The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 16,1992- Page 9 Hitchcock's'M'rings true for mystery and suspense I'M VIII '114 ;1411111 '1 14 by Camilo Fontecilla In his trend of stage adaptations, Alfred Hitchcock could not overlook Frederick Knott's play "Dial M for Murder" about the perfect mur- der. While keeping much of the flavor of live performance, Hitchcock adds the advantages of film to create the stuffy tension-filled atmo- spheres of which he is the indisputable master. The film itself has an unmistakable British style, Dial M For Murder Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Frederick Knott; with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly with a great deal of gentlemanly verbal inter- change between the characters. "Dial M for Murder" is a classic detective story, with all of the necessary ingredients. What makes the film rise above the genre are the con- stant plot twists. As the seamless murder plan rips apart, the criminal constantly finds ways to patch it all up again. The story revolves around Tony Wendice's (Ray Milland) vile scheme to rid himself of his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), who has been cuck- olding him with handsome (and American) Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Trouble is, divorce just isn't enough, especially considering that Margot's wealth will transfer to Wendice after her death, as is stated in her will. Since Wendice wishes to keep his hands clean, he employs the services of ex-college chum Captain Lesgate (Anthony Dawson) to do the dirty work, and pre- sents him with a significant sum in cash and a seemingly clockwork-like plan. As the story un- folds, and lies pile upon lies, Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) appears on the scene. Wendice is a character with an incredible knack for social etiquette but who, when alone, reveals himself to be very psychologically dis- turbed. This makes him most interesting when he is not around other people, and Milland portrays these moments with intensity. Margot is a trans- parent woman, but she has a classic flair that immediately catches the eye. Since she doesn't have any brilliant lines to say, most of her lan- guage is physical. Her movement changes with her moods, as she methodically switches from perky wife to ardent lover. To complete the tri- angle, there is the inane Mark Halliday, a most annoying character who is supposed to be a writer but is more of a journalistic snooper. This is a play, and there's no getting away from it. Most of the action inhabits a single space, the Wendice's sitting room, which sets an environment of bourgeois contentment. The camera swings quite conservatively around the room during most of the movie, but Hitchcock has his fun during some of the more tense scenes, playing with light and angle to create a distorted view of the scenario. He also stages the charac- No Prokofiev, but,.. We love Russian music. But the next best thing, however, has got to be poetry. Joseph Brodsky, who emigrated to this country from the former Soviet Union and went on to win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989, will read his poetry (which is written in Russian, but there'll be an English translation) tonight at Rackham at 8. We remember his commencent speech back in 1988, don't you? By the way, it's free. Call 747-2133. Nice play, Bill Theater alert: there's more than "The Birthday Party" happening on stage this weekend. Black actors from the Royal Shakespearean Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain will stretch the limits of the Bard by taking "Macbeth" to contemporary Africa at the Michigan Theater tonight at 8 p.m. Don't worry, though, all the blood and gore has been left intact. Student tickets are $12.50 at the door. Call 668-8397. r4 *4 .m Hitchcock has his fun during some of the more tense scenes, playing with light and angle to create a distorted view of the scenario. , . , - - _ _ . - 1 I k ters in such a way that sign language seems to be almost a second script: fleeting glances and hand gestures say almost as much as the spoken words. It's a movie of details, and the more you notice the more you will like it, because what makes detective movies so damn entertaining is being able to follow the intricacies of the plot and understanding it all at the very end. DIAL M FOR MURDER is playing Saturday at the Nat. Sci Aud. 7:00 and 9:00. The BlRTI4PAY by Harold inter "The more acute the experience, the less I Photos reflect Hispanic culture articulate its expression." Trueblood Theatre (located in the Frieze Bldg) Oct 15-17, 22-24 at 8 PM Oct 18, 25 at 2 PM Tickets are $10 Charge by phone: 764-0450 Student seating is $6 with ID' Tickets on sale at' the League Ticket Office in the Michigan League. by Stacey J. Mayesh "The temples and gods of Pre Columbian Mexico are a pile of ruins, but the spirit that breathed life into that world has not disappeared; it speaks to us in the hermetic language of myth, legend, forms of social co- existence, popular art, customs." - Octavio Paz, poet It is this spirit that photographer Carole Patterson and Latin American Literature scholar Margaret Sayers Peden have brought forth in a brilliant photography ex- A. ., Capturing the Spirit: Portraits of Contemporary Mexican Artists Ann Arbor Public Library hibit profiling 40 Mexican and Hispanic artists. The exhibit, focusing on performance, literary, and visual arts, emphasizes the fact that although we, in the United States, are separated from these artists by cultural and linguistic differences, we can be unified through art. Patterson's black and white photographs resonate with a magical, pulsating vitality that mirrors the cre- ative, colorful lives of the artists. Her highly individual and simplistic style strikes a primordial chord. The pho- tographs offer a multifaceted view of Mexican and His- panic life, from booming metropolis to seaside villages. For the most part, the inspirations of the artists por- trayed are derived from Catholicism, government, and from the inherent problems created by Mexico's tradi- tion of machismo, or male domination. More abstract concepts, such as death and the power of myth and magic influence and play an important role in the lives of the artists as well. These individuals followed the paths that had been laid by their ancient heritage and now strive to bring that tradition back in their art. The purpose of the exhibit is to increase American awareness of the rich, unique, Mexican and Hispanic artistic cultures of which we know far too little about. CAPTURING THE SPIRIT will be on display at the Ann Arbor Public Library until October 22. L: ,,r. , iity } '.l U-M SCHOOL OF MUSIC Department of Theatre and Drama BOOKS Continued from page 8 of Carver's style. In his introduction to this volume, William Stull notes that John Gardner, Carver's teacher at Chico State College, told Carver: "Read all the Faulkner you can get your hands on, and then read all of Hemingway to clean the Faulkner out of your system." The first story, "Furious Seasons," seems almost more Faulkner than Carver, and stands as an example of everything Carver grew to dislike in fiction. Two stories later we find "The Aficionados," a macabre tale told in the style of Hemingway. Through the course of the five stories here you can trace Carver moving closer to his sparse, straightforward style of writing. Carver used his "occasions," book reviews and introductions as a forum for expounding his ideas of what makes "good" writing, or a: "good" story. His insights, however, tend toward the universally acknow- ledged: "I'm not very interested, fi- nally, in haphazard revelations, at- tenuated characters, stories where method or technique is all - stories ... where nothing much happens, or where what does happen merely confirms one's sour view of a world gone out of control." "No Heroics, Please" contains no. fantastic, undiscovered piece of Carver's, and while it reveals some of Carver's thoughts on his art, there is nothing particularly fresh or inter- esting. Unless you feel strongly about reading everything Raymond Carver had to say, this collection is not for you. If, instead, you're inter- ested in reading the beautifully crafted stories upon which Carver built his reputation, go out and find "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" or "Cathedral." - Joshua Keidan U of M DISC GOLF CLUB Demonstration with Disc Golf Pole Hole in Diag ... ;. " i . , ,, t ;., { E Oct 17 2pm-3pmaograpyoarceu and art? Time magazine calls it a "multi-media Discover Disc Golf enchantment." Newsday calls it "enormously entertamig. Fall league forming now./G Also appearing, 1992 RED GROOMS and composer PHILIP GLASS call it a World Footbagcollaboration. Revellingiwordplay, WrdFobgmovement and soaring vsa images ths lafu Freestyle Champions. masterpiecesdance spectacle. A D W A I Y ?NC aSunday, October 18 t 8pmn T EATERlMU 0 Contact Steve Peck 434-1615 or " ~c I Figh 95rEA Yur mot-o-rof fsmuric enicr or ORDER BY PHONEf $In Flight 995-DEAD 'eminArt&neCinema CAL 3366 39 IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL, MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Wednesday, November 4 1:00 - 5:00 pm Michigan Union Graduate and Professional School Day * Recruiters from degree programs in business, liberal arts, science, social service, communication, public & international affairs will be available to answer your questions Compare costs & content of programs across the country Preconference Highlights: Conference Briefing Book " Research participating institutions & their admission requirements " October 1 - November 4 Career Planning & Placement MBA Programs: Preparation & Application " Demystify the process of preparing for " October 22, 4:10 - 5:00 pm & applying to MBA programs Career Planning & Placement It Pays to Go to Graduate School - TT... - r ,. .. r .4 t..- 4A7 ~-;A. LSt. -')?- ,/.04Ol Graduate School or Work Experience: Which Comes First?