FILM LIST
Jean De Florette (PG) (Claude Berri, France, I986) Gerard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil. 121 mins. Jean de Florette is a towering tribute to the highest aspirations of traditional French storytelling. A pastoral drama of incomparable potency it sensuously evokes the atmosphere of rural Provence in the 1920s and then unfolds a gripping yarn of elemental human emotions-love, greed, duplicity and vengeance.
Based on a novel by Marcel Pagnol, Jean De Florette is the beginning of an epic tale of people and passions that will be concluded in a second film entitled Manon des Sources. The story commences when Ugolin Soubeyran returns from military service to his native village Les Bastides Blanches. His dream for the future is to own a vast carnation farm populating the hillside with vibrant and lucrative red blooms. His sole relative uncle Cesar scoffs at the idea until he discovers just how profitable a venture it might prove. From then on greed dictates their every action.
The one vital requirement for Ugolin’s success is a reliable and regular source of water. Cesar recalls the existence of a spring on an adjoining property and attempts to persuade the owner to sell. When his vocal efforts are in vain the two men come to blows and the owner is mortally injured. The property is consequently bequeathed to tax collectorJean De Florette. Cesar is well pleased, confident that the city
JEAN DE FLORETTE
dwellerwill not want to live on the land. However, Jean suprises them both with his enthusiastic pursuit of a new life there, his scientific approach to farm management, his indefatigable labours and his determination that he will succeed for himself and his family.
Whilst outwardly friendly, Cesarand Ugolin secretly conspire to drive Jean from the land; blocking his water supply with cement and taking over his mortgage. Jean’s life becomes a heartbreaking struggle against both the unpredictable elements and the unsuspected connivances of the Soubeyrans.
Beautifully photographed, Jean De Florette captures the authentic
atmosphere and ryhtmn of another time and another place. The vision of soil and seed is so convincing that one can almost breathe the air and feel the sunshine from one's seat in the stalls. The story is utterly compelling and the acting flawless. A transformed Yves Montand creates a memorable monster in the wily, roguish and thoroughly unscrupulous Cesar whilst Depardieu has rarely been so winning or vulnerany human as the indomitable hunchback toiling against impossibly-stacked odds. A magnificent film that heightens one’s anticipation of Manon des Sources in which Jean’s daughter repays Cesar's
I despicable deeds. (Allan Hunter)
i
farce this is an enervated vehicle for Cleese’s incisive comic timing — the film's raison d'etre and saving grace. Glasgow; (ii-‘1‘
o The Color of Money ( 15) (Martin Scorsese. US. 1986) Paul Newman. Tom Cruise. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. 119 mins. (ienerally satisfacoty if tardy sequel to The Hustler with Newman‘s immaculately—played Fast Eddie Felson finding redemption through his initially cynical and exploitative involvement with young pool hotshot Cruise. Edinburgh; Catneo 0 Crimes of the Heart( 15) (Bruce Beresford. LIS. 198(1) .lessica Lange. Diane Keaton. Sissy Spacek. [(15 mins. The all-star film version of Bet Henley‘s play finally makes it to Scotland. Set in Mississippi it revolves round a family reunion of three sisters who assembly in the wake of Miss Spacek’s attempted murder of her husband. A titne of remembrance. soul-searching and heartbreak ensues. To be reviewed in lull. (ilasgow: ( irosvenor
o Crocodile Dundee ( 15) (Peter l-‘aiman. Australia. 1986) Paul Hogan. Linda Koszlowski. 98mins. Slight btit disarming comedy romance with Aussie croc hunter Hoges at large in downtown
Manhattan. (ilasgow; (irosvenor
0 Days of Heaven ( PG) (Terence Malick. US. 1978) Richard (iere. Sam Shepard. Brooke Adams. 94
mins. Malick is one ofthe great
10 The List 2— 1 5 October
wayward talents ofcontemporary American cinema and this is an exquisite traingular love affair set against midwestern wheat harvesting at the turn of the century. You can almost feel the sweat of the labour and the pull ofthe land. An ()scar-winner for Nestor Almendros' ravishing photography and a Best Actor Italian award for Crere. A great film. (ilasgow;GF1‘ o The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie ( 18) (Luis Bunuel. France. 1972) Fernando Rey. Delphine Seyrig. Stephane Audran. 1(X1mins. Sly. surrealistic ()scar-winning farce in which the attempts of a group of friends to host a perfectly normal. civilising dinner party go increasingly awry as one satirical scene follows another. Edinburgh; EUFS 0 Diva ( 15) (Jean-Jacques Betnetx. France. 1981 ) Frederic Andrei. Roland Bertin. Richard Bohringer. 117 mins. The twisted fate of two tapes. one an illegal recording ofan American opera star. the other exposing a crime ring. are the central standards ofthis daffy (iallic cult favourite. Style exudes from every sprocket hole. Edinburgh: Filmhouse o EatThe Rich ( 15) (Peter Richardson. UK. 1987) Nosher Powell. Ronald Allen. Robbie Coltrane. 9(1mins. Special Fresher‘s Week screening of the latest comic strip feature. To be reviewed.
Edinburgh: Cameo
0 Echo Park ( 15) (Robert Dornhelm. Austria. 1985) Tom llulce. Susan Dey. 9(1mins. Fantasy and reality co-mingle in the lives of three showbiz hopefuls in a rundown Los Angeles suburb. Pleasant. low-key character study of modest charm and nonchalant wit. Edinburgh; Filmhouse
0 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) ( 18) (Woody Allen. US. 1972) Woody Allen. (iene Wilder. Burt Reynolds. 87 mins. A starry cast for Woody‘s uneven series ofsketches on the most essential human activity of all. The mission control episode within the human penis marks the height ofcomic invention. Edinburgh; EUFS
o F/X Murder by Illusion ( 15) (Robert Mandel. US. 1985) Bryan Brown. Brian Dennehy. 109 mins. Special-effects wizard Rolie Tyler is contacted by Justice Department agents to fake the assassination of a star witness in a Mafia trial (purely for his own safety) and becomes an unwitting pawn in a high-powered political conspiracy.
A thriller worthy of the moniker. ingenious. humorous and intriguing. Edinburgh; EUFS 0 Full Metal Jacket( 18) (Stanley Kubrick. US. 1987) Matthew Modine. Lee Ermey. Dorian llarewood. 109 mins. A group of raw
recruits endure the dehumanising process of basic training under a foul-mouthed gunnery sergeant and then face the greater horror of Vietnam during the Tet offensive of 1968.
Impressive in many respects— camerawork. performances. humour — Full Metal Jacket adds nothing new to a subject that has been well covered elsewhere and more critically it lacks a heart and soul. Not the classic \"ietnam statement one might have anticipated from the maker of l’utlis ()fGIory. (ilasgow; Cannon Sauchiehall Street. [.{dinburghz Cannon. Strathclydc: ()deon Hamilton
0 Ghostbusters ( PG) (lvan Reitman. US. 198-1) Bill Murray. Sigourney Weaver. Dan Aykroyd. 105 mins. Three wacky unemployed parapsychologists pursue a little private enterprise as exterminators in a spook-infested Big Apple. Wildly overrated comedy; sparsely humorous. repetitive and top heavy with special effects. A sequel is in the works. Edinburgh: EUFS
O The Gig (15) (Frank D. (iilroy. US. 1985) Wayne Rogers. Cleavon Little. Ron Silver. 92mins. A group of middle-aged. middle-class businessmen have a regular date to play jazz together as a relaxation from the pressures of their lives. When they are hired fora professional engagement at a small resort the gig adds unexpected problems to what had once been just fun. Humorous. little-seen comedy-drama that is reported to be something ofa perceptive sleeper worth catching. Edinburgh; Filmhouse
0 The Grapes of Wrath ( U) (John Ford. US. 194(1) Henry Fonda. Jane Darwell. John (.‘arradine. 129 mins. Exemplary adaptation of the Steinbeck novel with memorable contributions from all concerned. Fonda never bettered his portrait of Tom Joad. Glasgow: (EFT
0 Half Moon Street ( 18) (Bob Swain. US. 1986) Michael Caine. Sigourney Weaver. Patrick Kavanagh. 89mins. Weaver is the highly intelligent but extretnely impoverished l)r Slaughter of Paul Theroux‘s novella. A research assistant at an institute of international affairs she decides to supplement her income by working for the Jasmine liseort Agency where she begins to fall in love with one of her clients -< Lord Bulbeck. a man currently handling the tricky negotiations for an A rab-lsraeli peace settlement. Slaughter thinks that she is an unwitting pawn in a conspiracy to discredit and murder Bulbeck. Brief. improbable but quite watchable thriller. lidinburgh; Dominion
0 Heatand Dust ( 15) (James lvory. UK. 1982)Julie Christie. (ireta Scacchi. Shashi Kapoor. 130 mins. 1n 192(ls‘ India an independent spirited woman shocks the English establishment by falling madly in love with an Indian prince but spends her days in disgrace and solitude. Sixty years on. a relative retraces her footsteps. Elegantly mesmerising