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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 39, Number 14, 5 July 1976.

Films

page 23

Films

"Tell me, sir, Is it good or bad?"

The Paper Chase : Tues 6 July 2.15pm

This film is about the trials and triumphs of a bright young Harvard Law School student named Hart. His hero is Professor Kingsfield, a brilliant, irascible old professor of contract law, marvellously well-played by John H Houseman. Kingsfield, using the Socratic method of teaching, pushes, bullies and ridicules his students, with the aim of turning them into first-class lawyers. Hart is at first intimidated, and then challenged, propelled by an interest in learning, rather than in the material rewards that may follow. He has an affair with a pretty, independent girl who turns out to be Kings field's daughter.

Portrayed is the conformism of the Law School, the pressures of the Socratic system, and a mild rebellion. A must for any student doing Contracts or Torts.

Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner, John Houseman.

Director: James Bridges.

I personally recommend this film to anyone who has done law, is doing law, is thinking of doing law, or has been done by law! - Ed.

Little Big Man : Wed 7 July 2.15pm

An adaptation of Thomas Berger's hilariously picaresque reconstruction of the Old West seen through the eyes of the 111 year old narrator, Jack Crabb. He fell into the hands of the Cheyenne as a child, was brought up as the Indian Brave "Little Big Man" by the wise Old Lodge Skins, and sub-sequently spent his life drifting around the West, mediating between the oppressed Indians and the intruding Pale Faces, associating with legendary figures likd Wild Bill Hickok, and being present at numerous historical battles.

Penn captures the mood of the vulnerable alien culture of the Indian, with its humane sympathy for individuals, and contrasts it with white society which he presents largely in terms of caricature life in so-called civilisation is disordered, hypocritical, self-seeking, nihilistic.

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Chief Dan George.

Director: Arthur Penn.

Ladies and Gentlemen : The Rolling Stones. : Thurs. 8 July 5.00pm

An immensely enjoyable movie, filmed documentary fashion, with an audience roaring throughout.

"Watching Mick Jagger is just as ex-hilerating as ever. While the sequins in his crow's feet change from mauve to black, and the sweat glistens in his decolletage, his hands clutch his waist and hips possessively, and his body s seems to throb even harder than it used to (it s impossible not to view him as a sex object, the choice is his, not ours)".

New York Times.

Jagger shows himself independent of any period, with a powerful impact.

Death Race 2000

This film is consciously clicheic, and that is all there really is to it.

It has all the classic corny elements -America in the year 2000 under a repressive dictatorship with a "Big brother" type Mr President, a flag that looks remarkably Russian, and a well drilled underground movement that possesses among other things a television station.

The 'plot' centres round a cross-America road race in which points are scored for knocking down pedestrians; there are five stereotyped competitors ranging from the husky male to the All American sexpot. The 'hero' is a new version of the six-million-dollar-man, Mr Frankenstein, who is worshipped by millions of mindless Americans and has him own groupies. The underground intend to sabotage the race and capture Mr Frankenstein in order to have the race symbol of the violence of the system abolished forever.

So given all this, you sit in the theatre, wondering who is taking who for a ride. Obviously the film is not serious - its utter triteness outrules any possibility of this, but then what is it trying to say? All you are left with is a feeling of artificiality that is less realistic than Mr Frankenstein's metal hand.

But, there are several ironic twists to the plot. Mr Frankenstein ends up becoming President and proclaiming a new era of freedom for America but the final gesture in the film (when he runs over an irksome reporter) is violent and the credits fade out on a description of violence throughout the ages. And all this seems to say is that violence is inevitable. Which is very pat and self-indulgent.

In summary this film has nothing at all to recommend it, unless you want to see the plasticity of science fiction taken to its painful extremes And I don't suggest you subject yourself to that.

WITH ALL THIS SUFFERING THERE MUST BE A BLOODY MORAL SOMEWHERE. SPEED LIMIT 60

Great Expectations

Having read the book in the 4th form I was somewhat reluctant at first to indulge in a classic of this sort. But I was soon enticed and entrenched by the beauty of Dickens's writing and the reminder of an age that is very m much our heritage, however loath we are to admit it.

Misery, sadness and irony constantly feature in the things Dickens saw when he wrote of English society in the mid-19th century. A time of rapid change from a feudal eopch to an urban capitalist society.

Instead of praising and worshiping this new development as did many of his liberal contemporaries - Dicken's chose to highlight the misfortune, suffering and contradiction in the new society His observations will be relevant to us as long as capitalism survives.

For all this, "Great Expectations" comically illustrates the feature which is the lynch-pin of our society - the fetish of self advancement and success. Dickens skillfully shows the irony and futility in this idea. Go to his film and laugh at yourself - for we all have Great Expectations.

The film contains many famous actors and is well done, never dragging -always appealing. It's about the first 'G' certificate film I've been to since I turned 16 (tee hee - before that actually), and I found it rewarding to anyone game enough to risk walking without being spotted by "sophisticated" friends. You may also wish to cry - if you still can.

- David Murray