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Death in Venice Film lack By TERRY DUGAS Death in Venice, now playing at the Fox Theatre, is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It has however the misfortune of being a billiant film of emotion rather than action, and, con sequently, will be disliked by the great unwashed. In the opening minutes of the movie, the actions of the characters are inexplicable. This is calculated to produce a sense of unease and frustration (or boredom) in the audience. This sets the pattern of the entire film, for the director, Vis conti, uses every device available to manipulate the audience's emo tions. The theme of the movie is loneli ness, not a physical loneliness but a spiritual loneliness and lack of identity. The protagonist is a Ger man composer who has had his basic principles shaken by the death of his family and his own blossom ing doubt as to his abilities. He travels to Venice in an attempt to reestablish to himself the validity of his beliefs. As he enters into the lobby of his hotel, he is struck by a fleeting homosexual attraction toward a teen-aged boy. This is totally irreconcilable to his past, for he was supposedly incapable of feeling and terribly moral. Frightened by this new emotion, he attempts to run from these deca dent feelings and escape into his past. Visconti uses color intensities to signify the inner turmoil the com poser goes through, and this scene is climaxed by one of the greatest phallic shots I have ever seen as the composer returns to his hotel with a changing outlook on life. Studen The 1972 session of the South Carolina State Student Legislature (SCSSL) got underway Tuesday, at the State House, as more than 160 students from 30 state colleges met to discuss ways to improve govern ment in South Carolina. Miss Sharon Davis of Winthrop, governor of this year's session, addressed the students and urged them to work for responsible change. She said, "It is time we realize our responsibilities as vot ers, tax-payers and citizens, and stop excusing ourselves because we are students." Welcon HAPI Micd Sandwd 11 a.nv 634 HA RC at Fi' s action Through the use of flashbacks and parallel scene structure, Vis conti compares the new feelings of love toward the boy with a degrad ing experience that happened to the composer in a whorehouse. This parallel forces the composer to wage another battle with himself that is slowly lost. Total defeat comes when he succumbs to the decadance of the prevailing Vene tian style of painted eyes, painted faces, and painted lips on men. Visconti uses the music of Gustav Mahler's 3rd and 5th symphonies at situations like this to emphasize the incongruity of the transformation. Now that the composer has become "Venetian", it is obvious that either he or someone he knows will be affected by the plague that is sweeping Venice (as in Farewell to Arms). Visconti again uses washed out color in close-ups to show the lack of identity and shal lowness of the composer. His new found identity is totally against his basic nature. The movie closes with the com poser entering a Venetian beach which is as barren as his life. He is a totally broken man whose prin ciples have been broken and aban doned as he has failed at everything he has tried. His hair dye begins to run and represents the disinteg ration of his life. As he exerts him self for'one final grasp at life (youth, truth, beauty), he sees his life as an expression of futility. Still, there is one last expression of freedom, of hope, when is then denied him. Thus, totally destroyed, he dies. Death in Venice is a movie which will not be enjoyed by the majority of the huddled masses. It is, despite its flaws, a masterpiece. t legislat The students met in committees Tuesday and Wednesday to work on legislation aimed at correcting deficiencies in present South Carolina law. Legislation approved by the committees was acted on by the students as a whole in unicameral sessions Thursday and Friday. Two bills introduced by USC delegates were among the most important legislation considered at this year's session. The SCSSL passed an ethics bill introduced by Jay Hodge, chairman of the USC te Students "Y HOUR 304:30 telob 30* ches, Soups, Salads . to 12 p.m. lE N STRE E T ye Points cinema review' Concert Jacob Rardin and Bob Brown will be in concert in the Campus Room of Capstone House, Monday Nov. 20. Admission $1-students, $1.50 general public. 8 to 10 p.m. ire reviei delegation. The bill would require the members of the General Assem bly to report all compensation received for representing any organization or corporation char tered by the State of South Carolina. The reports would become part of the public record. Hodge said the bill was necessary to insure that the General Assembly members represent the people who elect them. He said, "Unfortunately there are some legislators who seem to be representing the inter ests of the corporations who retain St The Valachi Pape Mafia fa( By DAVID SIMPSON The rising interest, or exploi tation, rather, of the Mafia after the astounding success of "The Godfather" has continued with the screen version of "The Valachi Papers," a true account of Joseph Valachi's career as a lesser personage in the Cosa Nostra. The film, however, appears about as factual as " *Dick Tracy" and is totally reminicent of the old Warner Brothers gangster flicks of the thirties. Much of the blame of the film must be placed on the screen play by Stephen Geller. It is a thorough insult to the audience, exhuming the tritest of the gangster cliches. In a funeral scene for instance, a weeping widow pleas for her dead hus band's return. Joseph Wise man, as the Mafia kingpin replies,"I cannot-a return-a the dead. I can-a only kill-a the liv ing." Such dialogue is prevalent throughout the film and one wonders if the cast were rejects from the "spicy meatball" com mercial. Terence Young, the director, attempts to add a documentary effect to the film by flashing countless dates and times upon the screen. Beyond this fee vs abortio their services rather than the inter ests of the veople of South Carolina. This bill, Hodge said "would let the people know what their elected rep resentatives are up to, and would restore public confidence in the General Assembly." Another Carolina delegate, Mack Amick introduced an abortion resolution which was passed by the SCSSL. Amick's resolution calls for the repeal of all state abortion laws except those requiring that abor tions be performed by qualified physicians. Amick said the bill was needed [onday Nigi udent Spec *2.99 U.S. Choice Sirloin Choice of Potato Salad Bar ~ 741 SALUDA AVE.-- F COLUMBIA. SOUTH C rs rises bilty, the film is pure melod rama, with stone-faced mugs sticking their bottom lips out and striving to look suspicious. Charles Bronson, an off and on actor is off again as Joe Valachi, the pawn of the Mafia bosses. Bronson struggles with the script throughout the film, and his characterization is about as transparent as the film it is printed on. He stares in amaze ment as a rather gentle looking hood pulls out a machine gun out of a violin case (where have we seen that?) and states, "You sure look musical." Bronson certainly deserves better. For the violence connoisseur there are several gruesome scenes in which blood is more apparent than the acting. Bodies are pulverized by machine guns, Mafia heads drop like flies, and one poor soul is castrated in a very excruciat ing scene. If " The Godfather " was an insult to the Anti-Defamation League, then The Valachi Papers is a slap in the face. It is not only a disgrace to Italians, but to the unwary viewer as well. In fact it is a wonder that the producer, Dino de Lauren tis, has not found a horses-head for a bedmate. n. ethics to make therapeutic abortion a mat ter between a woman and her physi cian. He said, "Present abortion laws are an attempt by the state to legislate morals and an unwar rented intrusion by government into the private lives of its citizens. As the last order of business of of the SCSSL will elect a gover- { nor, lieutenant governor and speaker pro tem for 1973. The SCSSL will maintain a lobbying organization to work in the General Assembly for passage of bills approved at this year's session. Lit 1al Reservations Please Phone- 252-5141 lVE POINTS AROLINA 29205