Thursday, March 22, 1984
Daily Ncbraskan
Pago 7
STOOGES
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Columbia Pictures
Albert Finney and Tom Coartenay in The Dresser.
The Dresser: ode to theater
By Steve Abariotes
There is an ineffable dramatic quality in the
theater that film just cant quite reproduce. At a .
play, the actors occupy real three-dimensional space
beyond the proscenium arch. They must find the
energy to perform from night to night. They affect,
and are affected by, the audience. And during a live
play, there is always the possibility of something
going wrong, be it missed cues or forgotten lines.
Much of the energy and excitement of the theater
has been recreated in The Dresser, an ode to the art
of acting. The film, which is set in war-time England,
follows an older Shakespearian acting troupe to the
city of Brighton, where they are to perform King
Lear, as German bombs fall in the distance.
The leader of the troupe (Albert Finney) is simply
and respectfully referred to s "Sir". As the leading
actor and manager, Sir gets what he wants by rant
ing and raving in grand theatrical style. He has a
volatile temperament that explodes with bursts of
different emotions, and is completely oblivious to
any stage boundaries. '
Indeed, Sir would probably neve; make it to the
stage at all if it were not for the overly devoted and
underappreciated assistance of Norman (Tom Cour
tenay), his dresser. Norman dutifully tends to every
one of Sir's outrageous needs. When Sir slips into
one of his delirious jags, it is Norman who constantly ,
reminds him what play they will be performing that
night.
Norman is effeminate and matronly, with flailing
wrists and the whole bit. He is a frustrated actor
who is overly protective of his master's dramatic
space and sees that no one interferes.
Following their arrival at the theater, Norman
helps Sir prepare to go on, succeeding just in time.
One gets the feeling that Sir's pre-show hysterics
take place every night. Sir consciously ignores his
opening cue and, after some desperate but com
mendable improvisation by the cast, is finally coaxed
onstage by Norman, who reminds him what his first
line is.
A backstage look and feel is maintained through
out the entire film. One of the best images is of
Norman and the rest of the shorthanded backstage
crew pounding, whipping, shaking and fluttering
various noise-making apparatus for the sound of
the storm. The excitement of being backstage is
substantially recreated here. The Dresser is a tribute
to acting and theater. The primitive stage scenery
and technique seem hokey at first, but we witness
everything coming together. The Dresser leaves no
physical or mental theater phenomenon unexplor
ed, and conveys this with a knowledgeable and
understated film style.
Finney as Sir as Othello as Lear conveys a power
ful style of his own. Finney breathes his words out in
long, husky breaths. He is authoritative and mania
cal, tyrannical and frightening, but Norman knows
how to deal with him. Finney does an excellent job.
He seems so wound up through most of the film that
he leaves the audience exhausted.
As Norman, Courtenay matches Finney's explo
s've energy with subtle feeling. And when called
upon, he is no less forthright. His performance is
sincere and convincing.
The Dresser impressively suceeds in its intent to
relate the feeling of theater on film. It stands as an
excellent film as well.
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