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THEY SAID IT “God gave us memory that we might have roses in December.” Page 11 JAMES MATTHEW BARRIE Wednesday, December 1, 2004 , SCOTTISH dramatist AND peter PAN'creator _======^===_===^====_==________^=___^___ SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Colin Farrell stars in the title role in the new historical epic "Alexander." The build-up to the film's release has been extensive, with Baz Luhrmann and Ridley Scott proposed as directors before Oliver Stone was finally decided upon. The film was predicted to dominate its opening weekend, but ended up coming in behind "SpongeBob SquarePants." Hollywood has repeatedly tried its hand at capturing historical events on the big screen. Few efforts have succeeded as films for the history books By D.E. McGUIRT THE GAMECOCK Well, “Alexander” finally hit theaters last week, after much fanfare from the entertainment press. American audiences, who had been assumed to be waiting breathlessly for its release (since it had literally been months since the last middlebrow costume epic featuring a male bimbo in a skirt), responded with a resounding “oh.” A talking sponge kicked its sculpted, Macedonian bun at the box office, and film critics and other assorted talking heads, who love nothing more than feasting on the dead carcasses of bloated epics, had a feast. In the years leading up to the film’s release, there had been much speculation as to which director would get the chance to film the story of the Macedonian warrior-king. For a while, speculation swirled around “Gladiator” director Ridley Scott. Then, “Moulin Rouge” director Baz Luhrmann was given the reins, with Leonardo DiCaprio rumored to be in line to star. But the plug was apparently pulled on that one, and “Platoon” director Oliver Stone stepped up to receive the honor of directing what Stone described to Roger Ebert as the story of “the greatest life in history.” Looking at it now, it’s obvious that “Alexander” had all the ingredients for the perfect flop: unlimited studio financing, exotic locations, digital technology, a vastly overrated director (come on, does anybody really think “JFK” or “Platoon” were that great?) and a miscast star in the tide role in Colin Farrell. Come on folks, we’ve seen this recipe before. Does “Cleopatra,” the 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, ring a bell? That four-hour abomination is considered to be the crown jewel of Hollywood flops, the “Gigli” of your parents’ generation, if you will. Then there was “Ben-Hur,” featuring Charlton Heston as the Jesus-era rebel who took on the Romans and raced a chariot around while showing off his Keanu Reeves-like grimace. Bosley Crowther, the marvelously small-minded film critic of The New York Times during that era, hailed both as cinematic masterpieces. In retrospect, there is no greater insult to a film from that period than to be exalted in print by Crowther. To be fair, not all historical epics are bad. Hollywood’s love affair with the genre can be traced to the first great American filmmaker, D.W. Griffith. His “Birth of a Nation” (1915), which chronicled the Civil War, Reconstruction and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, is generally credited with being the most technically innovative film ever. Griffith’s next film, Intolerance (1916), a resounding financial disaster, was ridiculously ahead of its time and has come to be regarded as one of the great achievements of cinema. It featured four intertwined story lines, each from a different era of history. Its most famous scene shows the fall of Babylon, complete with a life-sized re-creation of the ancient city, and thousands of extras. Another silent masterpiece of the genre comes from France, and had a budget that probably wouldn’t have been able to pay for Colin Farrell’s blonde wig in “Alexander.” Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “The Passion of Jeanne d’Arc” (1928) was based on written testimony from the trial of Joan of Arc, and it follows the historical record as much as possible (which is quite unusual for historical films). An avant-garde experiment shot entirely in close up, the film features Maria Falconetti in perhaps the most emotional performance to be recorded on film. A true miracle, the original print was discovered in 1981 in a mental hospital after it had been assumed to be Jared Leto, center, joins the ranks of other actors like Elizabeth Taylor and Charlton Heston who have starred in historical movies. lost forever. So if it’s historical drama you’re looking for, be warned. Quality offerings are few and far between, but there are a select few out there. When it comes to this genre, tiy not to be lured in by slick publicity and pretty (aces — you’ll likely find yourself seven dollars poorer and three hours older. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu PLAY PREVIEW Retro ‘Landscape’ to paint New York family dynamics By JAIME McSWEENEY THE GAMECOCK A mysterious, comical drama with a musical touch opens tonight at Longstteet Theatre. John Guare’s dynamic play, “Landscape of the Body,” set in 1970s Greenwich Village, mixes various genres in its depiction of a naive mother’s struggle with the American Dream. The play’s main character, Betty, travels with her teenage son from remote Bangor, Maine to the Big Apple in hopes of persuading her sister to return to their placid New England home. But Betty’s sister actually convinces Betty to remain in lurid New York to indulge in the thrill and charm of the big city. Betty becomes captivated by her sister’s life of dazzling glamour and sordid glitz, easily slipping into her sister’s mysterious and spontaneous life. Eventually Betty and her son are forced to face a growing disillusionment and choose between their new life and a more realistic version of the American Dream. “Landscape of the Body” is directed by Stephen Davis, one of two directing students in USC’s Master of Fine Arts program. Davis, 31, was chosen, along with Vincent Masterpaul, out of 100 applicants for the directing program. Davis, earned his Bachelors degree at the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University in Chicago and is also a makeup artist and fight choreographer, before coming to USC, tie started his own theatre company in Los Angeles. Davis said the cast will have put in about 120 hours of rehearsal by tonight. He emphasized the amount of research and preparation required outside of rehearsal, such as reading and rereading the text, holding production meetings, working on character development and stage design and orchestrating blocking and transitional moments. “From the moment a show is decided upon a process of analysis begins, and from that comes the original production concept that is sent to the production team. Ideas and drawing of the set and costumes are bounced back and forth for a while until a unifying theme is established,” he explained. Essentially, Davis, the crew and the cast are freed with the task of making 1970s Greenwich Village come alive. Davis was first attracted to the play for reasons both scholarly and personal. He admits he harbors a great admiration for the works of playwright John Guare, best known for his play “Six Degrees of Separation.” Davis said he was struck by his “uncanny ability to make you think, even in just reading, that one thing was going to happen and then often the opposite or unexpected occurs.” Davis said “Lifestyle” mirrors real life. “It is life, because in life we transition from one to the other without giving it a second thought. Great comedy can be found in grief and great grief can be found in moments of tremendous joy.” Daviis connected with Guare over JASON STEELMANJTHE GAMECOCK From left, Rate Westbrook, Bethany Ford, back, Jennifer Fine, front, and Demetrios Troy perform tonight at 8 at Longstreet Theatre. their mothers’ respective battles with breast cancer. “The relationship between the mother and son in the play, my own loss at the time I was first introduced to the production and my respect for the author alb contributed to my desire to work on and direct this show,” he said. Davis said he enjoys the creative process and sees overcoming obstacles as an integral part of theater, and that the most rewarding part of heading a production is the process of connecting a^id creating with his actors and designers. He said they all savor the resulting moment “when the concept that you have labored over for weeks prior to rehearsal is realized, and it is better than you could have ever dreamed it would be.” “Landscape of the Body” opens tonight at Longstreet Theatre and runs through Saturday. Showtimes are all at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door on the third floor of Longstreet Theatre. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edti Dance students choreograph original pieces By CARRIE GIVENS THE GAMECOCK USC Dance Company will be opening the curtain for several student choreographed pieces this week. “Dance! Dance! Dance!” will feature original student created pieces along with reconstructions of 19th-century ballets. The production will feature a total of eight works. Put together in less than a month, following the completion of USC Dance’s November run of “Seven Deadly Sins,” artistic director Susan Anderson remarked that the production has been “miraculously well-organized ... with a lot accomplished.” Anderson contributes this to the fact that all the choreographers were seasoned dancers who could go in and say, “This is what 1 want and then fine tune what they had.” The student pieces vary drastically in both music and dance styles, and will include everything from classical ballet to modern dance. Stephanie McKnight will present her “Ballet for the Beatles,” while Misha Eady will showcase her “Renegade of Funk” featuring the music of Rage Against the Machine. Caitlin Coker choreographed a ’60s themed piece titled “Combat Baby,” during which mini-skirt clad dancers will shimmy to the music of Metric under psychedelic lighting. Julie Strickland will debut her piece “Champagne High,” set to the music of Sister Hazel. Anderson said Strickland’s delightful production “looks like bubbles dancing.” Allison Bergman will dance her solo piece titled “Illumination,” and Erin Bolshakov will present her abstract choreography to the musical stylings of Maus. Honors College fourth-year student Wendy Rickenbacker will present her own rendition of the classical ballet “Pas de Quatre” as her senior thesis. This ballet first premiered in honor of Queen Victoria in July 1845 featuring the period’s greatest dancers. For USC’s performance the four principal roles will showcase the talents of Eady, Sara Wilson, Allison Bergman and Caroline Privette. Anderson remarked that the ballet is “very old-fashioned but it is good for the students to learn about styles.” In addition, Anderson will feature USC Dance Conservatory students in her own staging of “Fairies” from the classical ballet “Sleeping Beauty.” Anderson said she is excited about the upcoming performances. “I love it ... I love to see what my students can accomplish,” she said, adding that within the mix there will be a dance piece for everyone. “Dance! Dance! Dance!" opens this evening at 8 p.m. in USC’s Drayton Hall Theatre. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Longstreet Theatre box office prior to the performance. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu