ARTS Wednesday, January 11, 1984 The Michigan Daily Page 5 Some uncommon 'N By Dan Desmond Whatever happened to the good, old- fashioned war story? Well, if you can't catch reruns of "Combat" or "Rat Patrol" then you should see Uncommon Valor. Though the film opens in a Laotian POW camp, Uncommon Valor is in the same spirit as one of those "do- or-die" World War II movies where the soldiers can overcome all odds to triumph-as long as they are Americans. However, it may be difficult for today's audiences to swallow that type of melodramatic bravado. In fact, there are a number of weak points that viewers will have to tolerate to enjoy the movie. Among these are dialogue, shallow characters, and predictability. What Uncommon Valor must rely on is action. The action climaxes the film and is practically the only intriguing part of it. So, despite the lesser aspects of the movie it is still enjoyable. Go into the theatre prepared to ab- stain from intellectualization. Though extant POWs in Southeast Asia is a con- troversial issue, the story does not dwell on the moral questions. This is commendable, for Uncommon Valor is an inappropriate context for serious issues. The men have a mission and they are determined to get it done. It's that simple, do not look for anything more. Oil tycoon Hugh McGregor (Robert Stack) wishes to recover his POW son. He finds no help from the government so he acts on his own initiative. He an- swers the appeals of a Colonel Jason Rhodes (Gene Hackman), who also has a son listed as MIA, and financially backs a rescue misson. These two men generate the plans for the operation. The next thing they need is comman- does. Hackman takes charge as leader of the raid and starts looking for a few good men. He gathers five of his son's closest comrades who shared the same tour in Vietnam. These men train with the help of a young marine who is familiar with the latest in military technology. They par- ticipate in a rigid program to recover their fighting skills. After some bad blood between the inexperienced marine and the others, they eventually work together and have their rescue fully rehearsed. Of course, nothing in Laos will go as they had originally planned, but that is where the fun begins. There is also the predictable aspect of Uncommon Valor. You know that everyone Hackman asks to join him will agree, otherwise there would not be a mission. You also know that nothing will unfold as neatly in Laos as rehear- sed in the states, otherwise there would be no excitement. The movie avoids complete tedium in the otherwise boring preliminaries by adding some light. amusing scenes, and a spirited brawl between two of Rhodes' men. As I expected, the raid is far from boring. The action scenes are gripping and energetic-emotions are high, there is a lot of tension, and an effective climax. When the operation does not go as expected, the men have to im- provise, hence the exciting part. The only flaw in this sequence is that we are overcome with macho. A muscular Reb Brown (who plays a fellow named "Blaster") grips his weapon, grits his teeth, and shouts at the approaching enemy, "C'mon, you bastards, C'MON! !" This is typical of the excessive machismo that per- meates the picture. It is fully expected in a war movie of this sort, but the viewer may find it exhausting. Though the roles are essentially un- challenging, there are a couple of per- formances that deserve honorable at- tention. Gene Hackman as Colonel Rhodes did not have much to work with, but in certain scenes he is impressive. A pleasant surprise is the portrayal of "Sailor" by Randall "Tex" Cobb. Cobb is a heavyweight boxer, and Larry Holmes' recent punching bag. He is much more qualified as an actor than a championship boxer it seems. Daily Classifieds Bring Results SINDIVIDUALTHEATRES DAILY 1:00 P.M. MATINEES $2.00 SHOWS BEFORE 6:00 P.M. "DC CAB" (R) U IRENE MAX GARY CARA GAIL BUSEY DAILY 1:00, 7:20, 9:40 "TERMS OF ENDEARMENT" JACK SHIRLEY DEBRA NICHOLSON MacLAINE WINGER DAILY 1:00, 7:00, 9:30 (PG) iction If serious issues are not the focus of Uncommon Valor, then why take the chance of setting it around Vietnam? Well, besides its sense of the contem- porary, it does deal with our im- pressions of Vietnam. This is what we wish we could have happened in Viet- nam-something honorable. Colonel Rhodes preps the soldiers by telling them that this time they know they are on the side of right. That is what we would have liked to have known, and been, in the demoralizing war. Commandos get a briefing as they prepare to enter Vietnam. Hugh McGregor (Robert Stack) along with Colonel Jason Rhodes (Gene Hack- man) are going to search for their sons who are missing in action. SA play of By Julie Bernstein Beth Henley, author of Crimes of the Heart, now playing at the Power Center, is one of the many up and coming women playwrites who have broken through years of artistic prejudice in the male- dominated American theatre. Until recently, women pla-ywrites have taken a backseat, unsupported financially and politically by men in artistic control. Henley's determination and talent, illustrated in Crimes, won her the 1981 Pulitzer Prize; the play Ocomes to Ann Arbor at a time of independence for women playwrites. Crimes of the Heart premiered in 1979 at the Ac- tor's Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky. It darted straight to New York and walked away with abun- dant prizes and honorary titles. What makes this play worth all the attention? The amusing I play begins with the McGrath sisters reunited at their homesteads in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, the depth of the bible belt. While Lenny, the oldest, mourns her dead horse, struck by lightning the night before, and Meg mourns the failure of her singing career, Babe, their sister, has struck out all-together; she has shot her husband because she was "not having a good day." Beth Henley presents this wacky trio in a manner so skillfully crafted, that by the end of the play, you will have grown to love them and learn from them. You'll observe human revelation and understanding amidst inescapable and absurd circumstances. PTP has imported the National Touring Company, including several of the original members of the Broadway cast. Kath Kanzer, Caryn West, and Tom Stechschulte, who each originated their roles on Broadway, are being directed by James Pentacot, who stage-managed the same production on Broad- injustices way in 1981. As the first female recipient of the Pulitzer since 1958, Henley has planted a flag for women playwrites; in 1981, her successor, Marsha Norman, won the prize for her play, 'Night Mother', the story of one woman's last evening alive before her suicide, and the dialogue with her mother that ensues. These two are the most recent additions to a new cadre of women who are full of talent and erudition and permitted by society to express it. Women playwrites found opportunity through the chaotic trends of the 60's. The, new alternative and ex- perimental theatres were excellent vehicles for women to liberate themselves and even surpass men in their artistic statements. Out of Beth Henley's quiet world has come Crimes of the Heart. For more information call 764- 0450. It will be a crime if you don't. I .leak a .r - cv""oo9.. 3 al ....r t J1iA i ' C The Michigan Daily Business and News staffs need you! Now hiring for Winter Term for: ~t\1 ern -Ifvcr 1' : ,. 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