-LV " C I IL IYI1411irul l va11J Ifl uclyI 1/JV iJ1.it , r Q I m Documentary accounts for Riefenstahl By ALEXANDRA TWIN Traditionally, the word "documen- tary" summons up as much enthusi- asm as a slice of dry toast. The phrase "with English subtitles" is equally titillating. So why, then, would you University of Michigan School of Music Thursday-Sunday, October 6-9, 13-16, 20-23 Life Sentences, by Richard Nelson Group Theatre of Michigan, directed by John Russell Brown Trueblood Theatre, Frieze Building Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Tickets: $10 general, $7 with U-M ID; $4 students (764-0540) Friday, October 7 William D. Revelli Memorial Concert Symphony Band; H. Robert Reynolds and Gary Lewis, conductors Bach, Schuman, Rachmaninoff, Wagner, and selected marches Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m., free Guest Concert: Electro-metamorphosis Live electro-acoustic computer music Recital Hall, School of Music, 8 p.m., free Sunday-Wednesday, October 9-12 34th ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ORGAN MUSIC* Sunday, October 9 Stearns/Virginia Martin Howard Lecture Series Prof. Bart Polot: "MIDI Technology: New Tools and New Music" Recital Hall, School of Music, 2 p.m., free *Autumn Festival of Choirs Hill Auditorium, 4 p.m., free *Organ Recital: R6jean Poirer, Universit6 de Montr6al Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, School of Music, 8 p.m., free Monday, October 10 *Organ Recital: U-M organ majors perform Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, School of Music, 1 h20 a.m., free *Faculty Recital: Kristen Johns, horn; Michele Johns, organ First Congregational Church, 4:30 p.m., free *Carillon Recital: Phillip Burgess performs music by Barnes, Clement, and Byrnes Burton Memorial Tower, 7:30p.m., free *Faculty Organ Recital: Commemorating the Frieze Memorial Organ's 100th anniversary on the U-M campus, Prof. Robert Glasgow performs Scarlatti, Schumann, Widor, and Sowerby Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m., free Tuesday, October 11 *Organ Recital: Stephen Farr, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, School of Music, 10 a.m., free *Faculty Piano Recital: Four Centuries of Bach Louis Nagel performs Bach, Shostakovich, and more Recital Hall, School of Music, 11:30 a.m., free *Organ Recital: Gerard Gillen, St. Patrick's College, Ireland Hill Auditorium, 3:30 p.m., free *Faculty Carillon Recital: University Carillonist Margo Halsted plays van den Gheyn, Johnson, van Ingelgem; bell chamber is open. Burton Memorial Tower, 7:30 p.m., free *Chamber Choir Concert: Maurice Durufle's Requiem Theodore Morrison, conductor; James Kibbie, organist Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m., free Faculty Recital: Michael Webster, clarinet, and Anton Nel, piano Assisted by Karen Lykes, mezzo-soprano; Leone Buyse, flute Spohr's Sechs Deutsche Lieder, Bizet's Children's Games (transcr. Webster-premiere); Lutoslawski, Berg, and Debussy Recital Hall, School of Music, 8 p.m., free Wednesday, October 12 *Organ Recital: Karl Schrock, First Baptist Church, Kalamazoo, plays 20th-century music for organ Hill Auditorium, 11 a.m., free *Organ Recital: John Vanella, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Crookston, Minn., plays works of Charles Tournemire Hill Auditorium, 3 p.m., free *Carillon Recital: JanEl Gortmaker performs carillon music by Gerken, Wagenaar, and it Hart Burton Memorial Tower, 7:30 p.m., free *Organ Recital: Rudolf Innig, Coesfeld Musikhochschule and Ev. Martkirche, Germany Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m., free Thursday, October 13 Concert Band Dennis Glocke conducts Vaughan Williams, Persichetti, and Bach Hill Auditorium, 8 p. m., free Thursday-Sunday, October 13-16 Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George Musical Theatre Production Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Tickets: $16, $12, students $6 (764-0450) Sunday, October 30 University Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras Halloween Concerts Featured dead composers include Tchaikovsky, Offenbach, Prokofiev, de Falla, Wagner, Berlioz, and Stravinsky. Hill Auditorium; performances at 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl Directed by Ray Muller; with Leni Riefenstahl possibly want to see a film that is both a documentary and in German with English subtitles? It could be due to the fact that missing it means losing out on a vivid, near-absorbing ac- count of one of the most interesting women in recent history. Leni Riefenstahl grew up in turn- of the century Germany in a tradi- tional household. While her interest was always in the arts, it was only in her early 20s that she turned to film. First as an actor, then as a director and finally as Hitler's most noted docu- mentarian, her career was an intri- cate, erratic one, short on years but long on repercussions. As the favorite "girl" of the moun- tain-obsessed director Arthur Fanck, Leni was due to be the next Marlene Dietrich. If a lover kept her away from American cinema and the star- dom it entailed, it was fate and deter- mination that landed her in the midst of the Third Reich. As it stands, her "Triumph of the Will" (1934) is con- sidered by most historians to be the defining propaganda film of the pe- riod. In attempting to create a Political party film that was as artistic as it was accurate, Riefenstahl found herself at the forefront of German filmmaking. She also found herself in the unenvi- able role of promoter of Nazi-Ger- many. The film poses the interesting question of was she a feminist pio- neer or a woman of evil? The answer is probably a little of both. Insofar as documentaries go, the film generally follows the standard narrative path, relying on the constant interplay between "naturalistic" in- terviews with the now 90-year old Riefenstahl and clips from a bevy of her old films. While generally inter- esting, the technique tends to grow tiresome, particularly after about an hour and a half of the three-hour film. Although the old clips, in their depic- tion of Nazi Germany and a young, beautiful starlet and her love of light and shadows are intriguing, it is argu- ably the constant bickering of Riefenstahl and documentary direc- tor Ray Muller that give the film its most distinctive edge. It seems that the highly opinion- ated director, despite her advancing age, still has quite a few opinions regarding how she should be por- trayed. In almost endearingly stal- wart demeanor; Riefenstahl explains most specifically why she simply must be filmed in front of this mountain or near that house or coming towards the camera, not simply sitting. Equally vehement is she in denying her politi- cal involvement with the films she made. Although the diaries of various Nazi leaders clearly link her to them on a social level, Riefenstahl insists that the connection was purely busi- ness. It is the disturbing nature of this dichotomy between fact and memory that both makes the film intriguing and lends it its otherwise trite title. Although only sporadically wonder- ful, the film, even at its most lagging moments, manages to provide a star- tling portrayal of a difficult character, one who was and is so alternately fascinating and repellent as to de- mand unqualified attention, both within her time and beyond. THE WONDEFUL H RIBLE-- LIFE OF LENI RIEFENSTAHL is playing at the Michigan Theater. PRINTING HIGH QUALITY LOW PRICES The bell tolls for 'Saved by the Bell' By SCOTT PLAGENHOEF Luke and Laura. Charles and Di. Television weddings, real and fic- tional, have both captivated our imagi- nations and served as cultural shared experiences. Tonight at 8 on NBC, however, arrives the piece de resis- tance of television weddings: Zach Morris and Kelly Kapowski head off to Sin City to tie the knot on "Saved By the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas." 1002 PONTIAC TR. 994.1367 CHINESE STUDENTS Business opportunity as independent distributor representing large American Corporation available for students returning to mainland China. Send resume or personal information to: Hansen Corporation 8610 Farview Byron Center, MI 49315 Thinking about law school? Plan to attend........ Law Day Wednesday, October 12, 1994 10:00am - 2:00pm Michigan Union 2nd floor Collect application information and explore law education options * Meet with admissions representatives from US law schools * Explore paralegal programs * Investigate internship and employment options * Gather information on test preparation services and law-related campus organizations Attend the Law School Admissions Panel 2:10pm - 3:00pm " Increase your understanding of the law school admissions process " Collect tips to enhance the quality of your application " Ask your questions about the selection criteria process The PUlniry 0MkigPp (n Career Planning \Pla4 yent The evolution of the program from Saturday morning to prime time to a wedding is representative of how uni- versal its appeal and wide its vision. Sadly, however, unlike Zach and Kelly's life as Mr. and Mrs., this two- hour television movie is the regret- table end of "Saved By the Bell." "Saved By the Bell" began as a saturated Hayley Mills vehicle. The former star of the Disney romp "The Parent Trap" was cast as Miss Bliss, everyone's favorite teacher at Bayside Middle School. However, the show was soon proverbially stolen by fresh- faced, Ferris Bueller-like blond, Zach Morris and the lovable, but oft-abused nerd Samuel "Screech" Powers. These two, along with the fashion conscious Lisa Turtle and their wacky push-over of a principal Richard Belding, graduated to Bayside High. The four holdovers formed the nucleus of a new cast which included the rugged yet sensitive A.C. Slater, brainy, liberal-minded Jesse Spano and the softly attractive and kind head cheerleader Kelly Kapowski. The show had ups and downs, often touched upon subjects and memorable moments, yet despite such classic television as Screech being the first male crowned 'Miss Bayside' or Casey Kasem presiding over a dance contest at the Max, it was the relationships between the characters, particularly Zach and Kelly's, which was the centerpiece of the show. Zach initially had to'compete for Kelly's affection with Slater, but A.C. discontinued his pursuit and began an unlikely relationship with Jesse. Zach and Kelly soon thereafter became Bayside's hottest couple. The salad days of their romance however came to an end when Kelly was wooed by an older college guy, Jeff, her boss at the Max. In arguably the series' second most touching moment (outside of Jesse's brave admittance to her addiction to over-the-counter caffeine pills). Zach and Kelly, soon after being crowned King and Queen of the costume dance, broke up. Dressed as Romeo and Juliet, Kelly took Zach outside and admitted her feelings for Jeff. Inside Slater and Jesse gazed into each oth- ers eyes singing the Michael Bolton opus, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," Zach was being told he would have to live without Kelly. Jeff would be discovered cozying up to some blonde at the happening, 18-and-older club the Attic that the gang used fake IDs to enter, but Kelly and Zach did not return where they left off. In fact, Kelly briefly left the show to be replaced in the cast and in Zach's heart by Tori. However, reunited in the same suite at California University their love rekindled and tonight they will elope. Of course, the wedding prob- ably won't go off without some hitch; which will involve the constant bumbling of that lovable imp Screech, but rest assured the always crafty Zach will find a way to the altar. "Saved By the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas" will be a true cultural dichotomy. The excitement of the moment will be contrasted by the finality of the show. Tiffini-Amber Thiessen has been elevated from pre- teen pin-up show to teen pin-up show, "Beverly Hills 90210." The remain- der of the cast is currently unem- ployed and all may be destined to disappear only to resurface on the talk show circuit or police blotter, or both. Yet the magic of syndication allows us to revisit the carefree days of Bayside, when nerds were nerds, Zach was king and there were only six kids in the entire school that really mat- tered. We'll miss you Bayside. We're looking forward to the class reunion. i An Academic Year Abroad in the Arts and Humanities pend a year or a semester immersed in the life and culture of Florence. Study at the University of Florence in private tutorials and seminars. Students of the arts work with Italian artists and musicians. For information and an application: Sarah Lawrence College in Florence SARAH Box UMIF Sarah Lawrence College LAW IRE NCE I Mead Way Bronxville, NY 10708-5999 COLLEGE (800) 873-4752 'p SPIKE & MIKE'S"" BRAND NEW SICK AND TWISTEDM FESTIVAL OF ANIMATIONO 23 PREMIERES For ages 18 and over You won't see THIS PROGRAM on Cable Shnw Times . I