Page 8-The Michigan Daily-Thursday, March 14, 1991
Cop
Rock lives with Jack City rapper
Ice-T
New Jack City
dir. Maria Van Peebles
by Jen Bilik
Feminist filmmakers in the early
'70s waged intense debates about the
language of film, asking whether
certain narrative techniques we take
for granted stemmed from patriarchy
itself. If existing conventions are
uniquely white and male, artists
working from an oppressed place in
society must find a new language
that expresses their perspectives not
only in content, but in form as well.
Others argue that by denying our-
selves access to certain techniques,
we limit ourselves artistically, in ad-
dition to keeping gender and ethnic
distinctions in place by allowing the
establishment to continue its appro-
priations.
In the case of African-American
voices, then, it's not just a matter of
finding money, support and audi-
ences for films starring African-
American actors and directed by
African-American directors - it's a
little more complicated than that.
Spike Lee has found some balance in
narrative techniques that best convey
his African-American experience, as
have Melvin Van Peebles with
Sweet Sweetback' s Badass Song,.
Robert Townsend with Hollywood
- Shuffle, and other filmmakers like
Charles Burnett and the Hudlin
brothers. The distinction between
conventions that narrate African-
American experience and those
which are directly lifted from main-
stream culture and .superimposed
onto a film dealing with African-
American issues is a difficult - and
sensitive - one to make, but it be-.
comes more apparent with a failed
attempt like Mario Van Peebles'
New Jack City.
By many standards, New Jack
City is a good movie - much of
the acting, especially Ice T's perfor-
mance, is superb. Technically, the
film is innovative and deliberate.:
Characters are sympathetic, the sto-
ryline moves and entertains, and
complex issues are presented in
multi-faceted ways that lead to a bet-
ter understanding of the tragedy of
drugs in the ghetto. For the first half
of the film, Van Peebles directs a
story that humanizes what most
people see only in newspapers. But
for the second half, he doesn't seem
to be able to stay away from stan-
dardized-Hollywood-blockbuster ma-
fia/gangster violence. A wedding
scene emceed by a heartthrob crooner
seems lifted directly from Th e
Godfather, and speeches become
stagey and overmelodramatic in Van
Peebles' attempt to create a tragic
hero out of a drug magnate.
The opening shots of the film set
the stage beautifully for a story that
sympathizes with all of its characters
- including dealers drawn to the
good life because they know their
time is short. The camera flies verti-
ca1y, looking down on New York
City's highrises, moving:. from south
to north, from wealth Io poverty. A
voice-over of radio clips talks about
the increasing gap between rich and
poor, the record highs in unem-
ployment rates, and the -lack of op-
portunity and mobility in the ghetto.
One of the film's definite strong
points is its emphasis on context
and community. Each killing has
emotional ramifications, in part be-
cause they are witnessed by people
trying to make a life for themselves
out of excruciating circumstances.
Children see murders from five feet
away. Toward the end, though, the
killing becomes gratuitous and ac-
tion-oriented, losing the impact of
earlier deaths. New Jack City ulti-
mately descends into fluffy formula
violence, forsaking the impact of its
why Judd Nelson was chosen to join
Ice T in the good-cop duo. The trip
from The Breakfast Club to Harlem;
is a long one, but he doesn't do so
badly - at least he seems capable ft
poking fun at himself. Ice T givcsy
by far the strongest performane:
gruff, realistic, and kind. Chris,
Rock, better known for his appear-i
ances on Saturday Night Live, plays;
a desperate crack-addict-turned-in4
former, and Wesley Snipes as king'
pin Nino Brown does just fine until'
the script take his character too far.
Even the women, with the exceptions
of a few "skeezers," are given strong,s
influential roles in a situation ripe:
for exploitation.
Last week in Westwood, a ritsy-
titsy part of L.A., 1500 people
showed up for the opening of New
Jack City in a theater that seats 500.
After 1000 were turned away, they*
marched downtown breaking wir-
dows and looting stores, providing
evidence for those who think filmg
like Do the Right Thing incite v'-
lence. Unfortunately, although it
clearly wasn't the film (they hadt id
yet seen it), such a riot tells those
unwilling to look any deeper that
movies about Black violence spawn
some of their own. New Jack City's
strengths might remind us that un-
"derlying conditions give way tv
mass expressions of anger, but its
flaws indicate that we need to finid
conventions other than those perpet-
uated by the status quo - the same
status quo that created the problems
in the first place. ""
NEW JACK CITY is being shown ait
Showcase.
Rapper Ice-T and former-Brat Packer Judd Nelson as another mismatched pair of cops who team up to tackle a
nasty New York City drug kingpin in New Jack City.
perspective for excitement and gore.
It doesn't help that the moral cen-
ter of the film falls into platitudes.
and heartstrings that ring especially:
ambition, the last half gives us
empty shells of guys in black hats.
In the beginning, we see efforts to
revive the ghetto through education,
Toward the end (of the film) the killing
becomes gratuitous and action-oriented,
losing the impact of earlier deaths. New Jack.
City ultimately descends into fluffy formula
violence, forsaking the impact of its
perspective for excitement and gore
positive influences which are absent
from many white-directed movies in
the same setting. The next genera-
tion looks promising, but toward the
end, the only center of moral author-
ity outside of Ice T and his vigilante
force is an old man who can't do
much else but call the drug dealers
idolaters. Yes, the biblical metaphor.
Sadly, Van Peebles turns in an
unconvincing performance as the
bridge between (white) authority and
the realities of vengeance - he
should've kept content with his di-
rectorial role. And it's hard to know
false when compared with earlier
scenes. Where the first half of the
film provides a sensitive psycholog-
ical characterization of the drug-
dealer mentality with its pride and
Good-bye Gordon
- t
'S
by Kristin Palm
Life does suck, so laugh it up
5yJoan ONNroaer
:Picture the following: you are
walking down State Street, arm
in arm with your new heartthrob,.
feeling a rush of exuberance as
the two of you together begin to
notice all of the "little things"
you never really paid any atten-
tion to before. Suddenly, all the
children on the street, who used.
to annoy you, now seem unbear-
ably cute; the Union food never
tasted better; and as you pass a
homeless person on the street,
your heart goes out completely
and you involuntarily hand the
person a $20 dollar bill. You feel
happy, excited, at one with the
world and maybe... maybe even
"in love.
But these feelings of euphoria.
ado not last long -maybe a
month, maybe even two. For
most of us, this initial excite-
ment eventually fades. Suddenly
you realize that "cuddlecakes"
tells sexist jokes and is always
half an hour late to your dates, or
"snugglebunny" snorts up soda
and doesn't listen to your ideas.
Eventually you begin to recog-
nize your mate as somebody dif-
ferent than the "ideal" person you
knew at the beginning - that
love, sex, and commitment aren't
always what they're cracked up to
be.
Two comical plays, performed.
by the Residential College Play-
ers, promise to address such is-
sues next weekend. The show, ti-
tled "A Polite Evening of Mar-
riage and Cuckoldry," will consist
of two short, one-act plays by
George Bernard Shaw, focusing
on relationships and on the diffi-
culties people face when they ide-
alize their mates.
LSA Senior Jason Goldsmith,
director of the one-act Overruled,
describes it as focusing on the so-
cietal pressures surrounding love.
The play deals with two extra-
marital affairs and how these
pressures influence the actions of
the unfaithful parties.
"I think people are too tied
down by social conventions now
as they are," says Goldsmith.
"Everyone is limited in a certain
sense. No one ever just comes
right out and says their feelings
to everyone. That's what this
play's really about... where these
characters' feelings really are and
what they (are) going to do about
it."
LSA Senior Michael Ryan, di-
rector of the other one-act, How
He Lied To Her Husband, de-
scribes the play as "a critique of
the way that love blinds." The
play offers another view of love.
and relationships, Ryan says.
In the play, a married woman
has an affair with a poet, and he
and her husband idealize her so
much that they lose sight of her
true identity.
"I think if there's one thing.
this play would give, it's just
that you can't idealize people,"
Ryan says, "that you should see
people as they actually are, good
and bad. And I mean that's true
love anyway, when you see bad
aspects of a person and you still
feel the same way about them."
The RC Players will perform
OVERRULED and HOW HE
LIED TO HER HUSBAND Friday
and Saturday night at 8 p.m. and
Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Residen-
tial College Auditorium. Tickets
are $2 for students and $5 for
non-students..
will never forget the day my love
affair with Sting began to fade. It
was in the spring of 1986 and I was.
sitting in front of the television,
eagerly awaiting what was to be the'
last Police video made to date. After
what seemed like hours of ZZ
Top/Madonna foreplay, I approached
the crucial moment - "Don't Stand
So Close to Me '86." It was slow, it
was easy, it was ... boring. I almost
cried. My semi-hero had bought in.
Big time.
It was somehow easier to forgive
Stewart Copeland for this letdown.
Stewart has always been my favorite
member of the Police (who could ri-
val an a.e drummer whose skins
have "Fuck off you cunt" printed on
them?) and, while I felt betrayed, I
somehow knew this wasn't his fault.
It was all the evil workings of ...
Goldsting (or the Stingmeister, de-
pending on which episode of Satur-
day Night Live you prefer).
After seeing the video, I stared at
the screen for hours (OK, minutes)
feeling lost, empty. What about
"Fall Out"? And "Message in a Bot-
tle"? Or "Every Little Thing She
Does is Magic"? Even "King of
Pain"? Jesus, Sting, did all these
songs, these years, mean nothing to
you?
I began to think of the good
times. We had been through so
much. We had even survived the
torment of the Police's breakup.
Dream of the Blue Turtles was
good. I enjoyed it. Besides, Stewart
hadn't come out with any new mate-
rial for a while and I was feeling_
lonely. You know how it is. "If You
Love Somebody (Set Them Free)"
eased the pain that the group's part-
ing ways had caused me.-
And then there was that night at
Pine Knob. To get out of the house,.
I had to promise my parents I
wouldn't skip school for the rest of
the year and that I'd drink a glass of
milk with dinner every night (this is
not a joke). But it was worth it.
Sting sang "I Burn for You." I
screamed until I thought I'd die.
After that night, I knew Sting
was the one. He had been so casual,
so laid back. He sang old Police
tunes and they didn't sound stupid. I
hate milk more than ever now, but
whenever I'm forced to drink it, I'm
reminded of my night of ecstasy. I
also have hot flashes whenever I hear.
"Fortress Around my Heart."
It was a long time before I saw
him again (I had blocked "Don't
Stand So Close to Me '86" out of
my memory.) When we did meet it
was rather anti-climactic. There he
was,- on the tiny SNL stage, pre-
viewing new material off ...Nothing
Like the Sun. He hasn't changed his
ways, I thought. He's going to be
boring forever.
been gret
But the album grew on me. Per-
haps it was that loneliness setting g
again. Stewart was still playing ha
to get and "We'll Be Togethr
Tonight" really did sound good aft
a couple listens. "Little Wing' ,
wasn't bad either.
But my happiness was fleetin
This was made clear to me one night
at the Masonic Temple. The lights
were low, the band was good, an4
Sting sang all my favorites. It was
good right up to the end. Then, he
played it. The hated song. In a feeble
attempt to ease my pain, he took his
shirt off. But it just didn't feel right.
Of course, I decided to give hift
one more chance. This time we met
at the Palace. He played most of ther
same songs and I began to forget the
problems of the past. But when the:
crucial moment came it was t16
same old song and dance -literallyi
"Don't Stand So Close to Me '86,"
and he took his shirt off again. "This
wasn't just for me," I realized. "Ney
does this for all the girls." I thougl4.
I was special, but he was just lily.. -
all the others. That was the end.
He tried to lure me back with
The Soul Cages, but his feeble at~
tempt won't do. He'll be at Cobte
Arena tonight doing some of the
same tunes, along with some newer
more boring ones. I might not hav
had the strength at one point, to stayf
away from him like this. But I've
grown up now. "'
Sorry, Sting, I can't see you
tonight.
I have to wash my hair.
M b
I WRITE FOR ARTS!!! CALL 763-0379!!!! 1
PUFF
8 5174A
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New York University
Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion
Hebrew&
Continued from page 5 sing some songs from their latest any double mean
their music. "Folk is not a time album, Flowers and Stones, be on the song is simpl
bound idiom... it makes people real- the lookout for other new works, and cence of childhood
ize that they can always have a handPAL
in their own destiny," he says. It is perhaps even a few revised classics PETER, PAUL A
w he toicaity esy, teesys.s during any encores. However, if you at Hill Auditoriun
when topicality meets timelessness are looking forward to hearing "Puff, Tickets are
that something special is born. t
The performance promises to be the Magic Dragon," you should TicketMaster for
great. Although they will probably know that Peter shuns the idea of service charge).
ings and
y "about
d."
ND MARY appear
m tonight at 8 p.m.
available a t
$20 (plus the evil
says that
the inno-
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