ARTS : 4 ko 4m The Michigan Daily Friday, October 23, 1992 Page Selfish i fellowship under a cold, empt sky by Megan Abbott Ingmar Bergman once said he views art as "a snakeskin full of ants. The snake itself is long since dead, eaten out from within, de- prived of its poison; but the skin moves, filled with busy life." Those familiar with the Swedish film- maker's work will find this definition apt. Bergman's films pulse with spiritual pain and emptiness. He finds life in his characters' crippling sense of loss. And Bergman is per-, haps at his most moving when he can plumb the depths of unhappiness in the human soul, while still offering up rich evidence of the sustainability of the human spirit. But Bergman does not always bring his film's characters to this sense of hope. In "Persona," the famed director splits the human psyche and only finds self-destruction and paralysis within. "Persona" presents us with only two main characters. Elisabeth Vogler (Liv Ullmann) is a well-known stage actor who has suffered a nervous breakdown which has left her mute. She is being attended to by Alma (Bibi Ander- sson), a young nurse. Grateful for Elisabeth's sympathetic ear, Alma lays her soul bare to the actress, even revealing a personal trauma which still haunts her years later. Slowly, it be- comes harder to discern if the women were once one person and are now splitting, or if they were once two individuals who are slowly becoming one. Lines blur and the audience is led to question everything they see. There are probably at least a dozen ways to interpret the fractures and mergings of charac- ter in "Persona." The title seems to invoke Jungian psychiatry as well as the idea of the "doppelganger." But Bergman does not allow for a simple psychological reading. The role of the artist is also crucial. The film informs us that Elisabeth's breakdown has something to do with her desire to reject the falseness of her profession. She can no longer bear to pretend, to act. In response, she shuts herself down. But her doctor, fed up with Elisabeth's refusal to speak, insists, "Your hiding place isn't water- tight. Life trickles in from the outside." "Persona" constantly forces viewers to question their ways of seeing the two women. Who is becoming whom? Which one is the other's victim? The intense performances by both the lead actors intensify this enigma. Ull- mann, who must rely wholly on her face and Persona (1965) Directed and written by Ingmar Bergman; with Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson and Gunnar Bjornstrand gesturing as the mute Elisabeth, is chillingly effective. Andersson, who must carry nearly all the dialogue, both moves and horrifies us. Her Alma is capable of great violence and yet we see how betrayed she is by Elisabeth. We watch Elisabeth slowly drain Alma (both literally and figuratively), as all artists draw recklessly on others for inspiration. But it's Bergman who, as always, is the star of his film. He composes a blurry, dream-like vision of the human personality. Some of it does not work. The repetition of stigmata im- ages, for instance, seem a bit heavy-handed and unnecessary. But that kind of imagery is nearly always a part of Bergman's filmic bag of tricks. Besides, other images are so startlingly effective that they turn one's senses on end. For example, just when one starts to foster hatred for Elisabeth because her silence seems vain egotism, we see her convulse in horror while watching Vietnamese priests committing self-immolation. Bergman uses this scene to scold the viewer for thinking any psychic breakdown could be that simple and stoppable. All in all, how "Persona" comes across de- pends on one's feelings about Bergman's films in general. Often unrelentingly bleak, they are hardly feel-good movies. But, in a way, there is something cathartic about Bergman's works. They touch down to the depths of human self- doubt. Bergman s films suggest that we, as humans, are bound together by this very self- doubt. We exist, as the director once said, in "selfish fellowship on the warm, dirty earth, under a cold and empty sky." PERSONA is playing in Angell Auditorium A tonight at 7 & 10:20p.m. Tickets are $3. Phillips Emo Philli p'S £WIrtn cae .J .&.. U -.. 3. 9. ,. 1., Hot wheels What do cars, grass, buttons, and a giant cow on wheels have in common? The answer is Harrod Blank's new documentary on car art, "Wild Wheels," at the Michigan Theater Saturday and Sunday. The film is actually not just about cars, but about tackiness, artistic freedom and America. Sounds better than a Bill Clinton speech, and in any case, it'll be longer than the one he gave on Monday. Call 668- 8397 for info. Daring young folk ... Have you always yearned to travel to China, but just never had the cash? Try "Parade of Dynas- ties," a performance by the Shanghai Acrobats and Dance Theatre tonight at 8 p.m. at the Power Center. Call 764-2538 for more info. Prokofiev again? Two of the most renowned =young violin soloists in the world have played in Ann Arbor and Detroit this month. This remark- able trend started by Midori and Mutter continues with the Chinese-American virtuoso, Cho-Liang Lin. He will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto, accompanied by conductor Dmitri Kitaenko and the Frank- furt Radio Symphony Orchestra. The electrifying exuberance of Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony will be balanced by the detached passion and beauty of the Passacaglia by Anton Webern. The concert will be at Hill Auditorium on Sunday, at 4 p.m. Tickets are $14 to $40. Call 764- 2538 for info. himself by Michelle Weger Emo Phillips is naked. I'm 0)t4 sure whether he always talks to th' press while in the buff, but it woutd n't surprise me. And anyway, this iV' just a telephone interview. "See, I- I think of my body as a temple," he- explained, "or at least as a relative1 well-managed Presbyterian youtlh center." This gave me quite a visuaI-f image to work with, but I quic1i learned not to take anything Emii6" had to say too seriously. A He said he's excited about con'M ing to Ann Arbor - his last stat f. here was around 1989. "Ann Arbor - people are very smart there - it's like a hotbed of intellectualisiif.' (A) lot of coffee and espresso. Blak" clothing manufacturers make a fW tune there. It's a wonderful plac. I'll probably just take my KierkV.7t egaard and sit in the espresso cafe ... with a fake goatee. You know!" The last time he was here, h paid a visit to the Hands On mu- seum. "I asked if they had a brea', exhibit, but they don't ... (it's) a fun place anyway." Phillips was a former Univrsiy of Illinois student. He didn't actuallV graduate though, "that's for sissies.' "See, when I was in college, I u - I came very close to being a nerd;v except, well, there was that madbn requirement, you know. They didn't accept me at all. You can try to dress- like one of 'em, but unless you kno a bit about math, they spot you rig~f off." The Chicago native started 1iW comedy about 16 years ago when e showed up for open mike night at local club. "The first time I saw it (the club), there was a sign that sald 'Open Mike Night,' and I though it was an autopsy." I asked whether he's always' thought of himself as funny. "Oh: I've always made people laugh, like if I fell, or they beat me up, you know?" He admits to being scared in the beginning, "At first there was only like three people in the audi- ence," he said. "I used to do shows to six people or five people, or three people by the end of the show, bii I just kept at it." 1 Opening for Phillips at the Main' street show is Ira Novos, whom Emo: has known for about 10 years. No vos' act centers around his keyboard. "I try to help him get on the road with me, 'cause he's very funny and it's the only way I'll get the money back that he owes me." If you've seen this guy live or ip one of his HBO appearances, yo4 can't help but wonder exactly from which planet he originated. I ask him how closely his own personality resembled that of his stage persona. Phillips' answer was unusually e straightforward, possibly for the first time tonight, "I try to be real on s stage. I trynt gtoput on any effect a whatsoever. I want the audience to see within myself, just to see my deepest thoughts. It's just a very painful thing for me, but I do it as an emotional catharsis, just to help others be more like me." It didn't take long for his com- ments to return to the fictional and bizarre. "I wrote a book; it's a very, serious book ... it explains, the mys- 4 teries of sex to young children in a Professor T. Viswanathan will be performing on the classical instrument, the "venu," or "murali," a bamboo flute, in a free recital Sunday evening. See the Bharathanatyam techique Spic-Macay brings Indian classical dance and music to a Rackham by Alexandra Beller What are the chances that there will be two Classical Indian Dance concerts in one week- end? Pretty good if you're around for this one. Not only is Sharon Lowen performing as part of the Guest Artist Series sponsored by the Dance Building, but there will be another cele- bration of Classical Indian dance and music at Rackham Auditorium this weekend sponsored by Spic-Macay, a non-profit group consisting mainly of students. Spic-Macay, formed in 1977 in India, is aimed at improving cultural awareness among the younger generations through the beauty of Classical music and dance. They have off- shoots around the U.S. at various universities and help educate and enlighten young Amer- icans as well as second generation Indians. One of their most important functions is to en- dorse and support visiting artists from India for guest lectures, demonstrations, and concerts. Such is their function for the two free per- formances this weekend. Friday's will be a celebration of Classical dance featuring renowned soloist Chitra Visweran, her three musicians and a live orchestra. Visweran will be performing in the technique of Bharathanatyam, a strictly defined Classical Indian technique which is growing more popu- lar in the U.S. It incorporates narrative gesture with focused, isolated and subtle bodywork. This technique, which is from the South of India, includes both "Nritta," the "rhythmic" aspect and "Natya," the emotional or expres- sive part. The dance may incorporate a narra- tive, as in some Ballets, and emotional, and personally expressive characteristics as well. The form is lush and hypnotic, with the essence of worship and reverence retained from the ancient days when it was a Temple dance. "The bottom line," said the star of Sunday's flute performance, "is to preserve our native tradition." Professor T. Viswanathan is noted throughout India, America, and Canada for his excellence and precision. Recipient of the U.S. National Heritage Fellowship, he is the head of the South Indian music program at Wesleyan University. He will be performing on the Clas- sical instrument, the "venu," or "murali," a bamboo flute. Both concerts are free, but that, according to coordinator Guru Shankar, has nothing to do with the quality of the performers. "They are free because we wanted to make them accessi- ble to the students. What we are all about is exposing young people to the finest arts and artists." The SPIC-MA CAY performances are Rackham Auditorium, Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at S p.m. Admission is free. Special passes which guarantee good seating are available at Seva and Ticketmaster. Call 769-7765. ~Lin September Dances promise pure artistic movement by Stacey Mayesh backgrounds and styles of the chore- be lighter and more humorous than pieces. In Steward's piece, entitled of isolation and lone liness. Brown, "Eclectic ... electric ... an eye- (ul," said Maureen Janson, one of ight contemporary choreographers Invited to participate in the 12th rendition of September Dances, an annual performance designed to showcase local choreographers and dancers. This season, eight choreog- r"phers have collaborated to create a -.,v .. .,n.-. - 'rich ak nra nrn fan ,r ographers and dancers result in an explosively colorful mosaic of self- expression. Janson describes her solo piece, entitled "North Meets East in the Westsouth," as a theatrical juxtaposi- tion of technical and pedestrian moves. She uses the rapid exchange of tense vs. relaxed movements to nt wiant a inr, ,.' h it, ,i r..r n rf usual. Her piece is set to a driving, electric guitar score composed by Steev Hise, a local musician and graduate of the University. His mu- sic is resplendent with originality, high energy, and computerized, ma- nipulated sound. Terri Sarris, a television and video production lecturer, will pre- mie.r n.o rtn :-n:n. rn onia n.:an t "I Think It Feels Nice," he explores the human body's response to mem- ory. VanAmburg, a Madison, Wis- consin based choreographer, will re- turn to Ann Arbor (the good old maize and blue is his alma mater) for a special appearance in his new en- semble called "Quincunx." The solo, accompanied by a Witold Lu- .aoln.,'nl-. ,nlan.- oaa.,- ,.. working with chance procedure, will perform his duet, "Multiple Expo- sures." Due to the artists' diverse styles, techniques, and sources of inspira- tion, September Dances' varied pro- gram offers an ideal introduction to, dance performance. If you have yet to experience the mystique of being 1 A - - 1.