ARTS
Thursday, December 6, 1984
The Michigan Daily
Page 5
A unique and delicate approach
By Richard Campbell
EOPLE expect an awful
lot from movies.
When Steve Martin or Bill Murray
1urns up in a cinematic turkey, or when
the latest Bond or Star -Trek flick
doesn't live up to previous versions, not
only do we feel disappointed, we feel
downright bitter and betrayed.
Expectations may not always
generate such feeling. But since almost
every film that hits this toddlin' town
has been preceded by lengthy New
Worker critiques or glitzy "Entertain-
mrent Tonight" reports, it's kind of hard
to tell whether it is our insights or our
expectations influence our perceptions.
That may not be the most
;enlightening of observations but it does
serve to explain what happens when we
view a film about which we know ab-
solutely nothing. When that rare event
happens, expectations are absent and
any marks of quality become all the
more memorable and luminous: our
critical cup is half-full rather than half-
empty.
What's all this leading to? It's not
hard to guess. There just happens to be
such a film playing in town right now.
But the film has a unique, delicate, and
eccentric voice, in other words, exactly
the type of film that raised expectations
would destroy. The best way to see this
film is by accident, by driving out to
Briarwood, hypothetically speaking,
and discovering that the other major
studio productions are sold out and that
the only film for which tickets are
available is a little-publicized, oddly-
titled picture from Africa playing in one
of the small theaters in the back.
Ostensibly, what you are reading is a
review of that movie which is supposed
to invite or discourage you to go see this
as-yet unnamed movie. But it seems
that the purpose of most mainstream
reviews is to inform you of exactly what
you can and cannot expect from a par-
ticular film. Even erudite critiques
serve only to carefully explain the basis
for our expectations. And, as should be
clear by now, such expectations will
only serve to destroy the fragile
(though definite) veneer of genius
which surrounds this film.
At this point, I can either give you the
name of the movie with no further ex-
planations or I can start describing the
film and leave the name a puzzle.
The trick is to do both at the same
time, for as convoluted as this review is
becoming, I really want to encourage
you to see the film. Few films manage
to reach out to an audience on as many
levels as this one and yet seem as in-
nocuous. Though the film is laden with
slapstick and is easily the funniest pic-
ture in town, social satire and haunting
visual images crop up from time to
time and stick in your mind long after
the laughs have stopped.
Gods, bushmen, terrorists, subur-
banites, and even a few ordinary people
populate the film, yet at its heart lies a
child's eye view of the universe.
Everything is real, but nothing is im-
portant. During the odyssey that
frames the story, we see many things
that we know to be true, but it is the
surprise of seeing things that can't be
true exist that transforms the film from
pedestrian comedy to extraordinary
epic.
Must every epic look like an epic?
This one doesn't. What many will
mistake for the cheapest of production
values and the most amatuer of
cinematic ability is actually the most
disciplined of talents. Our director has
used every technique and all of his ex-
perience to turn the film into a
coherent, complete, and deep struc-
ture.
Be warned that the film starts with a
whimper but ends with a bang. It
begins by mocking dull documentaries,
and then broadens its scope to include
simple social comment plus political
parody. Yet by the end of the film,
these three strands have been woven in-
to a firm fabric that can only be discar-
ded by the film's shocking, unsettling,
ultimately exhilirating final shot.
Crazy as the film looks (and as this
review sounds), it will be worth your
while to check into the less publicized
films playing at a theater near you.
This applies not only to the commercial
cinemas but to the campus films. The
moral of the story is that good films of-
ten come in small packages, and when
the urge hits you to experience the
miracle of motion pictures, it is the
unexpected that gives the most
pleasure.
There is a movie in town that is worth seeing.
i
Records
4
:,1
f
Civilian Fun Group will bring their show to the Union Ballroom tonight. Dl
Big Country-Steeltown
(Mercury)
When Big Country burst upon the new
music scene a year and a half ago with
The Crossing, their sound was like a
breath of fresh air. They combined up-
tempo, folksy rock with optimistic
lyrical themes and a grab bag of won-
derful electronic effects. With their
new full length album, Steeltown, this
Scottish band has maintained their
sopisticated musical style while
progressing lyrically.
Much of the music on Steeltown soun-
ds a great deal like that on their
previous LP. There are a lot of the
same basic tempos, chord progressions
and effects on the lead vocals. They of-
ten use that "bagpipe" effect on the
lead guitars, which has become a
trademark. But things are slicker,
here. It seems as though they have hit
on some sort of magic formula, with the
aid of producer Steve Lillywhite; and
there isn't a weak track on the album.
Each is a well-polished work of art.
The songs are so busy that there is
always someting interesting going on,
especially if you like guitar and per-
cussion. The dueling lead guitars of
Adamson and Watson never let up as
they effortlessly glide over Tony
Butler's steady bass line. Mark Br-
ze7;^ki has got to be one of the most
original, talented drummers on the new
music scene (even his name implies
that), for there are a countless amount
of teriffic percusive effects.
However, the big difference on this
album is the lyrics. The Crossing ten-
ded to be overloaded with abstract,
"rah-rah", anthematic songs.
Steeltown deals more with deception,
personal loss, war ballads and relation-
ships. Combined with their musical
style, they are therefore true folk ar-
tists of the eighties. For example,
"Just a Shadow" is a nice piece about
self failure, and never reaching one's
goals:
It's just a shadow of the man you
should be
Like a garden in the forest
That the world will never see
You have no thought of answers
Only questions to be filled.. .
One of the most poignant parts of the
album is actually two pieces that merge
together. These are, "Where the Rose
is Sown," and "Come Back to Me."
"Rose is Sown" tells of the calling of the
young men to war. Its militaristic, up-
tempo beat is a cry for action. The
lyrics are from the point of view of the
men who have been asked to serve,
shortly after leaving school. They ask,
"If I die in a combat zone, box me
up and ship me home. If I die and
still come home, lay me where the
rose is sown." The song breaks off
and changes rhythm, becoming the
mourning, "Come Back to Me"-a
vision of the weary soldiers returning
victorious, as told by the wife of one
who was not lucky enough to make it
back. She crys, As tears hang on me,
you will always be young. And one
day I will lie down where the rose
was flung.
The beautiful acoustic guitar and
wailing electric lead combine to form
an exquisitely touching ballad. This
i
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piece is especially pertinent today,
when the youth of America is won-
dering if Nicaragua is to become our
generation's Viet-Nam.
Big Country is not a band that writes
consistently deep and profound lyrics.
They are extremely skilled musicians
with a wonderful folk-art style, and
lyrics that work well -in this context.
Their songs can be touching or an-
thematic. On Steeltown, they have
progressed into the realm of more
sophisticated lyrical quality that fits in-
to their polished musical style. My only
regret is that there are no big surprises.
It leaves me wondering just how
limited they are. This album sounds
like Big Country-which is good, but for
their next album, we should hope to
hear some more experimentation. All
in all, highly recommended.
-Beth Fertig
utcbtpttn ]Ontlij
A reasonably Fun Civilian event
i
By John Logie
A complete list of thoroughly
unacceptable reasons for missing
tonight's Civilian, Fun Group
show.
1*You just can't spare $1.50. 2.
You don't think rock bands should use
trombones. 3. You are unable to deal
with music you don't have to by
special clothing for. 4. You don't
know where the Michigan Union
Ballroom is. 5. You're not sure
whether five social science majors
can be trusted, no matter what
they're doing. 5.3 You don't like
politics in your music. 6."Family
Ties" is at 8:30 too. 7. Spanish songs
cause cancer in laboratory animals.
8. Aren't they just an East Quad
band? 9. The band members' names
make them sound like characters
from Hemingway novels. O.K., Dave
Waldstein is an exception, but
Lawrence Kent? John Shaw? Jake
London? Nick Griffin? C'mon! 10.
You've got too much homework. 11.
Your legs were recently severed in an
industrial accident. 12. You don't
want more than one kind of music to
be played per band, otherwise how
can you tell 'em apart? 13. It is a
UAC Soundstage concert. 14.
Where's the synthesizer? 15. The
opening act hasn't been announced.
16. Things might get a little rowdy.
17. President Reagan has not invited
them to the White House for a com-
mand performance yet. 18. You don't
think the poster is an accurate
representation of God's love. 19.
Thursday night is Lady's night at one
of the bars. 20. You don't know the
lyrics to the "Space Shuttle" song,
and don't want to feel left out. 21.
Local music sucks. 22. You are
morally opposed to use of the "F-
word" in art. 23. They don't all stay
at the same instrument for the whole
show, and it's confusing. 24. You are
a member of the Astonian Anti-
Defamation League. 25. You hate
shows where everyone is noisy. You
paid your money, now why doesn't
everyone sit down and shut up so you
can listen to the band? 26. Slamming
is tasteless in any form. 27. There
aren't any special effects like the
"Victory Tour" had. 28. None of the
band members will be wearing lace.
29. Your mother won't let you. 30.
You're deaf. 31. You are incapable of
recognizing an opportunity to see Ann
Arbor's most exciting band in it's first
gig outside of East Quad. 32. You are
unwilling to have fun. 33. You are
dead. 34. You are easily over-
whelmed, and CFG's mix of rock,
punk, ska, country, heavy metal, rap,
and Algonquin fertility rite chants
would give you a heart murmer. 35.
You've got to do your laundry. 36.
Your baby is due. 37.
(Fill in anything.)
0
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*0*000
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llsei!!ieliteteiilolieliiiililioloiieliiiili!!eg
e$ WITH THIS ENTIRE AD $1.00 OFF ADULT EVENING e
| O FADMISSION TICKET. COUPON GOOD FOR PURCH ASE OF ONE
S 0 OOR TWO TICKETS. GOOD ALL FEATURES THRU12/13/84.
i ENDS TONIGHT! e
* From Bill Forsyth, the Director/Writer "FIRST NAME CARMEN" at 1, 7, 9
* of "Local Hero" and"Gregory's Girl." STARTS FRIJ
0i
AlanBBirdBis
getting nothing he
o wants this Christmas.
*
® PG A UNIVERSAL RELEASE
* THURS., FRI.1:00, 7:20, 9:20 FRI. 1:00, 7:00, 9:00 11 P.M. :
* 0
f "
1st Prize $500
A Campus Wide Talent Search
Applications
Deadline Dec. 14
Applications available at UAC offices
Michigan Union
j y I 5
50 5
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DEC. 6,7,8
8 p.m.
MENDELSSOHN
THEATER
PAT METHENY
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