Arts & Entertainment
State of Grace’ displays inspired finish
By Julie Naughton
Staff Reporter
When the going gels lough, ihc
lough go to gangster movies.
There arc at least four gangster
movies out this fall, more than any
other time in recent history. Each
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film is full of blood, guts, revenge
killings and various mobs.
“State of Grace,” a sometimes
beautiful, sometimes gritty portrayal
of Irish mob life in New York’s Hell's
Kitchen, joins films such as “Goo
dFcllas,” “Miller’s Crossing” and “The
Godfather, Part III” in the mob movie
onslaught of the fall.
“State of Grace” is the story of
Terry Noonan (Scan Penn) and his
relationship with the Flannery gang,
Hell’s Kitchen’s most notorious Irish
mob. It also is the story of an Irish
mob far more ruthless than any fac
tion of the Italian mob.
Terry Noonan returns to his child
hood neighborhood after an absence
of several years and meets up with his
former friends, members of the Flan
nery gang. Among these friends arc
Jackie (Gary Oldman), Slevic (John
C. Reilly) and Jackie’s brother, Flan
nery gang leader Frankie (Ed Harris).
Terry also meets up with his for
mer girlfriend, the beautiful, gutsy
Kathleen (Robin Wright). Kathleen
is Jackie and Frankie’s sister and tells
her brothers off often, in a manner
that would get other people knocked
off.
Noonan allies himself with the gang,
learn ing secrets not entrusted to other
people. What he learns nearly gels
him killed, as he struggles with his
feelings for his old neighborhood and
his feelings for the law.
The film’s chilling climax lakes
place, appropriately, on St. Patrick’s
Day. The emotionlcssly violent scenes
of death — and thank God, the killing
of the film’s most ruthless anti-hero
— arc interspersed with scenes of the
innocent, traditional New York City
St. Patrick’s Day parade. As the Irish
march past St. Patrick’s Cathedral,
the audience secs Irish mobsters in
side a nearby pub gel shot and killed.
As the Irish march further and the
young Irish girls twirl their batons,
we sec Terry fight for his life. It is an
inspired finish on the part of director
See GRACE on 14
^ Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Jackie Flannery (Gary Oldman), left, Kathleen Flannery (Robin Wright) and Terry Noonan (Sean
Penn) in “State of Grace.”
‘Franz Liszt’ offers graceful, dramatic strings
By Julie Naughton
Senior Reporter
For an orchestra w ilhout a conduc -
tor, the Budapest Chamber Orchestra
“Franz Liszt” certainly displayed a
great deal of direction Saturday night.
The orchestra, performing at the
Lied Center for Performing Arts,
demonstrated teamwork, fire and
drama during its two-hour program.
The orchestra began the evening
with String Quartet in D Minor, D.
810 (“Death and the Maiden”) by
Franz Schubert, adapted for string
orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The first
movement, Allegro, was an authori
tative musical drama that began with
a command for attention.
This gave way to the second move
ment, variations on Schubert’s song,
“Der Tod und das Madchcn” (“Death
and the Maiden.”) The second move
ment, Andante, consisted of a lyrical
interpretation of the theme, with five
variations.
This was followed by Scherzo,
Allegro molto, a lively yet rough inter
lude, and'finally by the last move
ment, Presto. Presto, a tempestuous
finale, was played with drama and
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flourishes by the orchestra.
After a brief intermission, the
orchestra continued with Felix Men
delssohn’s Symphony No. 10 in B
minor. The one-movement symphony
for siring orchestra passed much too
quickly, as the orchestra began with
the solemn Adagio and finished with
the classic, youthful Allegro.
The orchestra f inished with Diver
timento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113,
Paul Chandler/Daily Nebraskan
Bela Bartdk’s World War II-time
composition. The first movement,
Allegro non troppo, was delicate, light
in texture and beautifully executed;
the second movement, Molto adagio,
was somber, at times dramatic.
The orchestra’s rendition of the
final movement. Allegro assai, was
lively and beautiful, with rustic folk
overtones.
The orchestra’s elegant, well-exe
cuted renditions of these pieces made
them a pleasure to listen to. The 17
member chamber group, guided by
conccrtmastcr Janos Rolla, is made
up of nine violin players, three viola
players, three violoncello players and
one contrabass player.
. Rolla is the closest thing to a con
ductor that the group has. Although
he did not conduct, he guided the
group with the tiniest gestures.
The Budapest Chamber Orchestra
“Franz Liszr takes their name from
the famous Hungarian composer,
Although Liszt never composed a work
for strings, his name is inseparable
from Hungarian music, and the or
chestra chose to honor one of their
best-loved musicians in this way.
Growing a beard really
not worthy of a column
The first time I shaved was per
haps the biggest day in my arduous
journey to manhood.
It figured even more prominently
in my transformation from boy to
adult male than mv first sexual cn
Jim
Hanna
counter. Of course that's not saying
much since me first lime I boiled
water on my own was about as sig
mlicant as my lirst sexual encounter.
To my adolescent mind, the first
time I shaved my face to baby-bottom
smoothness marked the biggest step
toward manhood I had taken thus far
in my life.
1 didn’teven need to shave the first
time 1 set razor to my face. A fine, soft
fuzz of almost invisible hair lived on
my upper lip and you could only sec
it if the light hit it just right.
But I was growing impatient. We
had already seen our films about
puberty and sexual development in
fifth and sixth grade and I was wail
ing for the tel I talc signs to come along
that would prove I was becoming an
adult.
My voice hadn’t changed, there
was no hair on my chest, and my first
wet dream was still several night
times away. Something had to give.
1 watched an episode of "Leave it
to Beaver” where Wally started to
shave. In it, Ward warned Wally that
each time he shaved, his whiskers
would come in thicker and more stub
bly.
I took this not as an admonishment
hut as a green light. In order to have a
ZZ Top beard, I only needed to start
shaving early and often.
I was very covert about my early
shaving efforts. I was at that sensitive
age where I w as afraid that my par
ents would discover I was going
through puberty. I guess I thought
they’d be mad or something.
My dad usually wore a beard so
the only razors we had in the house
were my morn’s Bie shavers. What a
blow to a boy in the throes of puberty,
to attempt his first shave with his
mom's equipment
I didn't even need shaving cream
at I irst. Al ter a shower, 1 ’d just sneak
a shaver from the medicine cabinet,
run it over my exceptionally unhairy
lace and await the inevitable rush of
testosterone that would soon course
through my veins.
Now, about 10 years later, I pul
very little slock in my malencss. My
feelings about being male approach
indifference before they approach
pride. I usually go for the title human
since I think it says more about who I
am. Real touching, I know-, but when
they’re passing out the dirty names,
I’ll take idealist.
I now' think shaving is a chore.
Most people wouldn’t think about it
but I have to shave every day and it’s
really a hassle.
As I write this, I am sporting a
beard. Occasionally I grow tired of
the shaving ritual and just let the hair
on my face grow. Grizzly Adams I am
not, st) usually it doesn’t grow in very
thick.
This time around, however, I just
See HANNA on 13