5Qf Poetics and the Poet Jorie Graham reads at Rackham Amphitheater. A professor of poetry at the University of Iowa's Writers Workshop, Graham has made quite a name for herself in the poetic world. As part of the English department's Visiting Writers Series, Graham will read from a collection of her work. Rackham Amphitheater. 5 p.m. Free admission. ftie £tmon tk I.T Tomorrow in Daily Arts: The new action comedy "Six String Samurai" is reviewed, as well as a featured interview with the film's director. Thursday November12, 1998 5 A iKurt and Courtney' overdoses on hatred and deatl By Ed Sholnsky Daily Arts Writer "Kurt and Courtney" filmmaker -Nick Broomfield ("Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam," "Fetishes") pro- poses a theory throughout his documen- tary about the death ofgrunge icon Kurt -Cobain. But even to the most casual viewer, it's obvious that Broomfield's agenda is far from presenting the facts of Cobain's suicide (or murder as the 'film speculates) in a balanced manner. Ultimately, "Kurt and Courtney" is a Kurt and Courtney At Michigan Theater s 14 hate film aimed directly at Courtney Love. Broom field makes quite a bit out of the fact that Love has attempt- ed to block the film at every avenue, to the point where she refused to let him license Nirvana's music. Not that you can blame Love, since the film nearly slan- childhood through interviews with his aunt and high school principal who took him in for a year. From there, though, Broomfield steers the documentary in a direction to tell a story that "some peo- ple have not want ... told." As he traces Cobain's roots, Broomfield delves into Love's past in a tabloid fashion, interviewing people who are obviously out to hurt her. Broomfield interviews Love's father (a former manager of the Grateful Dead who lost custody of Love when she was five for allegedly giving her drugs, something both he and Broomfield fail to mention), an ex-boyfriend that resents the fact that his career never took off like Cobain's and various other of Love's enemies. Broomfield interviews Love's father, Tom Grant - a PI she hired to find Cobain days before he was found dead - and two gossip journalists who con- vince him that Cobain couldn't have killed himself. The finger is of course pointed at Love, despite the fact that there's very little evidence to back up their claims. Love's father, who comes across as a psychotic media whore, loves his time in front of the camera, as he recounts Love's hellish childhood where he admits to psychological and physical cruelty. And, despite the fact that he lost her at age 5, Love's father claims spe- cial knowledge about her mind, while hawking two books he's written about Cobain and Nirvana. Also, despite the fact that the film presents evidence contrary to PI Grant's theory of Cobain's death, "Kurt and Courtney" does little to look into his past to see if he has a bone to pick with Love. Instead, Broomfield leaves the evidence out there without confronting Grant about it. But this is typical of Broomfield's approach to "Kurt and Courtney." He delights in confronting people who don't believe that Cobain killed himself - including Cobain's aunt and his best friend, Dylan, who the film subtly implies might have had something to do with Cobain's death - while professing his own professional objectivity. The most amusing (and despicable) part of "Kurt and Courtney" is Broomfield's attempt to connect Love to a perverted death metal lunatic, El Douche, who claims Love offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. El Douche, of course, passed because he thought the offer was a joke, but knows the man who did it. His friend Allan did it, but El Douche says he'll let the FBI deal with that. And since El Douche passed a polygraph-maybe the reason they're inadmissible in court-Broomfield hangs on his every word. Perhaps it's Broomfield's willingness to accept all these stories about and Cobain's death and Love that makes this film so horrible. Even after Broomfield admits he doesn't believe that there was a conspiracy to kill Cobain, he still goes on gathering personal attacks on Love, searching for some way to implicate her in Cobain's death. Broomfield does this by interviewing a nanny for Cobain and Love's daugh- ter, Frances, who worked for the couple for a month before Cobain's death. While the nanny doesn't believe Love had Cobain killed, she states that Love drove him to suicide. Since this woman is obviously a mind reader, Broomfield takes her word as gospel. The film then switches gears, aban- dons references to Cobain's death and turns to attack on Love's personality. It gets to the point where Broomfield pre- tends to be a journalist at an ACLU awards ceremony to interview Love and accost her on camera. Aside from his tabloid approach to the story, Broomfield's documentary is painfully boring. Broomfield constantly relies on shooting scenery through the windshield of his car. There is nothing impressive about Broomfield's approach to "Kurt and Courtney" - it's neither blissfully biased like Michael Moore's documentaries, nor truly objective like Erol Morris. The only thing "Kurt and Courtney" does prove is there was one murder: Love's character was def- initely assassinated in the film. 4j a ' IAV 1 ders her. Even when the film doesn't accuse her of sending a hitman after Cobain, "Kurt and Courtney" blames her for driving him to suicide. "Kurt and Courtney" starts off fairly innocuously, however, tracing Cobain's courtesy of G( "Kurt and Courtney" examines the death of grunge rocker Kurt Cobain. Opera sings love's tmgedy By Kelly Lutes For the Daily They don't call Paris the city of lovers for nothing. Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera "La Traviata' or "The Woman Gone Astray," is one of those love stories that helps give Paris its name. Loosely based upon the life of Marie Dupleiss, a .French courtesan who captivated some of Paris' most promi- nent male citizens in the 19th Century, La Traviata tells the story of a poor young Frenchman named Alfredo Germont. Alfredo falls madly in love with an intelligent and beautiful prostitute, Violetta Valdry. After some pursuit, Violetta realizes that Alfredo is unlike any man she has ever known; he is the first man who loves her for who she is and not what she does or how much she La Traviata Power Center Tonight at 8 p.m. costs. Just when the pair seems des- tined for happiness, tragedy ensues. Violetta harbors a secret that even love cannot heal while Alfredo's father attempts to rip the two lovers apart to save his son's reputation. Violetta and ,Alfredo struggle against the tide of misfortune, but the tale is destined to end in sorrow. The story takes place in the demi- mondaine portion of Paris, an area director Heiner Pillar describes as being known for,"naughty and ques- tionable activities." The students play- ing these roles will have to project the atmosphere of the demimondaine onto Pillar believes this should be no prob- their characters, but] lem for the singers. "Students are the right age to play these characters and have the right frame of mind to be adven- turesome,' Pillar said. The storyline was first immortalized in Alexandre Dumas' book "La Dame aux Camelias, in 1848. In this overwhelm- ingly popular account, Dumas fictionalized and fantasized about his own relationship with Marie Dupleiss. The novel was quickly transformed into a play and eventually written into an opera by Giuseppe Verdi in 1853. It was not an imme- diate classic, though. The first production failed miserably, due in large part to the miscasting of Violetta. Verdi was unwilling to let the opera die and rewrote it soon after. "La Traviata" has been a favorite in the international repertory ever since. Verdi's own relationship with the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi also may have influenced his portrayal of Violetta. Said to be the great love of his life, Strepponi bore several illegitimate children during her singing career and lived with Verdi before they were married. Like Violetta, she was con- sidered a traviata, or fallen woman. "La Traviata" has several famous arias worthy of attention and each is perfectly orchestrated in respect to the drama Courtesy ofDavid Smitn notograpny Jennifer Larson and Michael Burgess star in "La Traviata." unfolding onstage. The 43-piece University Symphony Orchestra will perform the score, while the all-student cast sings the original Italian lyrics to Verdi's musical master- piece. Not to worry if your Italian is a bit rusty, each poetic and heart-wrenching word will be translated into English and displayed as supertitles above the stage. This University Production is a consolidated effort by four renowned designers and directors: Pillar directs, Martin Katz conducts, and Antonin and Olga Dimitrov are responsible for the extensive collection of costumes and sets. Pillar summarized his experience on La Traviata by say- ing, "the first difference (between a student show and a pro- fessional show) is that you start out with an empty canvas. Students are totally open and free to new ideas. It was refreshing to work with people willing to experiment." With as much talent behind the scenes as on stage, the opera should easily live up to the precedent of past produc- tions. If not, Verdi's music and the his unforgettable lovers should still keep audience members glued to the edge of their seats. A review of "La Traviata " will run in tomorrow's Daily. The performance plays tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets for the opera are $7 for students with ID at the League Ticket Office. Each student is limited to two tickets. Call 764- 0450 for more information. 'siege'was By Chris Cousino Daily Arts Writer An indication of problems astir should have been the numerous renaming games that Twentieth Century Fox played - "Against All Odds," "Martial Law" and "Holy War" - before settling on "The Siege." For that matter, Edward Zwick's "The Siege" is one of the dumbest films of the year, and it seizes Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis for its long, tireless tirade. Zwick, director of the "Courage Under Fire" and the long, over- wrought "Legends of the Fall," makes another lengthy attempt this Fall with "The Siege." Although it clocks in at around two hours, it seems endless. As seen in "Legends," Zwick has a tendency to keep his audi- ence sitting in their chairs for a The Siege while. But dare I suggest, that one do so if and * only if one has a At Briarwood point to make. and Showcase With "The Siege," Zwick finds himself trapped between making a fast- paced action, FBI thriller and a resounding political statement about fear, preju- dice and freedom in America. By tak- ing on such a large premise, however, he fails miserably at both. "The Siege" focuses on the New York FBI squad, headed by Anthony Hubbard (Washington), and its attempts to prevent and uncover sev- eral terrorist attacks in New York City. And can you guess what ethnic back- ground the terrorists might be? Arab, perhaps? While Washington does a fine job in his role, he may have faltered in his choice. Granted 'ol Denzel is an Academy Award winner, but his act- ing may start to come into question if he continues these boring, familiar stints as the same straight-laced gov- ernment somebody in every action thriller he's in. His recycled character Hubbard (like in "The Pelican Brief" and "Fallen") is a by-the-book leader z ff yi '"Y who is courageous and idealistic. Hubbard finds initial problems when he butts heads with agent Elise Kraft, played by Annette Bening. Bening attractively develops her enig- matic character of Kraft, who acts as the go-between the Arab community and the U.S. government. What's even more enigmatic is the film's final explanation of Kraft, or her alias Sharon Bridger, and what she really does. It never makes complete sense with dozens of lines filled with dull government talk. Since Kraft, or Bridger, or whoev- er, is somehow part of the U.S. gov- ernment, she begins working with Hubbard to stop the terrorist groups after bombings of a bus, a Broadway theater and, of course, a federal build- ing. After continuous attacks, the gov- ernment declares martial law on New York City and sends in the U.S. mili- tary to get the job done. A suggestion for the - count 'em - four screen- writers it took to write 'this drivel: Take one of those two-week screen- writing courses that will teach on the first day that you don't start a major conflict with just 45 minutes left to your film. As Arabs throughout Brooklyn are rounded up, assaulted and persecuted, I wonder if it was just a boyhood fan- tasy of Zwick's to see military troops marching down the Brooklyn bridge or people in barbed-wire cages on the third baseline in The House that Ruth Built. Spielberg always wanted to see a dinosaur running down Sunset Boulevard, making a stupid movie even stupider. Maybe it's the same kind of boyish dream for Mr. Zwick. It is obvious rthat Zwick wants to create a resounding emotional reac- tion. When the camera pans up from the steps and looks out over the Yankee Stadium infield to see prison pens filled with the entire Arabic; community, Zwick does have inter- esting ideas here. The problem is he tries too hard, making "The Siege" just formulaic and pretentious. Worst of all, he opens the film with" stock footage of President Clinton', speech about the terrorist bombing, in Africa this past summer. This nei ther adds to the film nor gives it an credibility, and works more as a, insult to the President for includin him in such cinematic trash. Along with Mr. President, there: everyone's favorite unshaven here Bruce Willis. He must be completef crazy if he continues to star in sun critically pisspoor productions, noto mention losing Demi. After a string~f reprehensible films such as "List Man Standing," "The Fifth Elemeit," "The Jackal," "Mercury Rising" nd "Armageddon," he decides to enlit in such a torpid mess as "The Sige." C'mon, Willis epitomizes the '90s American rebel. To see him as fscist General William Devereaux i, just sadly unbelievable. "The Siege" is a waste of tine for such talent as Washington, 3ening and Willis. At least the specialeffects team succeeds in creating woiderful- ly realistic explosions while Zwick utterly fails at snaking a worthwhile film. At any rate, follow the protesters and boycott "The Siege." ,tes time, talent, moe CourtesyfT wentleth Century Fox Denzei Washington and Bruce Willis are up in arms over "The Siege." I.. I I RACE IN ADMISSIONS EVERYONE HA' OINION- THE FACTS? DO NOT Mis4 Mhopportunity to hear about the mc aoritative and ground-I, \king, work done in decades on the value of ra a dmissions. S liam rf. Bowe ill talk ap tAis work The-Sh pe ofhe River: Lang- TerM I I a ", The Princeton Review is taking enrollments. I W4 T