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It's Wc ;> BY DOUG BELL < Film Critic Chariots of Fire is a better film than some ot its critics have suggested. Still, I feel that its slot in this year's Academy Award nominations would be better filled by Prince of the City, a superior film. :-i- -/ r-: In j ^nunuis uj rirtr vuic: uuc is from a poem by William Blake) is based on the true account concerning the rather short journey of two British runners to the 1924 Olympics in Paris.The least sympathetic of these is Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a young Jew who enters Cambridge determined to overcome the barrier of anti-semitism that separates him from the smug English society he so keenly wants to join. Running is a means to that end as is, to a lesser degree, his relationship with a Gilbert and Sullivan soprano played by Alice Krige (the fair phantom from Ghost Story). His motive is not 'Yer ; ? BY MICHAEL KOMATOWSKI SUM Writer Rebecca Koon is the best actress to appear on a (JolumDia siage m me pasi several months, but her talents were not enough to ^jf save Workshop Theatre's opening night performance of Yentl from being dull. Yentl, based upon a short story by Isaac Basnevis Singer (who will lecture in Charlie Peterson is Theatre's 'Yentl/ Fea >rth See entirely, self-concerned; he also wants to avenge the memory of his father, who was similarly spurned. And there is a touch of national and school pride? as well as love (in Krige's case) ? involved. The characterization of Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) is marvelous by comparison. Liddell, the sturdy son of a Scottish missionary, has strong religious convictions. WW ** ? - ? I I tie leeis ne nas ueen "called" to religious service, but feels equally obligated to exercise his God-given gift for running. Liddell trains diligently in order to win "for God." This sounds pretty spurious on u..4 /^u: + paptil, UUi v>i let I ic&uu piaya n without a hint of sanctimoniousness. His performance is one of the film's saving graces. Solid and sincere, quiet but eloquent, principled but not ponderous, Charleson's Liddell is a most admirable and convincing portrait of a Christian. The complaint that the itV Lac Columbia in April), is set ii o email To\i;ich villafJf1 il Poland in 1873. The Jews ii the play devote most of thei lives to the study and wor ship of God. There ar several thematic conflicts the two most importar being appearances versu reality, and religiou tfnr?CIIC hi 1 m Q u auuiv/no vi/iouo nuiiiu nature. Koon, in the title role, is superb as the 19-year-ol( girl, who after her father': L Wi iWHwB Avigdor and Rebecca K< ture Qm 0 dui characters don't "develop'' is misguided. Abrahams and Liddell are central to two different stories and only rarely cross paths. Could it be that we are looking for a Brian's Song - like relationship to strike up between the two leads, through which they could "develop" according to our conventional expectations? Actually, the characters are sufficiently "developed" when the action begins. Their attitudes and motives are remarkably strong and deeply set. It is really the viewer , who "develops" as the movie proceeds; our iamuianiy anu understanding grow as we watch them. Still, the exposition is weak. The recurring slowmotion shots of the racers breaking the tape are inflated and unnecessary. And the absence of any heroic conflict in the runner's lives makes for an indifferent victory. The 1924 Olympics end in a celebration inspired ks Vibri -i ? iu ?? I if I utr tin, disguises ueiscrii us < n young man in order to fre< n herself from the restriction: r placed on women in he - society. Koon was com e pletely at ease in a difficul role; without her th< it production would hav< s crumbled. s The viewer needs ur n shakable powers of cor centration to pick up th dialogue (especially in th i first act) and to follow th j plot. Most of the actor 3 rushed through their line wm^mt >on is Yentl in Workshop SUH Photo by C MRS BROV Fric COCk GNTGR t Not W< CHAR* more by nationalistic pomp than by cleansing achievement. Undeniably, the movie has many assets, such as the ancy i and failed to speak clearly s through their thick accents, s The exceptions were Koon r ana L.ucinaa namncts., wnu - portrayed the beautiful, redt haired Hadass. e Another problem with the e production was the drabness of the scenery and i- costumes; the props were a i- dull brown and the male e characters were usuall> e garbed in black. While these e colors may have lent perioc s autheticity, they detractec s from the visual impact of the action. One unusual aspect of th< production was the revolving stage. This made for quid scene changes and woul< have been a positive featur< if not for the fact that thi hands and arms of th< backstage crew could oftei be seen turning the stage. Overall, the action lackc tl n/iu Thorn \iloro q fo\ Viuiauv.jr. iiav/iv itviv m -v,, good wedding dance scenes and some semi-nudity whic provided shock effect, bi for the most part the cast di not deliver the exaggeratio that the plot demanded. ? ? * 1 -1- At Iporiunaieiy, me citsi un director Ann Dreher, of Ui USC Theatre and Speec Dept., have plenty of time I improve on their Wednesda night performance. Yen runs through Feb. 28. F< more information, call tl box office at 799-6551. U Singer's lecture will be < USC's Belk Auditorium ( April 20. The lecture is beir j sponsored by the US Writers Scrips and the Sou Carolina Committee for tl vn Humanities. lav :TdlNhEMT jrth An1 OTSOl r . r y _ ? !T?1 periormance oi tan noun as Abraham's fiesty manager and the snobbish duo of John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson. Additionally, Vangelis Papathanassiou's They' Relaxi BY MICHAEL 1 , Staff \ It would be easy for the n , Series Committee to relax ar ; Annie, which sold out three si I Auditorium, but such is not i already at work lining up tn< . series. r Cultural Series Program I) ? mittee Chairman Bob Papke I i Citv to review nossible acts foi I J ? - -- -- s j "Before Christmas we attei ; of Colleges, Universities ministrations) convention," 3 priority list of about 20 p s presented to the series comm \ with its budget to finalize the j make up next year's series." mi? ^ g lilt; cuniiiiiiitrt; ir> twui^i i e students, said Fapke. "We r e p.m. in Russell House room n welcome; anyone who ma meetings and demonstrates a become a member," he said. v He added that members mu ; full semester before they are h the upcoming year. Neither Singer nor Fapke r (j for the 1982-83 series were, n commitments had yet been n us 'penciled in' on their tour s d have to wait fox tbe Student ie before we finalize anything." h Singer is pleased with the g [0 "As our audience grows, w {y plained. "We can move to a 1 U in the near future, or we coi )r For example, we could do fiv< ,e third option would l>e to sch< instead of a single nignt. at 44We have about 2200 mer )n we're growing every year. I !g the two-nights plan." n This year's series still has th artist Marcel Marceau will a he in the semester by the D, Chicago Chamber Brass. Oscar r" r> FffRR ???ammmrmmmsmm ? i i musical score is as unique and surprising as his name. Chariots of Fire is a film worth seeing, though not quite worth an Oscar nomination. re Not ng Yet ROMATOWSKI iVri'i'r nomhorc nf (hp I i Sif* Cultural lIV.Illk'V.1 O V4 H?V/ v/?/v id enjoy the recent success of lows recently at the Township the case. The committee is ; performaces for next year's irector Rich Singer and Comiavfc already been to New York the 1982-83 series. ided an ACUCAA (Association and Commercial Arts Adcuirt Vsina#?r "Wp lin l\ UM1" . - ?r- ? ossible acts, which we then ittee. The committee will work i lineup of five acts which will sed of approximately fifteen neet every Monday night at 7 306. New members are always !kes it to tnree consecuuve i commitment to the series can st serve on the committee for a ; qualified to select the acts for nentioned what the possiblities citing the fact that no firm lade. "Several of the acts ha' e chedules," said Singer, "but we Senate to approve our budget ;rowing popularity of the series, e have three options,' he exDigger hall, which I don't forsee ild change the nature of shows, e straight Broadway shows. Our edule two nights of each event, nbers now," Singer said, "and think our most likely option is thrf?p rpmairiint* ovr-nts Mimo ppear on March 7, followed later ave Brubeck Quartet and the