[._______ --_-,,.
violence and lyricism pervades this memorable slice ofAmerican Gothic. whose expressionist images have the true quality of nightmare. The atmosphere is quite unique. Edinburgh; EL} Filmsoc O Nosferatu (PG) (FW. Murnau. Germany. 1922) Max Schreck. Alexander Granach. 63 mins. Unauthorised expressionist version of Dracula with Schreck a memorably skeletal creature ofthe night. Edinburgh; Edinburgh Film Guild 0 The Osferman Weekend ( is) (Sam Peckinpah. US. 1983) John Hurt. Denis Hopper. Burt Lancaster. 1(15 A well-mounted Death Wish for intellectuals. Peckinpah‘s final film. Glasgow: GFI‘ o Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (PG) (Albert Lewin. L'K. 195(1) James Mason. Ava Gardner. 122 mins. A young American woman in Spain rejects several suitors but falls for a mysterious stranger who turns out to be a legendary ghostly sea captain. A dazzling and remarkably erudite mix of fact and fantasy. literature and legend. this undervalued work by a singular talent is a very welcome reissue. Edinburgh; Filmhouse 0 Une Partie De Campagne (PG) (Jean Renoir. France. 193(1) Sylvia Bataille. Jane Marken. Jacques Becker. 4() mins. A Parisian ironmonger takes his family on a Sunday outing to the country, Ile snoozes the afternoon away.
oblivious to the surrounding pastoral
beauty. whilst his wife and daughter discover romance by the riverbank. Edinburgh; French Institute
0 Pauline At The Beach ( 15) (Eric Rohmer. France. 1983) Amanda Langlet. Arielle Dombasle. 94 mins. On holiday on the Normandy coast. intrigues develop between two girls and three gentlemen. The motto of the third of Eric Rohmer‘s Comedies and Proverbs is ‘He who wags his tongue too much will surely bite on it‘. and it‘s basically the same recipe as before with a vigorously structured narrative affectionately observing human follies. Edinburgh; Filmhouse
0 Persona ( lh’) (Ingmar Bergman. Sweden. 196(7) Liv Ullmann. Bibi Andersson. 81 mins. A chronicle of the relatiomnship between a mentally-ill actress and her nurse. Filmed in an audacious fusion of realist and expressionist styles which mirrors the merging ofpersonalities. this not an easy work. but it is a rich one. Edinburgh; Filmhouse
0 Pink Flamingos (No way Jose) (John Waters. US. 1972) Divine. 95 mins. A contest to find the World‘s Filthiest Person has to include that lovable mountain of flesh. Divine. You‘ll treasure the feeling of the contents of your stomach making their way up to your throat as you watch him/her actually eating doggy-poo before your very eyes. Sparing no detail of the grossly offensive. the film will be adored by certified sleazos everywhere. Edinburgh; EU Filmsoc (Sorry filth fans. you have to be a member to be admitted to the performance). 0 Plenty (15) (Fred Schepisi. US.
FILM LIST
1985) Meryl Streep. (‘harles Dance. John Gielgud. 124 mins. ()ne woman’s disillusion with her lot in post-war Britain symbolises the malaise of a class—bound nation in decline. ‘Plenty‘ is a weighty. literate and overly ambitious epic with the expected high standards of performance throughout.
Glasgow; AB(‘ (Sauchiehall Street). 0 Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 1 PG) (Jerry Paris. is. 1985) Steve Guttenberg. S" mins. \Vitless Keystone Kop shenanigans. Strathclvde; Kelburne 0 Private Life (PG) (Yuli Rai/man. ['SSR. 11182) Mikhail l'lyanov. Iya Savvina. 1(12 mins. The enforced retirement of a top—level official leaves him with time on hishands to reflect on his relationships and the ideals he has held throughout his life. Last in the laudable Raizman season is another exploration ofthe quality oflifc in the Soviet l 'nion Edinburgh: Filmhouse o Pumping Iron If: The Women( 15) (George Butler. IS. 1984) Bev
Francis. Rachel .‘yfclish. I.ori Bowen. 107 mins. A highly regarded documentary foctising on the individual style and personalityof four contestants in the finals of the women‘s1983tardy-building world (‘up Championships at (‘aesar's Palace in l.as Vegas. That year they found the tradition of ‘feminine body-building challenged by Bev Francis. an Australian champion weightlifter pursuing the extreme muscle development and classical poses more usually favoured by her tnale couterparts.
Flements of commercial voyeurism are submerged by a much—praised approach that raises a welter of questions about femininity. Iidinburgli; FiImboLise 0 Purple Rain ( 15) (Albert .‘ytagnoIi. IS. 1984) Prince. Apollonia ls'otero. lllmins. l'nappealingly sexist. thinly disguised autobitigraphical musical on the life and crimes of IIis Purpleness. Fdinburgh: Fl. Filmsoc O Repulsion ( IS) (Roman Polanski.
WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS
When Father Was Away on Business (18) (Emir Kusturica. Yugoslavia. 1985) Moreno De Bartoii. Miki Manojlovic. Mirjana Karanovic. 136 mins. Yugoslavia duringtheturbuient 1950s isthe setting iorthis affectionate portraitoffamilyiife. the surprise recipient ofthe Grand Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
UnderTito‘s leadershipthe country is seeking to create an independent Communist state. free from the constraints oiundue Soviet influence. The inevitable political tensions have a devastating impact on one young boy when his father is denounced as a Stalinist by a spiteful mistress. At such a time careless talk can ruin lives and the father is sent ‘on business‘ to spend three years in exile at a labour camp.
Thethree years are witnessed throughfhe eyes ofhis youngestson Malik. a football-crazy boy with a penchanfforsleepwalking. As he progressesfrom ‘circumcisionfofirst love” we see his nearest and dearest in a rich array of images and events that
g! . if
depictfheirfamiiyunitinall its splendourand complexity.
EmirKusturica'sunassumingfilm is long on charm and short on dramatic fireworks. Overlong at 21/4 hours it ambles along entrancingthe viewer wifhgood humourand perceptive observations onthe minutiae ofdayto dayliving. There are somefinely judged performances. particularly from Mirjana Karanovic as the mother, a resilientfigure whose effortst maintainadecentIifeforheroffspring receive scant reward in a crushineg male-dominated society. Moreno De Bartolias Malikisjusfperfecf. capturingtherightbaiance of innocence. bewilderment and occasional guiie.
After his 1981 feature “Do You Remember Dolly Bell?‘. Kusturica has clearly distinguished himselfasa notable chroniclerofhuman existence. When FatherWas Away on Business is not a gripping. earth-shattering experience butits warm andtender approach leavesa pleasantafterglow.
he...
_ I
L’K.19o5)(‘atherineDeneuve.Ian I IIendry. 104 mins. In south London 1 a young Belgian girl's fear ofsexual contact leads her to incarcerate herslf in her flat as she descends into paranoia. little dialogue. but the combination ofa menacingly textured naturalistic soundtrack and stark monochrome images creates a truly oppressive atmosphere. Terrifying. Glasgow; GI’I‘
o The Return of Martin Guerre ( 15) (Daniel Vigne. France. 1982) Gerard Depardieu. Nathalie Baye. lllmins. Depardicu returns to his wife and family after a seven year absence. He appears to have changed beyond all recognition which leads to claims that he is an imposter. A true story from the lbth century solidly re-enacted. Iidinburgh: Filmhouse
0 Revolution (PG) 1“: (Ilugh Hudson. FR. 1985) Al Pacino. Nastassja Kinski. Donald Sutherland. 135 mins. A fragmentary ‘personal‘ epic told against the turbulent backdrop of the Amercian War of Independence. A declaration of incompetence'.’ To be reviewed. Edinburgh; ABC. Glasgow; ABC (Sauchiehall Street)
0 Rocky IV (PG) (Sylvester Stallone. US. 11185) Sylvester Stallone. Dolph Lundgren. Talia Shire. ‘11 mins. East meets West in the boxing ring as southpaw slugger Rocky Balboa tackles Soviet superman Ivan Drago. Yawn.
Edinburgh; Dominion. ()deon. Glasgow; ()deon. Rio. Salon. Lothian : ABL‘. Strathclyde; ABC. Greenock. ABC. Kilmarnoek; I's'elburne. ()deon. Hamilton; Rialto.
o The Rocky Horror Picture Show ( 15) (Jim Sharman. l'k. l‘)75)'l‘im ('urry. liiii mins. (‘ult musical horror spoof. Appealingly perv crse. Edinburgh; Playhouse.
0 Rumble FISI'I ( IR) (Francis Ford Coppola. L'S. 1983) Mickey Rourke. Matt Dillon. Diane Lane. 94 mins. Electrifying expressionist monochrome visuals grace an existentialist parable about the need to forge one‘s own identity. and the alienation it can bring. Glasgow; GFI'
o Sauve Oui Peut (La Vie) ( is) (Jean—l.uc Godard. France. 198(1) Isabelle IIuppert. Nathalie Baye. 87 mins. The chance encounters of three characters. a couple in the process of breaking up and a prostitute. portrays the division of love and work in modern society. More narrative than usual. absurd humour well to the fore. but the most engaging aspect is the achingly lyrical use ofslow motion in everyday scenes. Iidinburgh; EL: Filmsoc
O The Seventh Seal ( l5) (Ingmar Bergman. Sweden. 1957) Max Von Sydow. ()5 mins. In order to prolong his life. Von Sydow's medieval knight plays a chess game with Death. The film which set up Bergman as an artist of international standing is a modern morality play deftly weaving allegorical meditation with the broadly comic. Part of an excellent Bergman double-bill. I'idinbtirgh; Filmhouse
The IN 31 Feb b Mar 27