The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 05, 1982, Page Page 6, Image 6
Willie ]
4
BY DOUG BELL ra
Film Critic Of
a 1
Few westerns are being he
made these days. That is a w?
sad fact, because the th
western genre is certainly m
one of America's greatest ne
contributions to cinema. Fi
From Staeemnnh to The
Wild Bunch, the best
westerns (ostensibly ra
historical-costume films) de
have reflected con- Su
temporary America's th
changing moral and political th<
attitudes. More importantly, th
they have captured the Ar
mythic quality of our natural sy
terrain by population it with
various types of heroes? ba
tough, shrewd men usually, Kc
each with his own code of ini
values. ed
ha
Of these heroes, John br<
Wayne sat tallest in the hie
saddle for thirty years. Clint ve
Eastwood should have be
replaced him; the Italian no
trilogy for Sergio Leone de
(culimnating in The Good. as
the Bad and the Ugly) and ou
his own High Plains Drifter po
established Eastwood's un
marvelous mysterious wl
persona, which he should str
have been developing all wa
along. Sadly, all he seems
interested in developing is is
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3 MADE POSSIBLE
Nelson Tries I
1;.:: 1 . ' '
pport with a hammy
angutan. .. v;:
Presently, we are without ^ % JM
main Man of the West, and f ' ?' JM
: is sorely missed. Thus it ^ ?9
as with great expectation S|
at 1 watched Willie Nelson ^
ount up in Barbarosa, a / A
w western directed by '
edSchepisi.
Nelson is Barbarosa. a , -H
i n g y, middle-aged " \ ",
sperado who has made . ' :
oh a notorious career of
ievery and murder along
e Texas-Mexico border mSii
at, to the Mexicannericans,
his name is jpf |?|i|
nonymous with the devil. ??h,
rhe plot concerns Bar
friendship with
(Gary Busey),
locent, not-too-coordinat- p,/
young farmer who. / J
ving accidently killed his 1 '
other-in-law, is forced to
ie out. He finds the going jyj
ry tough until Barbarosa
friends him. Having Willie Nelson is a n
thing better to do Karl ^ \yest jn 'Barbai
cides to follow the old man
a sort of apprentice "legend," which is the r
tlaw. Though he proves a subject, the movie has
or thief, Karl matures shaky foundation. 1
der the spell of Barbarosa, success of the mo
?o proves to possess a depends partly on
eak of sober wisdom and realization of Barbaros
irm affection. "legendary" qualities. Tr
rhe problem with the film the film's conception
that, in terms of the rooted in legend: nat
nrm wrrrCTrwprwM
m i
he RHUU Cultural Series Committee and i
uitl1 Ronald A. Wilford Associates.
BY STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES.
e Friday
3ut As West
misdeeds)
..... m Igx* j^U cJglUrtllC II Id
^1^. steals only 'c
. ol meager exist<
& kills only when
WL status as a "li
. originated on
night some t
v k-'v- ' /> '": -V::; " Jfefe^ before the ever
He married a
V W /
power-wield
aristocrat, di
him. Immedia
ceremony,
mysterious fi
outcast.
Roland, tl
father-in-law,
most to pei
Barbarosa r
indoctrinating
grandchildrei
I etc. against tl
hopes that one
someday kill
ew version of the Man of Barbarosa's
>osa ? "heroic loner"
family difficu
eal Texan William D. Wittliff inherent pers
i a drew from stories his (which is the
^he grandfather told him for the distinguishes
vie screenplay. But Wittliff heroes as
the seems unable to imbue the Eastwood).
;a's character with any truly Though Ban
ue, heroic stature. conveying or
is mythic claims
ive Barbarosa's deeds (or strong points.
ONLY 200 SEA
March 7 TOWNSHI
TICKETS ON SALl
RHUU Travel Center ?
Public $9.00 IISC Stu
. :I~LI? c ni ii in . r
unit: dvdiiduit* iium Kriuu 10 u
iapted transportation for the h<
>on request ? Call 7-2068
JSC Student Government.
ern Hero
o ro m atd ic
u, V mui V 1J icvujf CddL. Willi IlliS
n heroic: he scruffy beard, braided hair,
> furnish his and even voice, he is the
ince and he very incarnation of he
pushed to.His outlaw. He has a definite
iving legend" magnetism which, under the
his wedding guidance of a Peckinpah or a
wenty years Leone, might bear fruit
its of the film, someday. Gary Busey?
Mexican girl himself no stranger to
whose father legends, having played
d), a wealthy, Buddy Holly a few years
i r> r% - --- ' * 1
mB ?. ago? is aaequate in the
sapproves of secondary part.
tely after the It is significant that
a violent, Barbarosa is directed by
ght erupted Australian Fred Schepisi.
jrbarosa an The Aussie filmmakers
seem most at home in outdoor
dramas, and Barbarosa
le vengeful bears some stylistic
has done the resemblance to Schepisi's
-petuate the much superior Chant of
nystique by Jimmie Blacksmith.
his children, There are minor flaws: an
i, nephews, unconvincing subplot (the
he outcast in granddad who tries to kill
; of them will Busey) and a poorly arhim.
Thus, ticulated character (Vega as
status as a Barbarosa's wife). But
owes more to overall, it is a decent
lties than to western. If you are a fan of
jonal destiny Nelson's or of westerns, you
quality that will most likely en joy it.
such western
Wayne and
continued from page 5
barosa fails in The last chance to be on
sustaining its the scene or perform in the
, it still has its Spur's Amateur Night is
Willie Nelson Monday, April 5.
TS LEFT! j
X? If III
I JUS JKfc* I
i
P 8 p.m. ;
I
I
: NOW |
6 Township !
dents $4.50 j
i n
)wnsnip n
i
Bndicapped available !
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