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We live, however, in a society that loves delineation and quantitative analysis, and shuns ambiguity and gray as things that the computer just would not appreciate. If I had my way, I would discuss the higher echelon of this year's films as a group, but executive direc- tive specifies otherwise and a list it will be. I. FANNY AND ALEXANDER Fanny and Alexander chronicles a difficult period in the life of the Ekdahl family of Sweden, concentrating par- ticularly on the experiences of young Alexander. To supply plot details would be an egregious crime, but don't expect anything to proceed normally in this movie. Bergman seems to film from a child's perspective - time is distorted, ghosts are real, details are to be noticed and everything is sprinkled with a bit of magic. His powerful insight into the range of human emotions is staggering, and his many characters unique, in- teresting, and complete. "Realism" is fine for some films, but it is a questionable representation of life. Bergman seems to realize this and shuns it for a journey into a fantasy world which transcends reality and the limitations it imposes. For beauty, scope and overall brilliance, Fanny and Alexander remains unequaled this year. II. LA NUIT DE VARENNES Paris is the scene; 1791 is the time. Louis XVI has just flown the royal coop to avoid personal injury from his angry subjects - the city is in turmoil. Nicolas Edme Restif de la Bretonne, the indigent writer of such classics as The Perverted Peasant and The Por- nographer, learns of the monarch's getaway, and, in the name of jour- nalistic truth, decides to track him down. What follows is a playful yet menacing romp from Paris to Varen- nes. Of all the tragedies of this year in cinema, the anonymity of this master- piece ranks foremost. Rarely has a film captured the charm, humor, fear and sadness of life with such vibrancy and sincerity. III. TESTAMENT I must admit, I haven't seen this movie, yet. I am including it because the overwhelming opinion is that it is one of the year's best. A woman (Jane Alexander) must hold her. family together and try to survive after a nuclear holocaust.. The despair, bravery and love in this film rank it as perhaps the most powerful of the year. Released soon after the "The Day Af- ter," it is everything this unrealistic and contrived television drama was not. While its tight budget is at times apparent, it's sincerity and poignancy more than compensate. IV. THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE Imaginez que vous revenez a votre ville de naissance et personne ne vous reconnaitre. C'est un probleme, n'est- ce que pas? It is very frustrating trying to explain something when nobody believes you. It's like reading something in a language that you don't understand. Martin Guerre has retur- ned to the village of his birth after a long hiatus. He reclaims his wife, child and land and settles into a calm bucolic existence. Soon, some villagers question his identity. The remainder of the film is a search for the truth about this man - is he or is he not the Martin Guerre? Ranking with such classics as Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, this movie captures they hysteria and fanaticism that a small town conflict can engender. The Return of Martin Guerre is the best mystery of the year. It gives a realistic and somewhat frustrating portrayal of the extremes possible in a claustrophobic village. V. LIQUID SKY Tiny aliens that arrive in Manhattan in what seems to be two paper plates stuck together, and thrive on heroin and orgasms? New York freaks and a New Wave club? A single-minded German scientist trying to track down these ex- tra-terrestrials and a horny divorcee trying to track down the scientist? Bet- ter stick to E.T., right? Not really. Liquid Sky is a helluva lot of fun, as well as an interesting character study Book nook- y Mark Kulkis A drumroll, please ... Presenting:.The year's 10 most notable books of the 1983-84 season (as seen from the critical eve of this hum- ble reporter). The judging criteria for this 10-best list is a combination of sales, notoriety, and content. As they say in Woodbridge, Conn. and New Rochelle, N.Y. (two fine American towns): Let's begin, huh? Topping my list is a book that has en- joyed continued success for the past few decades, and which, thanks both to its special "timeliness" and the release of a special "commemorative edition" of the book, has recently escalated to the best-seller list. I am talking, of course, about 1984, the classic by George Orwell. Though many would argue the point, I think that Orwell's last and most fam- ous work rightfully deserves its place at the top of my list. Its insightful depic- tion of a state in which the government claims to be working for the people, but whose underlying purpose is really the acquisition of power for a few privileged citizens, is a strong remin- der that we should constantly be on our guard, lest such an anti-utopian state ever actually emerge on this planet. Besides being a "prophetic" book (a label I disagree with), 1984 is also highly philosophical. It is not as much a book about how to get power or how to use it as it is a fascinating study of what "power" really is. Orwell's penetrating criticism of the effects of propaganda, and his thoughts about personal freedom, are equally intriguing. In my humble opinion, this is the book of the year. Number two on my list is 2010: Odyssey Two. Although reviews of the book were not all good, the curiosity of thousands of people who read 2001 was enough to send it shooting up the best- seller list. A movie based on the new book is already in top-secret produc- tion. Number three: (What else) Pet Semetary by Stephen King. Following the tremendous success of his previous novel, Christine, this book, his first un- der a new contract at Doubleday, already has 575,000 copies in print. Fourth place goes to In Search of Ex- cellence, by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman. The book, a series of testimonials by executives of America's best-run companies, describing how they succeeded, has already sold a whopping 1.3 million copies. James Michener struck again this year. His latest work, Poland, has 800,000 copies in print. Although reviews were not as favorable as Michener would have liked, people gladly paid the $17.95 price tag (the highest price of any book on the best- seller list this year). The book ranks a justifiable fifth on the list. More because of the tremendous amount of publicity surrouding the book than any favorable reviews it gar- nered, Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer, places sixth. Because of the early bad review it received, publishers Little, Brown offered the paperback rights to the book up for bids a wee bit too early. This angered Mailer and his agent, who left Little, Brown to sign a record $4 million deal with Random House. Seventh place should be no surprise: Jane Fonda's Workout Book. Although no one (especially myself) probably would have guessed it, the book has turned out to be the biggest seller in Simon & Schuster's history, with over See BOOKS, Page 23 U SONY S4 Fanny and Alexander: Bergman films child's perspective of a bizarre woman. It doesn't take it- self too seriously yet handles some serious and important questions. Why, for example, does the protagonist dress and act as she does? Family? Friends? Environment? No reason in particular? While examining these questions, Liquid Sky paints an intense, vivid por- trait of the New York New Wave scene. It is not a slick movie. Camera movement is limited, and special effec- ts seem homespun, but it courageously and uniquely explores a side of society some would like to ignore. VI. NEVER CRY WOLF Never Cry Wolf was made by Disney Productions. Ugh. It's obviously childish, banal and condescendingly simple. I should have substituted a sophisticated adult film like Blame It On Rio in its place. Actually, Never Cry Wolf defied all my expectations. It has a beauty and magnificence that unfold subtlely throughout the film. An unlikely young scientist (looking remarkably like your typical computer science major) takes the unlikely mission of traveling to the Arctic Circle at the beginning of Spring, killing a full- grown wolf and examining its stomach for evidence that the wolves have been devouring the region's caribou. As he painfully adjusts to the chilly surroun- dings, he has the time and isolation to evaluate his former life and society. As a combination of scenic beauty, touching self-realization and venomous social criticism Never Cry paralled this year. Wolf is un- VII. QUERELLE A passionate tale of love, hate, violence and homosexuality at a sea- port, perpetually graced by the night. Querelle is a French sailor who, upon arrival at this port, decides to per- petuate murder, homosexual sex and a frame-up. It is as if this wildly surrealistic harbor has the power to make men into beasts, and call forth all the desires that we hold but cannot ex- press. Anything goes in Fassbinder's film and the sheer power of the images, dialogue and silence create a haunting, terrifying effect. Querelle is more than a film, it is a mystifying experience. I didn't feel like making a list of ten. These seven are the better films, in my opinion, and the others that I have seen fall far short. I am certainly not going to include The Big Chill or Terms of Endearment. Possible additions are Liana, The Dresser and Berlin Alexan- derplatz. I have not seen these, yet they are rumored to be exquisite. Only two of the films were made by American directors, which is fine with me. It seems that American movies lack only one thing - quality. So, this list comprises my "must-see'' favorites. They are artistic, powerful, serious to a degree and they all, in some way, intelligently illuminate the nature of man. -AA -N* OCITIZEN THE w PERFE Ve ' E-m - CT k ....4 . .000. . .0.f. 0 . "00 JPAItR His $195 H$ Hers $195 Walkman 10 .......... Walkman F1 ..... ....... Walkrman F5 ............ TCS-350 Stereo Recorder Best Food Deal of 1983 - Nominated Again in 1984 Come in and try the BEST FOOD DEAL OF ANN ARBOR - The Three Egg Special - The subtly contoured watch face with dramatic color accent. Color that continues around your wrist in a richly textured band with the look of lizard. Perfect for each other. Ebony, Burgundy or Pearl Grey. OCIT IZEN Te WatchWord RADIO SALE PRICE SRF-5 with headphones ..... AM Stereo w/headphones ... 6500W Short Wave*........... D11W Clock Radio ........... 9650W Table Model ......... 7740W AM-FM Portable . .... SUZUKI POWERED SPEAK Regular $99.95 NOW ANN ARBOR MUSH MON. TUE. - FRI. SAT. - SUN. 8:00 -3:00 8:00 - 8:00 9:00 - 8:00 STEVE'S LUNCH 1313 S. University 769-2288 Thank you for another great year J 336 S. State St. 22 Weekend/Friday, April 13, 1984 19 Weeke