dailu
Trial of Billy Jack' overglorified, disappointing
Why the sequel to "Biily Jack" took so
long to be released, especially since there
was an obvious chance to cash-in on (or
exploit) that middle-American movie phe
nomena, was a bit puzzling. The producers,
writers and directors of that movie were the
film's stars, Tom' Laughlin (Billy) and
Delores Taylor (Jean, the pacifist founder of
the Arizona Freedom School). They had said
the movie was on the way, but it took over
three years for it to show up. Now we know
why.
"The Trial of Billy Jack", an elaborate
three hour production, calls itself an epic, but
is much too padded, lasting about an hour
longer than it needed to'.
The movie is surprisingly up to date,
almost as if it had waited for the Watergate
affair and Nixon's resignation to get over
with.
Nearly five years have passed since the
events at the end of "Billy Jack", until the
opening of this movie. In flashbacks we learn
of the trial and sentencing of Billy and the
incredible growth of the Freedom School
(they even start their own muckraking TV
station) that had taken place under Jean's
guidance.
Melodramatic confrontations
But once all this is out of the way, Taylor
and Laughlin swing us back into, an expanded
rehash of the melodramatic confrontations
found in the earlier film. It's Billy vs. Jean in
the same old violence vs. anti-violence
arguments, determined students vs. hippie
hating townspeople, impoverished Indians
vs. greedy landgrabbers and, of course, Billy
Jack kicking his way through hordes of brutal
cops and redneck cowboys.
"The Trial of Billy Jack" is really only a
glorified B-picture, yet is one of the most
powerfully gripping and discomforting pieces
of political movie propaganda to be produced
in America in years. The emotional' pitch
transcends anything experienced-iiv "Billy
Jack", and the last half hour of the film is a
maddening tear-festival, both on the screen
and quite often in the audience,
The local townspeople are apathetic and
misunderstanding, the cowboys are swagger
ingly obnoxious and still say "nigger" and
the local banker is a money grabbing
capitalist.
Propaganda countered
The important thing is that Taylor and
Laughlin know lines like this are disgusting,
and that's why they're there. I've never
wanted to stand up and throw something at a
movie screen before, but I did then, not only
because of what was happening on the screen
but because of the discomforting knowledge
that a movie could manipulate me that much.
greg lukovv
Eceu on!
The propaganda is often countered
(disguised is a better word) by a host of
offsetting characters. There are likeabie
townspeople as well as bad ones, sympa
thetic police and guardsmen as well as those
that follow their orders blindly; corrupt
Indians along with the persecuted ones, and
in contrast to the peace students, there are
fiome inclined toward terrorism as a means of
retaliation. But the overriding sentiment is
not watered down and the motives are always
apparent.
Where "Billy Jack" left us with a
saddened but hopeful outlook, "The TriM"
gives a bleak attitude of pessimism and
leaves us with a question mark for the
feature. It is too strong for its own good and
its biggest fault is that it fails as basic
entertainment.
. Barefoot retribution
After five hoursand two movies (three if
you count the earlier "Born Losers") of
seeing reprehensible, bigoted baddies humil
iating the kids at the Freedom School, it
would have-been nice to have them, just
once, crushed into oblivion. It's the barefoot
retribution of Billy, as he calmly peels off his
boots and socks and whirls into his karate act,
that does the most. But, by the end of the
movie, the situation is so big that even he can
do nothing. The film is disappointing because
instead of continuing as a new breed of hero,
Billy is just an observer on a higher plane of
battle.
There are other faults to be sure. Taylor
doesn't really act, she sniffles and it soon
becomes overbearing. She wouldn't seem
natural without her watery red eyes. The love
interest between her and Billy is never
approached let alone resolved and their
characterization lacks because of it.
"The Trial of Billy Jack" is both timely and
a thr owback to the turmoil of the late 60s.
Important film
In a flashback, Billy recalls his war
experiences when a group of American
soldiers herded together a large group of
Vietnamese civilians into a ditch and wasted
them. It's a stunning unparallelled scene in
the Amer ican movie conscience, the type of
thing previously reserved only for the Nazis
in World War II films.
The movie hopes to and could, if people
pay any attention to it, shake up American
complacency just a bit. It challenges the
current belief that'America is in a newstateof
openness and honesty. Instead it says we are
in a period of numbness and withdrawal
where people are all too easily inclined to
forget.
Taylor and Laughlin have, in a way, taken
advantage of us, leading us to expect another
emotional entertaining melodrama and in
stead hits us with this. The movie may offend
some (and it knows it), but there is too much
behind it to pass it off as lightly as we might .
have expected to do.
An often Tnediocre and 'emWrfasisTnafy-'-
sclf-indulgmtmdvie, TmH71SrvrnBny
Jack" may be, in spite of itself, on6 of the"
m jst important films of the year.
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SNOOKER BOWL
Lincoln's Fun Center
OPEN BOWLING
Indoor Go!f...13 holes
Pool & Snooker Tables
il 43th & Durflov 464-9822
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Quick Quiz No. 2
TRUE OR FALSE:
Army ROTC takes up a lot of time I
c ould use for something else. It is a
I ig committment.
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page 8
daily nebraskan
monday, november 18, 1974