10 The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 7, 1999 Evans examines historical influences 'Prince' produces no miracles The American Century Harold Evans Knopf Harold Evans' new book hronicling the past century is just in time for the beginning of a new one. The book is about the past but written with the historical per- spective of the present and mar- keted for the future in a shiny, sil- ver cover. Evans uses photographs and boxes featuring important, but not necessarily well-known peo- ple, to typify an era. The book begins about 10 years before the turn of the last century and is divided according to social as well as political eras. Evans begins with a descrip- tion of the land rush in the American West and defines the first part of the century mainly by political and social movements. The book goes on to cover the importance of industry in the past century and both World Wars and their effects. There is also atten- tion to social problems such as the rise of the Klu Klux Klan and the drug trade later in the century. Evans maintains an impartial perspective and represents the material in an academic way but uses specific examples from people's lives to make it more personal. The historical figures featured are sometimes part of famous cases but Ore often unknown people whose experi- ences represent a larger point that Evans is trying to make. These features add depth and make the book interesting to read. Evans also uses each presiden- cy to define a certain time. The personal lives of the presidents are explored in the features on each man. The rest of the chap- ters are devoted to the events of each presidency. There are several pages for each president that serve as a timeline of their lives. There are pictures of the president's early childhoods and facts about their early lives. The first of the presi- dents featured is William McKinley, who served in office from 1897 to 1901. Thelast pres- ident featured is George Bush, who was in office from 1989 to 1993. The most important aspect of the book is that Evans deals with the lives of our presidents in the same manner as he deals with the lives of mine workers or cow- boys. He approaches each era through the perspectives of the people who lived then. Evans doesn't try to make his book a series of facts with pictures in between. Instead he presents his- tory as a series of stories, none of which were necessarily inevitable. Each story leads- to another feature in the book, but it is not a direct cause. Evans presents the history of the past century in an informative way that is quite palatable and enjoyable to read. - Caitlin Hall By Ed Sholinsky Daity Film Editor It's always amazing when a movie that looks as good as "The Prince of Egypt" ends up being so awful. But with a story and its execution so paper-thin, it's a bonus that at least the animation is pretty. Adapting its story from Exodus and DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," "The Prince of Egypt" focuses less on religion and more, on the relationship between Moses (the voice of Val Kilmer) and Rameses (Ralph Fiennes). Adopted by Seti (Patrick Stewart), Rameses' father, Moses becomes a memberof the Egyptian royal family, who oppresses the Jews. Moses has no recollection of his Jewish heritage, and only starts to rebel after he meets his real sister and brother, Miriam (the - very Jewish Sandra Bullock) ITChe P lO and Aaron (the of Egypt even more , * Jewish Jeff G oldblum), At riarwood respectively. and showcase The same night he meets them, Moses has a vision of Seti murdering thou- sands of Jewish children, and he suddenly realizes from where he CourtesyaotDewmnr,0ks Pcituss Two sovereign princes of Egypt; Rameses and Moses, engage in friendly chariot races in their young adult lives, only later to be seriously pitted against one another when Moses' true heredity as a Hebrew slave is revealed. though, you must sit through endless musical numbers - none of which actually work - and watch as Jeffrey Katzenberg and his Dreamworks team demolish a poten- tial classic. "The Prince of Egypt" finds itself in fertile territory, telling a story of sibling rivalry and the effect of destiny on individuals and their families, but never fully realizes its potential. Instead, the film is bogged down with lousy music, care of Stephen Schwartz, and a story that has too much going on to ever really focus on the main conflict between Moses and Rameses. Rather, writers Philip LaZebnik and Nicholas Meyer do a lot of clowning around and lose con- trol of the story. Ultimately, the film's greatest mis- take is setting the plagues to music. Rather than showing the human effect of them, the filmmakers gloss over them, making it seem as if they never happened. The only plague that gets any real attention is the final plague - the death of all Egypt's first-born sons. And even here there is no real emotional reaction from Moses, who has to con- front his while he holds his dead son. Nevertheless, "The Prince of Egypt" is a wonder to behold. With a strong blend of hand-drawn and computer generated animation, "The Prince of Egypt" is a fine looking movie. If the writers had put in half as much to making the story as sharp as the animation, then "The Prince of Egypt" would be a terrific cinema. In its attempt at making a serioa animated film that would appeal tY kids as much as it appeals to adults, Dreamworks has stumbled but not quite fallen. Instead of living up to the hype of an animated film that would tell an adult story in a genre generally reserved for children's film, "The Prince of Egypt" is pretty standard in terms of the story it tells, but subpar in its telling. What Dreamworks proves with "The Prince of Egypt" is tho Disney is not the only studio capable of making a big-budget animation spectacular. Perhaps if Dreamworks' ambition of telling a biblical adventure had not gotten ahead of it skills in crafting a story then the results would have been much dif- ferent and much more enjoyable. Retro Night ''e'is College Night masted by i$1.50 Pitchers. H15st by llNo cover with student ID. 21 + 1tJ5.l's DJ Bll Walters ' Register to Win a Trip 21+ ANN ARBOR'S BIGGEST & BEST for2 toC 1CVN! Modern Rock Dance parties w/hotel & airfare. Courtesy of Key Tours. No cover before 9PM. 21+ Courtesy of reamWorks Pictures In "The Prince of Egypt," DreamWorks' animated version of the Biblical story of Exodus, Moses (voice of Val Kilmer), with wife Tzlpporah (voice of Michelle Pfeiffer), leads his Hebrew brothers and sisters out of the tyrannic control of Egypt's pharaoh, and into the Promised Land. 5 L P t AVE The Michigan Union Bookstore and Boersma Travel are giving away t .« (includes airfare, hotel on the beach, and party package) All you have to do to enter is buy your textbooks in the store that the lowest prices, the Michgan Union Bookstore. You might get a free trip to Cancun, but you'll definitely get the r extbooks Michigan Union Bookstore A Barnes & Nobel College Bookstore Boersma Travel Always the BEST Textbook "The Best Spring Break Packages" t 1 t' Fitt ii '" 4 .4i!'. _ -r Learn to*~ Swing!. Classes Start Tuesday, January 19, 1999 8:00 p.m. weeks/$9..00 Enroll Now - Class Size Limited! Call (734) 994-4600 M-F i-so p.m. * Some Sat. available Credit cards welcome ~YRCU9E UNIVER9ITY Europe * Asia * Africa Australia * South America Division of International Programs Abroad 119 Euclid Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-4170 1-800-251-9674 DIPAsum@summnail.syr.edu http.//sumweb.syr.eduldipa/suminer