Dancer in the Dark
Ss1 the st uE siz7me l lt 2m, i m sxttr
rit Bjwrk; directed by Li rs von Trier.
ARTS
unichigandaily.corn /arts
WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 25, 2000
Exhibit illuminates Miller's life through photography
By Elizabeth Manasse
FOrltile D i, i
t tf you e ever wondered what it would be
like to get an inside look at the life of one of
the greatest Amienit plywrights tot ee
live, the opportuttts is hete. I e MUsectt of
At t has been dispayith an exhibiton of
photos of re ered Ament can plax w ight
Ater Millet that spans near ly four decades
oftis fascnatig ife
1 e exhibition is i contunetiton w ith the
seestet-itn elehation of the work of
Arthur \illet pat of honoring his 85th
birthdat.
The bods t totks is a tcompelling comb-
nItiot of photos of\Miller engaged in his
eateet and also of his per sonal t ife. tmt the
ots tous pesonal tout h, kn ledge and svm-
patth of the subiec t's life depicted i these
xorks, -it ' nlmakes sense that the photog-
rapher is soleonte close to Miller, who has
Srsthatnd know ledge ith both ls irk itfe.
and tihe life outside of his creet Indeed, the
phtographe x is someone who has had ti-
mate insov ement in Mtiller's life fti for ty
'Ihe photottpi M i l \hIle's x fe, fine
arts ptitls apher Inges Moratht. Oxer the
Deppstiff F
a: cut up in
release
By Christopher CousinoK
Daily Arts Wtcr
"Oh, but what happened to your
hands asks the friendly Avon lady
callinig. Well for starters, a 10 year plh
anniversar. Second that with a
beautiful)IDVD transfer featuring scisso
commentary by morbidly cool dnrec- Peg B
or Tim Burton . ing on
"? and bizarro sion, s
c o m p o s e r hi tt
DannEy l fan of her
Edward and you can daught
Scissorhands lend a hand in Alon
Grade: B+ spicing up your tracks,
DV Icollection. cepi a
2 C11enry Fx cOnew xth sets- ings, i
sos, that is. head i
in September, views t
T we n t i e t h screent
Century Fox While
r e I e a s e i much
ILd w a r d film,t
Scissorhands: the go
1ith Anmersary Edition," the Scisso
weird, colorful fairy tale starring that e
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. In present
t fable abstit teentide i etatitn aitd ''Edc
althe toils ofi ditting in among pastel cial lit
suburbia, Burton tells the story of fairy t
Edoward Scissorhands (Depp), a man the n
created by an intentor who dies Centtur
before he can finish his creation. uders
Thus, Ldxxward is forced to live with style o
course of her career, Morath has pho-
tographed many creative minds of the 20th
Century, including artists, writers and per-
formers such as Igor Stravinsky and
Alexander Calder.
Characteristically, she photographs her
subjects in the revealing environment of
their studio or workplace, surrounding them
with the tools of their trade. Her photos,
therefore, are quite telling of the subjects'
work and their creative milieu. Nowhere is
this engagement with the subject more
apparent that in her photographs of her hus-
band, University alumnus, Arthur Miller.
A set of photos of Miller at work commu-
nicates, with no mistake, his genUine passion
for his work. The scenes captured on film
show him on the sets of his Broadway plays,
in Movie scenes and also in the privacy of his
studio.
For example, one piece features Miller
interacting with the crew of the 1985 motion
picture "Death of a Salesman."
Here, Miller's interaction with celebrities
Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich is
spellbinding. Many of us have read this
American classic in our hidht school Eiglisht
class, but to see the author on the set, inter-
acting with crewmembers and directing the
well-known progression of events, we are
given a new dimension of understanding
Miller and his honorable talents.
Moiath's camera was successfully able to
capture Miller while he is truly engaged with
his writing and directing. With these photos,
Miller's importance as the mastermind of his
productions becomes clear. The animation in
his face alone speaks of his active engage-
ment with his works as they are put into pro-
duction.
The private dimension of Miller is also
ingeniously captured under Morath's lens.
Her artistic abilities provide insight into
Miller's personal side with photos of him at
his home, at notable historical events and in
contemplation with other playwrights out-
side of the studio.
Although many people are familiar with
Miller's career life, the personal side of
Miller that his wife has captured is quite
revealing of who Miller is as a person.
Outside the high drama of his career life,
Miller is depicted in many quiet moments of
contemplation.
le is shown sitting on his tractor at his
home in Roxburv, Connecticut and on the
seats of the ancient Greek theater at
Epidaurus.
One photo is even a shot of Miller's empty
studio. Although the studio is empty, the
nuance of the man remains. His glasses sit
delicately upon his desk, papers blanket the
area and the blinds remain drawn after a hard
day of work.
Morath is brilliantly able to capture
moments in Miller's life that allow viewers
to better understand his calm and contempla-
tive nature.
As a final note, this body ofphotos is truly
intriguing simply because it shows the pro-
gression of Miller's career and Miller the
man over a length of 40 years.
Spectacularly, Morath is able to tell her
husband's admirable life story through a set
of elegantly composed photos.
One piece of advice: Don't miss this high-
ly celebrated exhibition.
it comes complete with passion, sympa-
thy, and excitement. It reveals both the pow-
erful emotions of Miller, and also of the
artist herself. If you haven't yet experienced
this look at the life of Arthuir Miller, don't
worry; you have until Nov. 5 to see the exhi-
bition. It's truly a must see.
Arthur Miller is the subject of a new Museum
Art exhibition showcasing the work of his wif
professional photographer Inge Moranth.
A SHEEN 'SPIN' CYCLE
Underworld'Urbanil
suffers from forced
dialogue, predictabilit
'our<"syof'2 "' entury ox
rS for Lands. When Avon lady
oggs (Diane Wiest) comes call-
ithe Inventor's darkened man-
he rescties Edward and takes
tle into suburbia and the lives
faroily, specifically her teen
er Kim (Ryder).
no with the two commentary
this DVD also includes con-
rt of early Tio Burton draw-
wo trailers and several talking
tterview s (most notably, intet-
with the late Vincent Irice and
writer Caroline Thompson).
these interview s fail to shed
light on the making of the
he commentary from Burton is
thic holy rail, as "Edward
rhands" is the definitive film
stablished Burton's style and
ce as a modern filmmaker.
ward Scissorhands," is a spe-
the film, a magical allegory, a
ale for misunderstood. With
exw release on DVD, 20th
v Fox shades in a further
tanding of Burton and his
)f making the film.
Foxs City'
welcomes
Charli-
By Katie Den Bleyker
Daily Arts WIter
ABC's hit comedy, "Spin City" has
undergone some major changes inoits
fifth season, the most notable of which
is the departure of the show's star,
Michael J. Fox.
Fox's character, deputy mayor Mike
Flaherty has been replaced this season
by Charlie
played by the
it a 1 0 r i a u s
Spin City Hollywood play-
boy Charlie
ABC Sheen, attempt-
Wednesdays at ing to follow in
9:30 p.a. Fox's comedic
fo o t s t e p s.
Besides sharing
a first name,
C h a r I i e
Crawford and
Charlie Sheen
share a dubious
reputation. Just like the real Charlie,
Crawford is eager to "turn over.a new
leaf" and "show how much he's
changed" by succeeding in his new
post as New York's deputy mayor.
However, he quickly runs into trouble
when the woman representing the
city's striking tollbooth workers turns
out to be a former flame that Charlie
can't really remember because he was
drunk throughout their relationship.
Further contributing to the first
episode's "is it reality or fiction'?"
irony is te rest of Ihe cas 'admniO-
tions to Crawford that mirror the com-
ments ofinumerous critics to Sheen on
how "Spin City" is his last chance to
dCourty soiC
Charlie Sheen steps up as the new
deputy mayor on ABC's "Spin City."
save a flagging career. The mayor's
insistence on calling Charlie "Mike"
throughout the episode is also a joke-
within-a-joke, a nod to the numerous
fans who miss Fox's presence on the
show.
The question on numerous minds:
Can Charlie Sheen successfully follow
in Michael J Fox's footsteps? The
answer is yes, sort of Die-hard view-
ers of the show will be upset by the
cast changes made, and not just
because regular characters James and
Nikki departed with Mike. No, "Spin
City" fans will be disappointed
because the show has a different feel
without its star. Gone is Fox's boyish
charm and quirky, hyperactive person-
ality traits. Sheen's presence lends a
more ma'ture, world-weary toie to the
show. Instead of the more physical
comedy that Fox often fell back on,
Sheen's style seems to be ironic self-
mockery as is evidenced in the first
episode by numerous references to
Crawford's sketchy reputation which,
as viewers know, rivals Sheen's real-
life exploits.
"Spin City" is not the same show
without Fox, but Sheen's presence
lends a new, not unwelcome tone to
the show. Ultinately, the future suc-
cess of "Spin City" hinges on how
open-minded Fox's fans are about see-
ing another deputy mayor in city hall,
By Andy Taylor-Fabe
Daiu Arts Writer
"Heard any good stories lately?"
This is a recurring question and
theme in this dark, dream-like film
that follows one man's seemingly
endless journey
through a city
underworld.
Despite ha :-
Urbania ing a strong lead
and the potential
Grade: C to be ai intrigu-
ing film,
At State "Urbania" feels
and is at times
plagued by bad
writing.
The story
revolves around
Charlie (Dan
Futterman), a gay man who has lost
control over his life after a traumatic
experience.
Having been a victim of a violent
gay bashing incident on the street in
which he lost his lover, Charlie is
plagued by flashbacks that invade his
consciousness and cause him to
question his senses.
As he wanders the streets at nigh
searching for a mystery man
whom he feels a connection, h
begins to engage in strange, ant
social and sometimes violent beha
ior to prepare himself for som
future encounter that only he seem
to know about.
The movie is highly reminiscent
Martin Scorsese's "After Hours"
Charlie meets a series of bizarr
strangers on the street.
He has a string of encou ,r
which follow the plots of fang
urban legends - a man is seduce
by a woman only to find himsel
drugged and missing a kidney th
next morning, etc.
Some of these stories are mere'
told to him and some are acted outi
front of him, but it is never reall
clear what is real and what is not.
One of the deepest flaws of th
film is that much of the dial,
seems forced and counterfeit.
Through much of the film, I felta
if I could hear the screenwriter.typ
ing, thinking of what would soun
clever or disturbing or whateverth
desired effect was.
The dialogue didn't seem naturA
See URBANIA, Pe,
DAILY ARTS:
STILL ROCKIN' IN THE FREE
WORLD.
UNIVERSrrY OF WISCONSIN
SantPLA TTE VILLE
d sd tStudy Abroad Programs
Learn Your Way Around The World
* Study abroad in England, Japan, or Spain
* Courses in liberal arts and international business
* Fluency in a foreign language not required
* Mome-stays with meals
*Field trips
* Financial aid applies (except for summer session)
Program Costs:
* For tuition, room, board and field trips per semester (for
Wisconsin residents/non-residents)
* In London, England: $5,275/$5,575
* In Nagasaki, Japan: $5.675/$5,975
" In Seville, Spain: $6,675/$6,975
Application deadlines:
* April I for summer session + April 30 for fall semester
r t Rky* October 15 for spring semester
For further information contact:
Toll free: 1-800-342-1725
E-mail: StudyAbroad@uwplatt.edu
Web: http://www.uwplatt.edu/-studyabroad
~oil'
Courtesy iofUnapix Emte
Dan Futterman and Alan Cunning star the new drama "Urbania."
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