The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - 3D
0 yCEE
RZA talks 'Iron
F sts, career
Rapper-producer to
release martial arts
thriller
By SEAN CZARNECKI
Daily Arts Writer
NOV. 2, 2012 - For RZA, it
may never be enough. Despite
being the de facto leader of the
Wu-Tang Clan and having been
heralded as one of hip hop's
most formidable talents, the
rapper-producer, whose given WU MUSIC GROUP
name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, Wrist game ridiculous.
has widened the wake of his ideas I apply to music, I apply to "But at the same time I love Spa-
legacy by authoring books, act- my daily life, you know - I live ghetti Westerns, and I love the
ing in television and film and martial. Bruce Lee would say, sounds they make, and the weird
even composing film scores and 'forget the form, be like water.' things Morricone would do with
soundtracks. As a child, RZA was a zealot for his soundtracks. I wanted to add
Now, all his ambitions and tal- martial arts films. It wasn't until some of that flavor. Then, at the
ents, cultivated from childhood he met Quentin Tarantino dur- same time, I'm a big, big hip-
to manhood, from "C.R.E.A.M." ing the filming of "Kill Bill: Vol. hopper, so I had to get hip hop
to Grammies, have culminated 1" that RZA became a student of in there. And the Black Keys -
in his directorial debut: "The the art. Under the tutelage of the they're bringing me some nice
Man with the Iron Fists," a mar- mind behind "Pulp Fiction," he indie rock and shit, you know
tial arts movie about a vicious was exposed to film that wouldn't what I mean?"
battle for gold in a fabled Chinese have otherwise been possible, "This is something that melts
village. that would only add to his "well." cultures together," he added.
RZA found time away from his During this time, RZA became RZA explained that because
many posts to sit down for an acquainted with Eli Roth, the stories must also be grounded in a
exclusive interview with The acclaimed horror director of non-fiction world, the universe of
Michigan Daily to discuss his "Cabin Fever," and discovered "The Man with the Iron Fists" is
upcoming film, which enters that both their fathers attended aware of the social and historical
wide release on Friday. the same public school. Togeth- issues of the period it portrays.
"All of these different ways of er, they turned an idea into the "During the period the film
expressing myself is like what screenplay that would eventually takes place, there was a big opium
Bruce Lee would say, 'express become "The Man with the Iron war in China," RZA said. "This
yourself fully,' " RZA said, giv- Fists," marking RZA's transfor- was when the British were able
ing a big-smiled laugh. "And mation from kung-fu nut to kung- to come through and spread the
that's what I feel like I'm doing. fu filmmaker. opium, start wars - all these
I'm not gonna let anybody stop "It took a lot of preparation, a different types of confusion
me from doing that." lot ofstudying, a lot of focus and it they brought. And we touch on
Growing up in poverty in was very rewarding, but it wasn't that a teeny bit."
New York City, RZA digested difficult," RZA said. "It was After all this time, from
countless hours of martial arts almostlike anatural musical pro- kung-fu music sampling to
films. Though separated by gression, you know what I mean? the historical accuracy of his
thousands of miles and sev- I got to one level, one level, and upcoming film, martial arts
eral millennia, RZA discovered my mind and my energy was just continues to bleed through the
himself spiritually connected going further and further, and layers of RZA's diverse career
to ancient Chinese culture. now, I see directing is the medi- "like water." It continues to
More than entertainment - um where I can accomplish all of change and be changed by his
more than escapism - these my skills at once" creative endeavors.
1ovie p d a saiE ° Havin , ;gosed cre n This idea of "expressing
framewor within which he soundtracks for videogames and yourself fully" is his end-all
learned to express himself, he films, most famously Tarantino's goal. Perhaps then, all that he
said. He draws inspiration for "Kill Bill" series, RZA knows will do, as everything he's done
his music and "The Man with what sounds should populate the before, will be but a series of
the Iron Fists" from the "same off-screen world of film. But as apprenticeships - he "lives
well." someone who loves kung-fu, he martial."
"Sometimes, I think of being adheres deeply to the music ofthe "This film feels to me like my
ferocious like a tiger, but nim- classic '70s and '80s -era Shaw first album, 36 Chambers (felt).
ble as a crane. As deceptive as a Brothers movies. And I look forward to making
snake, you know what I mean?," "I wanted to make sure I cap- five more classics," RZA said,
he explained. "These types of tured that essence," RZA said. smiling. "At least."
Ken Burns talks new documentary
T V/NEW MEDA COLUMN
How Claire Danes
became unstoppable
For twoyears, Claire
Danes has been invincible.
Since 2010, she has been
nominated
for nine sig-
nificant
awards (two
Emmys, two
Satellites,
two Golden
Globes,
one SAG,
one Critics' KAYLA
Choice and UPADHYAYA
one Televi-
sion Critics
Association) for her roles in the
HBO biopic "Temple Grandin"
and Showtime's thriller "Home-
land."
She won all nine.
I first discovered Danes in
seventh grade. I was atla friend's
house watching TeenNick - my
family only had basic cable at
the time, so thisawas a big deal -
when "My So-Called Life" came
on. As unpolished and bluff asa
middle schooler's diary, "Life"
was unlike any of the moral-
izingteen shows I watched at
the time ("Boy Meets World"
and "7th Heaven" beingsome of
the worst offenders of twisting
adolescence into romanticized
parables).
I caught episodes sporadically,
unable to watch the series from
start to finish until Netflix came
around, but even in fragmented
pieces, I fell for Danes's Angela
Chase, who thought beinga
woman meant dyeing her hair
without her mother's permis-
sion, wearing dark red lipstick
and dating boys who drink their
coffee black. I treasured Angela's
striking, star-crossed friend-
ship with Rayanne, like Angela
clutching Tarot cards close to
her heart.
Much of MSCL's charm came
from its emotionally honest writ-
ing and characters, but Danes
was its beating heart, her natural
delver -full ofuns" likes"
and uneven pauses - injecting
Angela with truth.
We've quite literally watched
Danes grow up on our TV
screens. She was only 15 years
old when she won her first Gold-
en Globe for Best Lead Actress in
a Drama in 1995, and she beat out
contenders with well more than
double her experience. In her
acceptance speech, she was as
plain-spoken as Angela, but for-
got to thank her parents. Which
is why, 17 years later, she was
sure to thank them right away
when she accepted the same
exact award for her performance
as the charged and discerning
Carrie Mathison in "Homeland."
I told you - Claire Danes knows
how to win awards.
Nowadays, every TV critic
worth his or her salt is head-
over-heels for her, but this
wasn't always the case. For a
brief period in the late '90s,
Danes was incredibly unpopular
among critics and TV lovers, but
it had nothing to do with her
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talent. drawn to the character. Both
When it became apparent that are incredibly well written.
"My So-Called Life" was facing Women who are unstable and
cancellation, news soon followed yet maintain a sense of agency
that Danes had approached the can be hard to find on TV, and
network to say that she did not both Angela and Carrie strike
wish to continue being a part of the balance. But the force that
the project. A group of fervent emanates from both characters
fans of the series formed Opera- can't be chocked up to writers'-
tion Life Support, which circu- room wizardry. Somewhere
lated nasty emails criticizing between the words on the
Danes for her perceived role in page and what we see on our
the show's demise. One particu- screens, Danes steps in and
larly inflammatory e-mail boast- works her trusty magic.
ed the subject line "CLAIRE She made the oft-impossible
DANES BRINGS DEATH TO bound from teen star to vir-
'LIFE.' tuoso and has enjoyed an
In 2004, Danes admitted in an exceptional longevity similar to
interview with Entertainment that of Winona Ryder. In fact,
Weekly that she and her parents the now-defunct Sassy Maga-
discussed her departure with zine once referred to her as
the show's creators, but Danes the "next Winona Ryder," and
also pointed out an undeniable the two sparked a close friend-
truth: No teenaged actor has ship after working on "Little
the power to shut down a series. Women" together. Like Ryder,
"Life" was suffering from weak Danes has become a familiar
ratings, and when the network face.
became aware that Danes might But her familiarity isn't what
not be interested in continu- makes her the best act on tele-
ing on a fledgeling project, she vision right now. Actors who
became the scapegoat. The flame get too locked into a particu-
war waged against her was lar role or performance don't
unfair and ultimately pointless. last. The greats are consistent
Fortunately, despite the but still unpredictable. And
drama, Danes didn't fade. Angela there's nothing stagnant about
and Carrie are staggering book- Danes's trajectory. She's con-
ends for Danes's TV career so stantly evolving as an actor,
far, and in between she has done not only fresh role-to-role, but
heartfelt and rich work, the most week-to-week. Sometimes, as
notable being her multifaceted in "Homeland"'s "Q&A," even
and demanding portrayal of scene-to-scene.
Temple Grandin. Without really realizing it,
Many actors have risen to the I've been following Danes's
challenge of portraying autistic career longer than any other
individuals (even Danes's hus- actor. I keep my ever-growing
band Hugh Dancy, who played magazine collection on display
the titular character of 2009's on built-in bookshelves in my
"Adam"). Danes and the writ- room, one section set aside for
ers of "Temple Grandin" take issues particularly important
everything we know about the to me. Sitting right next to the
depiction of autism in film - September 2012 issue of the
and the biopic genre, for that New York Times Style Maga-
matter - and throw it out the zine with Claire Danes on its
window, yielding delightfully cover is a 1995 issue of Sassy,
unsentimental work that moves which features a short essay by
in detailed strokes ratherthan j Ir-uld Dane
sweeping emotional cues. Danes 'ou wouldn't' eleiethe
doesn't rely solely on the physi- challenge it is to understand
cality of the role, taking a metic- that it's OK to be successful,"
ulous approach to the character. she writes. "I wonder all the
At times, I wanted to stand up time what it is about me that
and applaud. people respond to. Things have
There are moments when a continued to progress for me
flicker of Angela Chase flashes since 'My So-Called Life,' but
across the screen as I'm watch- there's always the fear that it
ing "Homeland" ... most often will all go away."
in the tear-filled scenes. In all Eighteen years after "My
these years, no one has come So-Called Life," Danes is still
close to challenging Danes's giving exciting little gifts.
status as the Best Crier on TV. In "Homeland"'s season
And in some ways, Angela and two premiere, there's a brief
Carrie are bizarrely similar - moment - a smile, to be exact
where Angela was scared of - so stripped down, so potent
people perceiving her as young that I was once again seduced
and insignificant, Carrie's fear by Danes's magnetism. The
is that she might never shed moment - one of the best
the label of That Crazy Lady. on television this fall - was
They're both insecure and undoubtedly scripted, but
unsteady, but Danes's perfor- again, there's only so much
mance is nothing but graceful, credit we can give tothe writ-
confronting their nuances with ers. Simple, telling, radiant,
teeth. thatsmile is Danes's magic.
I don't relate to Carrie as
I did with Angela, but that - Originally published on
doesn't mean I'm any less December 3, 2012
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By MAX RADWIN early in my professional life is
Daily Fine Arts Editor that human nature remains the
same," Burns said. "In times when
MAR. 20, 2013 - The Penny W. we've lost the ability to have a civil
Stamps Speaker Series welcomes discourse ... the value of history
documentary filmmaker Ken increases because history is still a
Burns to the Michigan Theater table around which we can agree to
this Thursday. Burns and Dan- cohere."
iel Okrent (a former editor of The Burns's most recent film, "The
Michigan Daily) will show a series Central Park Five," which screens
of film clips while discussing race on Saturday during the 51st Ann
in the United States, a topic that Arbor Film Festival, became a
remains significant to the Univer- strange joining of historical and
sity's student body, to Americans current events in a different way.
everywhere and, especially after New York City subpoenaed Burns
recent legal battles with the city of as well as co-directors Sarah Burns
New York regardingthe 2012 docu- and David McMahon for the proj-
mentary "The Central Park Five," ect's unused footage, thinking that
to Burns and Florentine Films. it would help defend against the
Burns will use clips from films still-ongoing, $250-million civil
stretching across almost the entire- rights lawsuit that the five men
ty of his career. Some of them deal filed after being exonerated from
with race head-on like "The Civil the 1989 rape of Trisha Meili.
War" andUnforgivable Blackness: In addition to chronicling those
TheRise and Fall ofJackJohnson," 1989 events, the film attempts to
while the other two films - "The uncover the identities of the five
Statue of Liberty" and "Jazz" - men involved (four of whom were
use rate as a lens through which black, the other Hispanic and
to view, and better understand, a all under 17 years of age) whose
larger American phenomenon. For humanity was seemingly taken
Burns, the subject is an integral from them at thefime.
part of the American identity and is "The language of a liberal pro-
almost unavoidably relevant in any gressive city at the end of the 20th
film about its history. century was the language of Jim
S"More often than not, it'seasierto Crow's southern newspapers of
count the films that don't have any the late 19th century," Burns said.
relationship to race," Burns said. "That's what's chilling - is that
"(Race is) onlyincludedbecause it's these same racial tropes, these
there. When you scratch the sur- same racialstereotypes,these same
face ofAmericanhistory,youtouch racial codes and phrases can be
a question of race." used a century later in what would
Burns's films, dealing largely seemingly be a place of forgive-
with historical subject matter, tend ness."
to look backward rather than for- The city of New York justified
ward.Butinlookingbackward,one its subpoena on the grounds that
can more clearly see the issues at the film was a one-sided advocacy
hand in the present day. piece. Burns and his co-directors
"A hugely important under- disagreed - as did a federal judge,
standing that I arrived at fairly who blocked the city's subpoena on
Feb. 19.
"It's a victory for journalists and
filmmakers everywhere," Burns
said, "because it does add an extra
layer of protection in an area where
the courts have been more often
disposed to prying into journalists'
notes."
While the court's decision is a
victory for documentarians every-
where, Burns recognizes the more
pressing matters at hand.
"It's sort of heroic that filmmak-
ers are subpoenaed and I suppose
even more heroic that they have
at least temporarily prevailed,"
he said. "But the most important
story is that we are approach-
ing the 10-year mark on the civil
suit for five young men ... and still,
there isthis gigantic, gaping hole in
their childhood that hasn't, in some
ways, been resolved."
Even though their own minor
trials have come to a close, Burns
and Florentine Films areas busy as
ever, working on a 14-hour, seven-
parc history of the Roosevelt fam-
ily to be released in 2014, a one-off
story about Jackie Robinson for
their "Baseball" series in 2015 and
a documentary about the Viet-
nam War set for 2016. As for how
Florentine Films will approach
documeningcthese three historical
events,Burnssaid,"Youcanbelieve
thatfrace is an integral part."
Burns has also been in dis-
cussion with HBO through Tom
Hanks's company Playtone to
produce a dramatic series about
the life of the boxer Jack John-
son, which, aftercthe success of the
2005 documentary, Burns sees as
"ripe for dramatic treatmentL"
Concerning his role in the actu-
al filming ofthe series, Burns only
said laughingly, "I'm keeping my
day job."