- undistinguished without Murphy‘s potent presence. Glasgow; ABC (Clarkston Road).

0 The Big Chill (15) (Lawrence Kasdan. US. 1983) Glenn Close. Kevin Kline. William Hurt. 105 mins. A group ofcollege friends from the Sixties are unexpectedly reunited at the funeral ofone oftheir number who has committed suicide. During a weekend offriendship. fun and sex they reflect that yesterday all their troubles seemed so far away. Short on plot "The Big Chill‘ is rich in sardonic humour. pertinent music and expert ensemble acting. Glasgow: GET

0 sum 15) (Alan Parker. us. 1985) Matthew Modine. Nicolas Cage. 120 mins. Two boyhood chums are traumatised by their experiences in Vietnam. ()ne indulges a childhood delusion that he is a bird. the other seeks a mutual road back to sanity. Peculiar. well acted drama directed by Parker with the expected heavy hand allied to uncharacteristic optimism. Glasgow: GET

0 81000 Simple (18) (Joel (‘oen. L'S. 198-1) Dan Hedaya. M. Emmet Walsh. 98 mins. A Texan bar-owner hires a private eye to kill his wife and her lover. but the detective tries to trick him by faking their deaths. Gleefully devious thriller boldly evoking the mood ofJames M. Cain. Edinburgh; University Film Society

I o The Blues BrotherS(15)(John

f Landis.US. 1980) John Belushi. Dan

Ackroyd. Carrie Fisher. 133mins. Belushi and Ackroyd. the Abbott and Costello ofthe '80‘s. strike up their band to raise $5.000 for a children‘s orphanage and wind up destroying most of downtown Chicago. Bloated. resistable anarchic comedy. Glasgow:Grosvenor. o Boudu Sauve des Eaux( PG )(Jean Renoir.France.l932) Michel Simon. Charles Granval. Marcel Haina. A kindly bookseller plunges into the Seine to save the life ofa miserable tramp who is singularly unimpressed amd outrageously ungrateful. Enchanting early sound film with a celebrated comic performance from the lugubrious Simon. Edinburgh; French Institute. 0 The Bride 0f Frankenstein ( PG) (James Whale. US. 1935) Boris Karloff. Colin Clive. Ernest Thesiger. Elsa Lanchester. 75 mins. Well-meaning man ofscience. Baron Frankenstein (Clive) is persuaded by Dr. Praetorious (Thcsiger) into reviving the Creature and stitching together a soul-mate to keep it company. A breathless narrative and an outstandingly compassionate performance from Karloff as the Monster are just some ofthe pleasures of Whale‘s unsurpassed. genteel gothic comedy. Most unforgettable scene has ’I'hesiger introducing Karloffto the twin delights ofgin and ciggies. Just terrific. Edinburgh: EU Filmsoc } O Camila ( 18) (Maria Luisa Bemberg. Argentina-Spain. 198-1) 1 Susu Pecoraro. lmanol Arias. j Hector Alterio. 97 mins. Set in I Buenos Aires in 18-17 this isa true story of a tragic love affair between a young upper-class Catholic girl and a

2-4-The List 24 Jan 6 Feb

FILM LIST

THE MONOCHROME SET

Running all the way through January to March at Edinburgh's ever-enterprising Filmhouse is Monochromania, a rather splendid season of films extravagantly demonstrating the glories of black and white cinematography. ‘Life is in colour, but black and white is more realistic’, says Sam Fuller as a feisty old Hollywood cameraman in Wim Wender’s elegaic, The State of Things. Exactly. The greater tonal range of the film allows us to see form, light and shadow more clearly than in murky colour - the reason why the best stills photographers use it. Yet the reverse can also be just as true, for monochrome enables the film—maker to create the most extraordinary stylised effects with lighting, luring the enchanted viewer into a truly cinematic dreamscape.

The series of films sets out to show how the medium has been outstandingly utilised in the past, with works as diverse as Louis Feuillade’s early French silent serial, a precursor of the Diva and Subway school of film-making and 40's Hollywood melodrama in the shape of classic film noir, Build my Gallows High, for example, which bears the marks of directorJacques Tourneur‘s customarily expressive use of shadows to create a brooding atmoSphere. Night of the Hunter shows monochrome at its most luminescent, as the forces of sweetness and light defeat Robert Mitchum’s psycho preacher in Charles Laughton’s remarkable piece of

r: u , y 3. .2. . ‘3’. i a : int; ' .. v' ~ . .- :3 ' W's .o‘ f h : ‘1 m! ~ “to? 2.-

~ o -_? American Gothic. The bleakness of European despair, we got it - a Bergman double of The Seventh Seal and Persona just would not have the same draining effect in colour.

Monochromania also serves as a reminder of recent triumphs. It is very often a case of deliberately choosing black and white, despite its being regarded as box office death, simply because it suits the tone of the film the directorwants to make, Bob Fosse's Lenny and Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull being two notable examples. Their seedy depiction ofAmerican low-life is greatly enhanced by the grainy black and white images. Meanwhile, back in Europe critical reputation brings artistic freedom, hence Wim Wenders strangely detached vision, as in the still from Kings ofthe Road (see photo) and Rainer Werner Fassbinder‘s remarkable contrast effects in his final no-holds-barred melodrama, Veronika Voss. All these and many more special treats are in store.

They include a visit on Feb 5 from master cinematographer Nestor Almendros, Oscar winnerforDays of Heaven (whose other credits include Sophie’s Choice and Finally Sunday) who will give a Guardian Lecture complete with clips. 80 even if the season is, as sources at the Filmhouse divulged ‘just an excuse to show a lot of films we really wanted to show’, as excuses go, it's a pretty good one. (TrevorJohnston)

priest that scandalised 19th century Argentina. Hailed elsewhere as a ‘powerful feminist melodrama which has resonances beyond its Argentinian context.’ Glasgow; (irosvenor

o The Chaintl’(;)(lack

(iold.UK. 198-1) Denis Lawson. Nigel Hawthorne. Billie Whitelaw. Warren Mitchell. l00mins Seven groups of people. each one symbolic of a deadly sin. shift house one day in London. assisted on their way by the ruminations ofphilosophic removal man Mitchell.

Glasgow: (irosvenor.

o Cocoon(P(})( Ron Howard.US.1985) Don Ameche.

mins. Members ofa Florida retirement community discover a veritable fountain ofyouth when they take an illicit plunge in a pool infested with alien pods.

The chance to savour the skills of a veteran cast in worthwhile roles is one of the main reasons for viewing this engaging scienCe-fiction fantasy. Edinburgh; Playhouse.

0 Defence of the Realm (PG) (David Drury. UK. 1985) Gabriel Byrne. Denholm Elliott. Greta Scacchi. Ian Bannen. 96 mins. Fleet Street hack Byrne stumblesonto a nice juicy scandal involving an ()pposition M.P.. the KGB and a call girl. little realising that it is a successful

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far-reaching conspiracy of murder and deceit that stretches to the heart ofthe Government. Incisive. provocative political thriller that both entertains and stimulates. Denholm Elliott‘s old warhorse is magnificent and Byrne‘s dogged reporter shows all the hallmarks of a star in the making.

Edinburgh: Odeon.

Glasgow; Odeon

0 Dim Sum (U) (Wayne Wang. US. 1985) Laureen Chew. Kim Chew. Victor Wong. 87 mins. Heartwarming tale of family strife in the Chinese—American community ofSan Francisco. An affecting. wistful study ofemotional and cultural conflict.

Edinburgh: Filmhouse

o Educating Rila(15)(Lewis Gilbert.UK. 1983) Michael Caine.

Julie Walters. Maureen Lipman. 110 3

mins. A Pygmalion for the '80‘s as perky. working-class hairdresser Walters enrols in an Open University course and emerges an uncertain independent woman and revivifier of her dissolute professor. Popular cinema transfer of the hit

West End show in which (.‘aine gives i

a masterly display ofscreen acting. Glasgow; Grosvenor. o The Emerald Forest(15)(lohn Boorman.US. 1985) Powers Boothe. Charley Boorman. 113 mins. The son of an American engineer working in the Amazon jungle is kidnapped by an Indian tribe while still a young boy. Ten years later his father manages to track him down and attempts to bridge the gap that now exists between them. Woodenly acted. visually grand ‘serious' action movie typical of its director. Strathclyde; La Scala. O Freaks ( 18) (Tod Browning. US. 1932) Wallace Ford. ()4 mins. Against the backdrop ofa sleazy travelling show. the deformed unfortunates on display take their revenge on a female trapeze artist

who has married then murdered one

oftheir number. Never does Browning treat the real freaks used in the film with anything less than total compassion in this bizarre melodrama. which evades lecring sensationalism. Instead. its unflinching exposure ofour heartlessness towards those less fortunate than ourselves make it undeniably affecting.

Edinburgh; EU Filmsoc

0 Gilda (PG) (Charles Vidor. US. 1946) Rita Hayworth. Glenn Ford. George Macready. 110 mins. Gamblerlohnny Farrell (Ford) is the trusted right-hand man of ambitious tycoon Ballin Mundson (George Macready) who operates a sumptuous casino in Buenos Aires. When Mundson unexpectedly marries sensational singer Gilda (Hayworth). broadcast the storm warnings because Johnny and Gilda were once lovers and old flames still burn brightly when rekindled. Archetypal 1940s melodrama making striking use of its studio setting and Rudolph Mates‘ black and white photography. Hayworth was at the height of her career here. incredibly magnetic and sexy singing Put the Blame on Mame. Boys and