ARTS Tuesday, September 25, 1984 The Michigan Daily Page 5 Berlin Alexanderplatz ist toll By Byron L. Bull SITTING through Rainer Werner Fassbinder's epic 15 hour film ver- sion of Berlin Alexanderplatz is by no small means a very rewarding ex- perience, but I'd hesitate before recommending it to anyone. Fassbinder's complex, brilliantly conceived study of human depravity is so bitterly, dark and devoid of hope it leaves one drained and numb by its conclusion. Like all of the films toward the end of Fassbinder's career, Berlin is an un- flinching examination of German history and the German mind. Here, though, is Fassbinder's definitive statement, one that tackles not only Germany in its setting-the days before World War Il-but finds ways to trace it. through the present. Fassbinder follows the life of one Franz Biberkopf, a portly, unexcep- tional middle age man who, having just been released from prison for acciden- tly beating his girlfriend to death, reen- ters the outside world to find Germany ravaged by depression and universal sense of abandon. Biberkopf moves through a variety of unsuccessful oddjobs, from hawking tie-clips and shoelaces on the street, to pushing Nazi propaganda (which he doesn't believe in but tries to sell just to earn a living) and is left with no alter- native but to resort to crime. One of Fassbinder's favorite themes was the manipulation of peoples feelings by shrewder, calculating types. Here, in the guise of a ruthless, psycopathic character named Reinhold, Fassbinder sketches his most inhuman villain, one so vile he appears virtually satanic. Reinhold, throughout the course of the story, continually victimizes Biberkopf, who doesn't catch on until Reinhold has shattered the meager life he has managed to scrape up for him- self. As Biberkopf, German actor Gunter Lamprecht gives an absorbing, multi- faceted portrayal rich in detail, and exactinly captured. Beyond the admirable task of simply overcoming the massive logistics of the production, Fassbinder's hand is as deft as ever in evoking a concrete, believable Berlin in its decline. With its dark, devouring shadows that creep over the cluttered, ram- shackle ruins for sets, Fassbinder's world has the perfect depressing bleakness against which to tell his story. Given its length, Berlin can be taxing on a viewer. Understandably the pacing requirements of such a film requires different set of rules, Berlin does seem to drag for a scattered hour or two. A self-indulgent hallucinatory epilogue, itself the length of a normal movie, is tacked onto the end, and finds Biberkopf wandering amongst an apocalyptic landscape of assorted oblique symbology (a Madonna holding a tiny doll in a Nazi uniform, spilt canisters of radioactive waste) with an accompanying soundtrack montage of Strauss, Janis Joplin, and electronic muzak, is like a Monty Python skit gone flat and could easily have been left out to the films benefit. All in all, Berlin Alexanderplatz, as an absorbing drama and a sheerly audacious experiment, is worth the ef- fort. Only one must be fully prepared to accept the physical demands, and the emotionally draining effect Fassbinder wroughts on the viewer. It's worth it in the end, but you might need a few days to appreciate the fact. Eva (Hanna Schygulla) clings desperately to her lover/pimp Franz Biberkopf (Gunter Lamprecht) in the Rainer Werner Fassbinder's monumental epic drama of lost humanity. arty of the Week banned In 14 states Time is running out. The Reagan Administration wants Party of the Week off the nation's campuses. "Kids these days are already having too much fun," said the president in an exclusive phone interview just before dozing off. "The Arts page need not be promoting it." Ron has a point. There is a great deal. of fun to be had out there. But contrary to our chief thesbian's statement, we need more promotion. So, you say, "What can I do to make my country great again?" It's called Party of the Week. Submit a photo and a few words (less than 150, please) of your party. Tell us why it was so in- credibly strange, normal, unique, great, or merely human. And we will print it. 'E/ Martha Reeves: Four shows at Joe's By Aaron Bergman T HE MARTHA REEVE'S show came to Joe's Star Lounge last weekend for four quick, but blistering shows in front of a dancing room only crowd, in a style reminiscent of the Motown revues of the early sixties. The Band opened the show with two instrumentals. The first was a bluesy jazz vamp which allowed the group-made up of guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and a four-man horn section-to warm up. Though they were at times guilty of Grover Washingtonian excesses, they showed admirable restraint in their solos, until each man found his own groove. They opened up considerably during the second number by slipping into a funkier vein, featuring a solid bottom, crisp, bright guitar work, and fiery horn playing. Their sound was suggestive of the She was in superb voice from the on- set, and never let her enthusiasm waver. She was joined in the middle of her first song, "Come and Get These Memories," by the Vandellas. The Vandellas are Delphine Reeves, who joined this incarnation of the group as a favor to her sister, and Sandra Jackson, (A.K.A. Lois Reeves) who joined the group in 1966 and is also a "sister" to Martha. Their fine back-up singing and tight metallic costumes added to the mid-sixties feel, which is perfectly suited to Joe's cozy, club atmosphere. It took the audience a little while to unwind, but when she started singing "Nowhere to Run," a song she uses to cheer herself up, the dance floor filled, and continued to be packed for the rest of the evening. The next tune was her first slow song on Motown, "Love has Made a Fool of Me." Though she performed it beautifully, she is obviously more com- fortable with dance tempo tunes. "The fast ones were easy. On the slow ones I have to give something (of myself) up," she said. And it was fast ones for the rest of the set. "My baby loves me" followed "Jimmy Mack," her admonishment for the return of a lost lover. After promising to give the Detroit Tigers dancing lessons, she launched into her two biggest hits, "Dancing in the Streets" and "Love is Like a Heat- wave." Her encore was a Motown medley comprised of songs like "Can't help myself" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Though the show seemed a little short, everyone seemed satisfied thafit had been a great set. After the show Reeves, who had brought her family and friends with her, said, "I had'-a great time tonight. I loved it." In the sixties, Motown called itself "The Sound of Young America." Mar- tha Reeves and the Vandellas proved why this is still true. They are gracious people-performers who maintain love for their music as well as their fans. For those who missed' them last weekend, they will be performing at Michigan State University November 19th, and at the Fox theater in Detroit November 21st, as part of a show which will include Motown greats Mary Wells, Kim Westin, and Eddie Kendricks. Tonight 8 P.M. MICK VRANICH POET Benzinger Library/ East Quad now legendary Motown And with good reason. nucleus of the All-Star Society in Detroit, undert such luminary Motown Teddy Harris. Thought maturity belied their house bands. They are the Be-Bop Jazz the tutelage of musicians as their musical youth (the average age is twenty-two) the band created the proper introduction for Martha Reeves. Martha Reeves performs on Friday night at Joe's Star Lounge. Art Association celebrates 75th The Ann Arbor Art Association celebrated its 75th anniversary with a reception Sunday, marking the begin- ning of a year which features an exten- sive education program and unique special events. Art classes for adults and children six years old and up begin this week, but registration is still open. This fall, the association is offering beginning, in- termediate, and advanced courses in areas including sculpture, weaving, graphic design, color theory, and tin- smithing. Most of the courses, which cost between $40 and $50, meet for two or three hours each week and run for eight weeks. The association is making a special effort this year to attract University students to its course offerings and other activities. "We'd like to reach the student com- munity and let them know about the programs the art association spon- sors," said spokeswoman Jo Anne Schlesinger. Schlesinger said she thinks part of the problem is that many students are un- familiar with the association. "The art association is downtown and a lot of students never get that far," she said. "I think more students would be in- volved in the programs if they were made more aware of them." Students can also get work experien- ce by volunteering at the association, she added. "People can do general publicity work, they can work in the education department, they can work in the gallery shop, and they can also do advertising and graphic design layout," said Schlesinger. "Being in- volved in the art association' is such a nice change from just being a student in Ann Arbor. It's an enjoyable way to be a part of the Ann Arbor community in a somewhat separated way from the University." In addition to classes, also coming up on the art association's schedule are "Wearables," a fashion show of clothing by 21 Michigan artists on Friday in the ballroom of the Ann Ar- bor Inn, and a weekend trip to Chicago to view "A Day in the Country: Im- pressionism and the French Lan- dscape," and Impressionist and Post- Impressionist show at the Art Institute of Chicago. For more information, those interested may call 994-8004. ANN 5th Avenue at Uberty St. 761-9700 $1 .75 TUESDAY ALL DAY! ENDS THURS.! ONE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT LOVE! JOHN HUSTON'S ALBERT FINNEY DAILY 1:00, 7:30, 9:40 A MARVELOUS MOVIE Talk to Morgan ab~out acareer in banking s n .AC i~DISCOUNT MUFFLERS AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CAR SPECIALIST FROM AS Installed ByLow As. Trained Specialists : INSTALLED Featuring.. * FITS MANY N * AT Q Sone icMrgan representatives xho conduct college recruitment sessions are shown at the bank's heaid- quarters at 23 WaIl Street. From left:*john Fullerton. Rosvn Dickerson. Gail Niemitz. Stephen King Come to an informational meeting about a career in bank operations management and systems. Talk with some young representatives from Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York. We'll give you straight t information about what working for an international bank is really like. No matter what your major is, we think you ought to think about The Morgan Bank. Tuesday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m.