page 6
daily nebraskan
tuesday, february 24, 1981
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3
Bronx movie attempts too much, achieves little
By Pete Schmitz
Fort Apache, The Bronx is a unique
movie because it is hard to like, hate or feel
indifferent about.
The film's biggest problem is that it tries
to be too many things: a social commen
tary, a buddy film, an adventure story, a
fifties romance, an '80s romance, a black
comedy in the tradition of MA SH and
a vehicle for Paul Newman, who has not
had a hit in years.
n
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review
Based on some experiences of former
South Bronx police officers Tom Mulhearn
and Pete Tessitore, and production's
attempts at social realism are undermined
by a contrived plot, far-fetched events and
a trite character triad. As Patrolman
Murphy, Newman is the worn-out, but hu
mane inconoclast. He shows his bosses no
respect, never uses a gun, leads citizens in
shouting matches against his own depart
ment and uses clown therapy as a way of
getting criminals to surrender weapons.
Ken Wahl plays Corelli, Newman's
young, brash and dashing partner who still
has a lot to learn. If anyone in this project
is deserving of our sympathy it is Wahl. As
Newman's buddy and partner, he must be a
Robert Red ford to his colleague. And be
cause of his Italian-American background,
he must be a John Travolta for his audi
ences. Given this double burden, Wahl does
a respectable job even though he cannot
rise above the constraints of his role(s).
To round out this dynamic duo, we
have Ed Asner who takes the part of
Captain Connolly, the grumpy, by-the-
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Paul Newman plays a veteran New York
mander, Edward Asner, in Fort Apach
book bureaucrat who tries to restore order
and discipline in the 4 1st Precinct.
Reads like a satire
Believe me, the press package for his
movie reads like a satire.
Despite Captain Connolly's presence,
Murphy and Corelli continue to control
crime as they tell a pimp, who is beating up
a prostitute, to "keep it off the streets."
These men also find time for romance.
Wahl dates an innocent Catholic girl (the
'50s romance), and Newman falls in love
with a smart cookie of a nurse who ends up
dead from a heroin overdose (the '80s ro
mance). Even though the two men have
girlfriends, they still take enough time out
Time-Life Productions
police officer who clashes with his com-
', the Br o tvc.
to participate in their mutual admiration
society.
But for all of the movie's faults it is not
racist. Yes, it does show Hispanies, blacks
and prostitutes doing many nasty tilings.
But it also shows police officers and white
citizens doing many mean things too.
Every group portrayed is treated harshly,
but fairly. Unlike other exploitative shows,
the unendearing aspects of the characters
are explained through mountains of garb
age, pollution and despair.
In Woman's Fstate, Juliet Mitchell told
women that "the condition of our oppres
sion conditions us." This is something
every critic should remember before
launching a diatribe on films which ap,tar
racist, sexist or homophobic. Of course,
there are writers and directors who exploit
stereotypic imagery merely for the purpose
of entertainment or titallation.
Degrades minorities
This vvas the case with Neil Simon's
Seems Like Old Times, a movie that de
grades blacks, Indians and Mexican-Americans
by making them lazy and unapprecia
tive of Goldie I lawn's efforts to "help"
them. Just as bad for homosexuals vvas
William Friedkan's Cruising With this
movie out, Anita Bryant could stay at
home.
But Fort Apache, The Bronx, is not
exploitative. Furthermore, it has its mom
ents of intelligence and sensitivity. Director
Daniel Pctrie (who did A Raisin In The Sun
and Resurrection) and writer Heywood
Gould, make it clear it is mainly the pour
who are victimized by street crime. This
factor puts their effort several notches
above Death Wish (1974), a cheap piece of
trash that became a tract of what James
Monnacco calls "bourgeois vigilantism".
Even though Petrie and Gould present a
bleak sociological landscape that offsets
some of the dubious individual portraits,
their film will not call attention to the
problem of urban anomie. This is most
apparent as it ends with a strange mixture
of tones. While the camera pans across the
corpse of a prostitute wrapped up in a rug
among a heap of garbage, we see Newman
and Wahl in the background as they run
after another criminal with all their boyish
enthusiasm.
Instead of instigating action for urban
renewal, Fort Apache, The Bronx will most
likely inspire a television series with a tired
cop who cares, his young and impetuous
partner and a dour supervisor.
Fort Apache, The Bronx is now showing
at the Plaza 4 Theater.
If AW HflK
A
Meisner performs Sunday
GRAND
OPENING WEEK
with
FOOTLOOSE
Tues. V Wed. Feb. 24th V 25th
SPECIALS
Tues. - 75 Cans fill Night
Wed. - FREE BEER 7:30-830
Crazy Louie
(winners of Expo '80 Battle of the Bands)
Thurs., Fri. hi Sat.
Feb. 26th - 28th
Thurs. Ladies Night
FREE wine 'til Nine for the Ladies
Your Rock N Roll Playground
I IFIRUM
826 'P'
1AI
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Randy Meisner, a Scottsbluff native, will appear at
Pogo's Electric Cowboy in Omaha Saturday.
ooooooooooooooooooo
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EOT SHOWING:
"Laura's
Desires"
2nd Feature:
"Little Girls'
Blues"
must be 18 - have I.D.
a j. a a LL
WWWU
HiiTWMI
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yooooo
Randy Meisner. a found
ing member of the l-aglcs
and a Scottsbluff native,
will be Pogo's Electric Cow
boy in Omaha this Sunday.
Meisner is promoting his
second solo album One
More Song on Epic Records.
The title track was written
especially for Meisner.
which recounts his breakup
with the Eagles. It features
Glen Erey and Don Henley
on harmony.
Besides his solo work and
hit song "Take it to the
Limit" with the Eagles,
Mcsiner also helped form
Poco and Rick Nelson's
Stone Canyon Band.
i ickets for Meisncr's per
formance are $7.50 in ad
vance, S8.50 the c'ay of the
show and are available at
Pogo's, Homer's, and Peach
es Records in Omaha. Seat
ing at the bar is general ad
mission. Doors open at 6:30
p.m. and the show starts at
7 p.m.
douglas 3
5 30 7 30 9 30
5 20 7 25 9 30
5 25-7:35 9:45
ORDINARY
PEOPLE (R)
Nominated for 6
Academy Awards
