OmnibusThursday, September 29, 193811
Towaqqatsi' sends
powerful message;
Kansas' tries, but fails
cyfLa!ADs::iTM
SUfT writer
"PovcqqstsT is not standard
dnematto fare Director Godfrey
ReggJo Is riding on the accteim of
his 1933 fnm, Toy22rtsq3tsi," (a
Hop tacScn word meaning Hfe out
of balance") with this second in
what couSd become an impressive
and profouncUy important soles.
Koyaanisqatsr concerned Itself
with the contrasts of the United
States, using pictures and music
atone to study the dfferences and
simnartties between the natural
and the rnanmade in our society,
it was experimental, and it was
entertaining.
With "Powaqqatsi," Reggio's
experiment has reached a more
exciting stage. The subtitle of this
oneistfe in tramformatioa" but
more spedficaHy powaqqatsi is an
entity that consumes other Eves
purely for Its own gain. Thus
Reggio swoops his camera
through the Third World In an
urgent attempt to bring the true
cortcstton of our planet into the
forefront of our minds, it Is
stunningly effective.
Reggio's vehicle drives in virtu
ally the same way as before. There
is no story as such; no dialogue.
A plethora of Images and a driving,
reverberant score by PhH'p Class
lead us from Peru to Israel from
Kenya to Nepal it Is denberatery
unsettling; the audience never
realty knows where it is, in space
or time. Reggio is very keen on the
time-lapse and the mesmerizing
ssow-motlon shot He does not
ccrect so much as choreograph the
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THE1 COMEDY
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world onto the screen. And we can
do nothing other than Join the
dance
Before our very eyes, fields of
wheat melt into a sunlit sea City
traffic flows Eke a pointed river.
Canted screens make airplanes
dive into the ground and urban
skyscrapers resemble pins in a
faulty piug. Characters come alive;
their faces atone say so much more
than a word ever could. The
camera parts In dose-up a group
of young children, focusing on
each face in turn. An old, one
toothed man smiles Into the
camera and then, with excruciat
ing slowness, his smile disappears
from his face Asmaa girl stops to
took at the camera; scrawled on
the waa behind her are the words,
"Viva la guerra da guerillas." We see
the not&ty and Integrity of these
peoples against the crazy,, ail
encompassing influence of our
world. Reggio has us exactly
where he wants us, and It hurts.
Towaqqatsi" has an immense
scale and a message of supreme
importance. Reggio makes his
point with extraordinary vitality,
it Is rare to see a movie that can
change the way you view the
world.
"Kansas" Is not quite as differ
ent a kettle of fish as one might
expect With such a presumptuous
title It Is dear that director David
Stevens intends a slightly expan
sive frame of reference. The
trouble is, It is ail too general and
stereo typical only when Stevens
delves into the spedfic does his
fnm succeed.
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"EXTRAORDINARY
NO OTHER MO VIE LOOKS UKE IT,
- FEELS LIKE IT, DREAMS LIKE ITT
-Dmid .4nn. .VEKSIT EEK
S21 M
NC Premiere
TOMORROW
There are angels
on the streets
of Berlin,
OVER
f (I H 2!
a
a
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2 BY
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.
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Pantyhose head Matt Dillon
Kansas " storyline creeps up
from seemingly nothing, which is
Its Initial beauty. Two drifters,
Doyle Kennedy and Wade Corey
(Matt Dillon and Andrew
rcarthy), meet by chance on a
train and make their way to a
town where the governor is mak
ing a highly-attended appearance
Together, while the rest of the
town is preoccupied, the two men
rob the local bank. Diiton is the
instigator, but McCarthy is not as
reluctant as one might expect for
a good guy.
The getaway is muddied. The
police, in their overzealous
attempt to catch the robbers,
create an accident that involves
the governor's daughter and from
which Corey emerges a hero.
Suddenly aa the pieces of Spencer
Eastman's script start clicking
together. Elements that pre
viously appeared irrcievent deii
dously come Into play.
its locking good at this stage
and continues to for some time
The story spirals outward Involv
Winner
st Director
(AWES
FILM
FfSTIVAI.
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2:00
4:30
7:00
0:30
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threatens to blow Andrew I.Carthy's brains out In Kansas
ing a great number of Interesting
peripheral characters and Kansas
becomes a real "big" place But our
interest is spilt In two when DHton
and McCarthy are separated, and
this starts the fiirms undoing.
While Stevens takes great
delight In slowly revealing just
how dangerous Kennedy Is,
McCarthy goes to work on a farm
where there Is what we might can
love Interest" it Is rrclodramatic
and dun, and a shame since East
man's script has so far risen above
suchdlche
From here on in, It quickly
becomes obvious that Kansas"
lacks development In several fields,
it is not dear what Stevens is
trying to say. A violent man in
small town America An unlikely
hero who wrestles with a guilty
consdence it aa has potential but
'lacks focus and vision. "Take a deep
breath," Dillon tells McCarthy.
"Smell that? That's America."
Theyre standing next to a gas
station, so make of that what you
wni
MOTOL
A ROCK AND
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McCarthy remains a staunchly
unconvindng actor, despite this
slight change of pace Dliion gives
another Impressive performance
in another mediocre fiim. Kansas
Is comrroTdable.fdr trying, but
somewhat Inevitably, It falls short
Powsqqstsi'ts playing for only
one more night (TftursctiY) at the
CaronnaBfue and White onFtsnkSn
Street at 7:15 pm only. Rim, run
run?
"7
ELLIOT ROAD at E. FRANKLIN
967-4737
Debra WlngrTom Brnger
2:20 4:45 T:3LO 0:33
Matt Dillon Andrew McCarthy
EIAHOA8 CE2)
2:204:40 7:05 ti:SO
VEiO ETOACSZZ:?
ROQCR C3ADBIT CG)
2:30 4:SO T:CO 0:10
IT"
ROLL FANTASY
Ibuchsione
me. Pictures
1 1 i
3 fir i i