10 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 11, 2000 Hick's 'Cedars' a solid adaptation By Joshua Pederson' Daily Arts Writer Wlien considering viewing a film based upon a novel, especially if the novel is of any secure literary merit, one is generally wise to heed the age- old adage, "Read the book first." When any given creative team under- take& the conversion of a 400-page novel 10 a two-hour film, they are obviously looking for a challenge. Essettally, for every "Doctor Zhivgp,;" there are at least 30 "Great Expeiaions," adaptations that don't measure un to Snow Falling on Cedars At Showcase 111G~lbwu p t the original. The artistic value of a classic novel oftentimes will not translate easily to the screen. And even if the cine- matic version possesses any sort of structural integrity, often- times its aims fall far from those of the assiduous effort. David Guterson probably aligns himself more closely with the latter group. Though he has published only a few novels, he has proven himself a talented craftsman and a deft social critic. His novel, "Snow Falling on Cedars," won the Penn-Faulkner Award for literary excellence. This particular book relies heavily on Guterson's sweeping descriptive imagery, weaving together plot strands involving a complex murder trial, a touching romance, and a peo- ple's plight. The author's meticulous- ly crafted story lends itself almost exclusively to the pages of a book, for it depends so completely on the dynamic versatility of Guterson's prose. Therefore, it would seem as if any attempt at moving this particular story to film might be headed for a hopeful mediocrity at best. But the film version of Guterson's novel does justice to his literary effort, accomplishing a number of the author's aesthetic and practical goals even with respect to the genre shift. As the adaptation of a novel, "Snow Falling on Cedars" is a remarkable film. In tackling a number of incredibly difficult issues in close conjunction, David Guterson utilizes an excep- tionally complicated writing style. This style features painstaking descriptive detail and shifts of scene and issue that are both lightning quick and deceptively smooth. In addition to its aesthetic success, the film manages to deal delicately with a very difficult social issue. It takes place in San Pedro, Washington, before, during and after World War II. San Pedro is a coastal village in the Pacific Northwest that is home to both Japanese- and European-Americans. The Japanese- American population is ultimately exiled to the wartime internment camps, an event that drastically impacts the overall direction of the plot while revealing and prodding at one of the uglier scars present on the underbelly of American history. In this respect, the film also effectively examines an often unexplored era of injustice and prejudice. "Snow Falling on Cedars" is, with- out a doubt, an incredibly wonderful adaptation of a novel. However, there is some question as to its merit apart from its literary template. If one ignores the beautiful framework pro- vided by Guterson forgetting that the film is an attempt at true imitation of a beautiful literary style, the story often gets bogged down in its own self- important sense of the aesthetic. Repeated images become tedious when one forgets that their repetition is formally intentional in the screenwrit- ers' honorable task of mirroring of the author's intent. If the viewer is unaware of Guterson's work, they may find themselves a bit bored at the film's slow-developing storyline. Therefore, even in the case of m , -novel's author. One need not worry too much about the aesthetic ideals of John Grisham or Michael Criohtoi when one signs a contract -to direct his latest legal thriller. But an author such as Toni Morrison or Williani Shakespeare demands a bit .more respect, and the translation from page to screen deserves a more Courtesy of Universal Pictyr Scott Hicks' adaptation of the David Guterson novel "Snow Falling on Cedars" stars Ethan Hawke as reporter Ismael Chambers. "Snow Falling on Cedars," an excellent adaptation of an admirable novel, it may be important to "Read the book first." For while the film is a far cry numerous other literary masterpieces- from the wholesale massacre commit- it does rely heavily on Guterson's brl- ted in the cinematic translation of liant work in its predecessor. Exhibit proves Mock L an artist, not just a 'Times' illustrator _' a. ,i , -.. 'I, ".ins By Jim Schiff and Rosemary Metz Daily Arts Writers A myriad of emotional responses awaits the viewer at the Jean Paul Slusser Gallery's newest exhibit, a collection of linocuts by University alum Richard Mock, a former illus- trator for "The New York Times." "Richard Mock: Mock of the Times" is a fascinating collection of more than 60 linocuts from the New York Times. Between July 23, 1980 and April 19, 1986, Richard Mock's linocuts illustrated and offered com- mentary for editorials and letters to the editor. Thomas Porter and Kathleen Crispell donated this port- folio to the School of Art & Design. Mock's linocuts represent a wide range of political and artistic endeavor. The designs are intricate and complex, . tr _ .. : " ,, Richard Mock Mock of the Times Jean Paul Slusser Gallery carefully and painstakingly detailed. Each one is a response to an event, or to an editorial letter. These respons- es represent a range of-Mock's personal emo- tions. The whim- sical piece "On the Incidence of Alligators and Hard Times" illustrates an shapes. Generally, the larger forms are drawn in black, and then whiteis drawn on to show details, folds aid creases. In "No Point in Treasuring Billy Beer Cans," Mock employs thin white lines to show dents in beer cans; scratches on a magnifying glass, and ripples in a liquid. To do this, Mock uti- lizes the medium of the linocut, which is similar to woodblock in appearance, form, and function but done tn linoleum. His work is surprisingly three-. dimensional and lively for newspapr artwork. In "How Insurers Invite* Arson," Mock makes the flames come alive by layering the texture of the fire; while staying loyal to the black-and- white palette. The flames seem like animated beings, engulfing the open air around them. In most of his illustra- tions, Mock captures an action in progress, rather than a still-life portrait: - Equally impressive is his use of art to express the written word. It is clear that at times he uses his own personal interpretation of an issue as the basis for an illustration as well. He brilliant- ly depicts a letter to the editor y Charles Issawi in "Man-Made Seasons" The letter was about the lengths to which individuals go-toa adjust the temperature of their homes. Here, Mock shows an intense sun beat- ing down on a melting igloo, to exag-' gerate the paranoia that often accompa- nies summier heat. The humor in his illustrations is~ their most intoxicating aspect."In "The Safety Trade-Off of Fuel Efficient Cars," he shows a vehicle" being consumed by a dog, to illustrate how larger cars threaten smaller ones in terms of safety. "Northeast of Eden: 11 Tales of Serpents" exagge- ates the human fear of snakes, bf depicting an oversized pythdr enveloping a helpless woman. Mock' most brilliant piece is the hilarious'A Print Addict Tells All," illustrating the quirky habits of subway passengers.- This extraordinary exhibit cele- brates a talented artist, who is gifted both with the pencil and content Mock's sense of humor and ability-to- transfer elements of everyday life and current events onto paper ar. impeccable. These traits mak "Richard Mock: Mock of the Times" a must-see event..0 urban fable regarding the presence of live alligators in Manhattan sewers. "Of Time's Passing and the River of Memories" represents tender works with an elegiac piece featuring football-toss- ing turtles surrounded by two coffins. "Saturn's Revolutions," is a study of the Voyager missions, encoded with mythology and mystery. In addition, Mock makes strong political statements in his work. "The New Republican Agenda," for example, features three elephants, in classic poses of "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil," com- pleted in 1998. Mock's style is simplistic but incred- ibly effective. He uses simple black and white, but the works appear to be more colorful than they actually are. Not a space is left uncovered on the paper- each is intricately covered with varying lengths of brushstroke and jagged -V Magic Mann swoons. Newsday The concept of the motion picture soundtrack album has changed so many times in the past two decades that one hesitates to define it now. Thank you, Aimee Mann, for yet another definition. "Magnolia" (Reprise) takes a severe left turn in the genre and in the process, makes a powerful musical statement by an artist who has long languished in the says that he wrote the movie "back-- ward" from a line in Mann's "Deathly." "It equals the story of Claudia, it equals the heart and soul of Magnolia,' Anderson wrote. "So one could do th, math and realize that all stories come from Aimee's brain, not mine." So what we've got here is a chicken- egg situation: songs written for a movie that visualizes the songs. Brittle and bold, Mann's songs for the film are : n I