ARTS The Michigan Daily Friday, January 21, 1983 Page 5 CAMP RAMAH SUMMER STAFF POSITIONS Interviews being held by Rabbi David Soloff on Wednesday, Jan. 26 from 12:30-6:00 p.m. Call 663-3336 for appt. at Hillel, 1429 Hill Oh! What a lovely movie By Richard Campbell A CCORDING TO the publicity de- partment Gandhi "is the motion picture Richard Attenborough fought to make for two decades." "That's a bit of Columbia (the distributor's) romanticism," says At- tenborough. He admits, however, that he got the idea to make the film in 1962 after reading a Gandhi biography. Following that, Attenborough scraped enough money together on six occasions to produce the film only to have the finances fall through. During these years, Attenborough began other projects, including various awards for his directorial debut, Oh! What A Lovely War. When he finally managed to collect the money, a suitable script, and the necessary actors, the arduous four- month shooting schedule in India began. Attenborough recognized that a key ingredient in the film would be the actor portraying Gandhi. "I needed an unknown actor. I needed an actor without connotations, who should be In- dian, with a great deal of theatrical ex- perience," he says. Except for being a born Britain with an Indian father, Ben Kingsley fits that description perfectly. But he says that he was worried by "the awesome responsibility of playing Gandhi." The problem was that many Indians revere Gandhi almost as a god. "Next to Vishnu and Krishna in poor and even U" . - . left, and Ben Kingsley star in a scene from 'Gandhi' directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, inset. Martin Sheen, middle class houses there is a picture of Gandhi," Kingsley says. Besides the incredible realism of Kingsley's performance, it is hisability to make Gandhi approachable on human terms that is memorable. In playing a character that ages 56 years, it was important to "find the thread that links all the scenes together, and not make each scene a different The Daily's 'Gandhi' contest Help celebrate the motion picture event of the decade! The Michigan Daily and Columbia Pictures are sponsoring a drawing in com- memoration of the release of the film Gandhi. Ten lucky first place winners will receive copies of the movie soun- dtrack, ten runners-up T-shirts, and everybody who'submits a coupon will get a free button. So don't hesitate! Fill out the information below and drop it off in a specially-marked box by the Daily business office in the Student Publications building, 420 Maynard Street. character," says Kingsley. The actor found this "thread" in Gandhi's intelligence and generousity of intelligence. Apparently that thread worked, for on more than one occasion Indians who could still remember Gandhi came to kneel at Kingsley's feet in respect. "I found that very discon- certing," says Kingsley. The rest of the cast is studded with stars: Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, JohnGielgud, Trevor Howard, and Martin Sheen. His role of the newspaper reporter Walker is little more than a bit part, but Sheen's involvement with the project stemmed from personal conviction rather than the need to work. "I've only made two films that spoke what I feel to be the truth," he says. "We live under a great, great evil-the nuclear arms race," says Sheen. "It is a time for courage. If the spirit of Gandhi could be revived in this country we might find a way out." That essentially is what Atten- borough's Gandhi strives for. Albert Einstein once said, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked this earth." Gandhi just might help more believe. Columbia Pictures recently whisked Daily Arts Editor Richard I I I About the only thing that isn't in it is the theme music! It debuted on October 2, 1959 and over the next five years and 156 episodes, it charted a territory all its own filled with magic, horror, and wonder. Now, submitted for your ap- proval, isTIHE TWILIGHT ZONE COM- PANION. Profusely illustrated with over 200 photos, this definitive vol- ume combines evocative synopses of each episode with cast and credit listings, incisive commentary and colorful behind-the-scenes recollec- tions. $9.95 wherever books are sold or order directly from the pub- lisher by including $1.25 for postage and handling. A BANTAM1 TRADE PAPERBACK. BANTAM BOOKS, INC., Dept. DR-18, 666 FifthAvenue, NewYork 10103 Campbell to Los Angeles for a screening of the film as well as these interviews. For a review of the film, see today's Weekend magazine. Hill Auditorium February 21, 8pm Mkhigan Union Tiket Ofli(eAll T( Outlets A Major Events Presentation. 163-201I, R Name_ Address- Phone- l ecr Ravi Shankar & George Fenton - 'Soundtrack to Gandhi' (RCA) . After leaving a sweeping, finely craf- ted epic like Gandhi, it is quite natural to want to find a way to relive the hours spent watching it. The soundtrack album is the catalyst chosen. The soun- dtrack album to Gandhi does not make a good catalyst. The music, composed by Ravi Shankar and/or George Fen- ton, who produced the album, is not bad music, but it does not make the tran- sition from film to vinyl well, and it lacks many of the qualities that help a person to visualize the film while listening to the album some months af- terward. The opening cut, "31st January 1948',' is one of the better ones, musically. With its undertone of marching feet and its overtone of voices, the atmosphere of Gandhi's funeral is well captured. Regrettably, the scene's narration is also totally intact, meaning that the film's major flaw, its canonization of Gandhi, remains on the soundtrack album. The third cut is an assemblage of some of the band music found in the film. Entitled "Bands of the Raj," it is the worst cut on the album, and it literally ruins the first side. Without the accompanying visuals, the band lacks unity with the rest of the album. It is the wrong note struck in the middle of a symphony. Side one concludes with a cut called "Intermission." While it is nice, I doubt if it was necessary to include the music put in for people going to get a refill on their popcorn. The album's second side is much more consistent. While the first side had some diversions from the more at- mospheric Indian music, diversions that destroyed the unity of the album, the second side is almost totally Indian music. "Remember This Always" has more of the film's narration, so we are sure not to forget what a super guy Gandhi was while we listen to the album. While the album does little to evoke the film, it does contain a lot of in- teresting music. It is a shame that cuts such as "Band of the Raj" somehow manage to ruin half of it. The nice music on the second side is not enough to carry the album as instrumental music, and the album itself is not up to the brilliance of the film it attempts to portray. -Joshua Bilmes Y ', ..4d Taft Attmctions THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF LIVE SHOWS FOR THEME PARKS KINGS ISLAND I 1 r -'A7 KINGS DOMINION CAROWINDS (CANADA'S WONDERLANDT.M . University of Michigan Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room Wednesday, January 26 Singers: 2:00-4:30 PM; Dancers: 4:30-6:00 PM Instrumentalists & Specialty Acts: 2:00-6:00 PM Kinas Island