per cent. Laurent Chevalier is
the youngest son of the mar-
riage between a French doctor
and an Italian. Chevalier's fa-
ther's attitude towards his son


"One of the Best Amecan Fims
You're Going to S
Buck Henry is marvelous and Lynn Carlin is superb!"
-Joseph Gelmis, NEWSDAY
"I WISH THERE WAS A FUNNIER WORD FOR FUNNY!
YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT TIME"
-Gene Shalit, NBC-TV
"WISE, WITTY, AND ENTERTAINING!
What a Difference Warmth and Understanding Make!"
-Hollis Alpert, SATURDAY REVIEW
"A NEARLY FAULTLESS COMEDY! NOTHING SHORT OF
A MIRACLE! IT TOUCHES US MORE DEEPLY THAN WE
WOULD HAVE BELIEVED POSSIBLE THESE DAYS. THERE
ARE DOZENS OF SUPERB CHARACTER BITS BY ONE OF
THE REALIST-LOOKING CASTS IN YEARS!"
-Richard Schickel, LIFE

ranges from disinterest to an-
noyance at his son's high-spir-
itedness, his intellectualism,
and his disdain for convention.
On the other hand, between
Laurent and his mother, Clara,
exists a complicity and affec-
tion approaching mutual ardor.
Each is alienated from t h e i r
common milieu for similar
reasons; Clara, warm, spontan-
eous and still young, is bored
with her husband, his relatives,
and the stiffness and formality
of upper middle class life. Laur-
ent shares her tempermental re-
belliousness, but he also is much
influenced by modern jazz and
by the existentialists. The film
is in large part the story of
the growing intensity of their
relationship.
I must stress that as heavy as
this film sounds, it is not. Le
Soufle au Coeur is a comedy,
and almost a-classical French
Comedy, for much of its hum-
or derives from an ironic view
of character types long in cir-
culation in French fiction the
unbending father, ambiguous
priest, pompous uncle, sympa-
thetic nurse, whore with a heart
of gold, virtuous and not so vir-
tuous young girls, and older
brothers who initiate young
brothers into primal rights.
Well, enough said, except that
the acting is very realistic and
heartwarming. Benceit Forreux
who plays Laurent, with no pre-
vious acting experience is a
perfect and beautiful adoles-
cent. Lea Massari who is cast
as the mother makes incest
more inviting every minute she
is on the screen.
Life is full of contradictions,
and fortunately so. In my last
piece, I remembered distinctly
saying, "when are they going
to stop filming theatrical scripts
because they always turn out
ghastly." Thankfully, I am
now going to contradict m y -
self. Michael Cacoyannis' screen
version of the Euripides tragedy,
The Trojan Women is master-
ful. It is unembellished by the
little extras that detract from,
if not totally ruin a film adap-
tation.
Cacoyannis has had the good
sense to use only one location,
(a large field with adjoining
cave), and has kept the location
uncluttered of Hollywood props
(excepting for Katherine Hep-
burn, who is the film's star.)
See SLEEPVIEWING, Page 7
The Michigan Daily, edited and man-
aged by students at the University of
Michigan. News phone:'764-0552. Second
Close postage paid as Ann Arbr, Mih-
igan. 42 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48104. 'Published daily Tues-
day through Sunday morning Univer-
sity year. "ubscription rate: $10 by
carrier, $10 by mail.
Summer session published Tuesday
through Saturday morning. Subscrip-
tion rates: $5 by arner, $1 by mil.
*ol e1~ *iTea
Glocee e6cV~
lO a i p°e
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*Mc ~
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AUSTIN
DIAMOND
1209 S. University 663-7151

*

"Recklessly
funny !"
Penelope Ginliai ."
The New Yorker
"There's major
pleasurement in
it! 'Taking Off' is
marked with
moments of sheer*
brilliance, subtle
comedy and stringent
ironies!" starri
-Judith Crise
New York Magazine
Wed, Thur.-7:15 and 9:00 ($2,00)

"Milos Forman has
an outlook that is
fresh and spirited . ,
his film form is
comedy and it is
extremely funny"
- William Welf, Cuc
"Pick up on 'Taking
Off'! Milos Forman
has a deft way
around a person's
funny-bone!"
-Bob Solmoggi, WINS

TiAING [ F]
ng LYNN CARLIN and BUCK HENRY
directed by MILOS FORMAN, maker
of 'LOVES OF A BLONDE'
and 'FIREMEN'S BALL'

NQ restricted
7 P;T 5P0.rw::

Friday--7:15, 9:00, 10:45 ($2.50)

luu 0ores~aaO