Arts & Entertainment
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ISurvey uncovers real problems of nation
IKing-nng:
The telephone jarred me from the
glassy-eyed coma I’d fallen into while
watching 24-hour coverage of the
Persian Gulf conflict.
I set down my bowl of popcorn,
kicked off my bianket and unhunk
ered myself from the beanbag chair
that had been my home for the last
three days.
I shuffled over to the phone, my
bunny slippers sliding dryly across
the hardwood floor.
“Hello,” I said, because that’s what
you’re supposed to say when you
answer the phone.
“Hello, my name is Jackie, and
I’m with Rhetoric Research Enter
prises. I was wondering if you could
spare a bit of time to answer some
questions for a poll we’re conducting
on the Persian Gulf war?” chirped a
voice on the other end.
“Uh, yeah, I guess I’m not doing
anything important,” I said.
“Great,” squeaked Jackie. “Okay,
for starters, what is your age?”
“I’m 23.”
“And your sex?”
“Male.” Easy so far.
“Arc you an American?”
“Well,” I said uneasily, “I am a
citizen of the United States, if that’s
what you mean.”
“Actually, we want to know if you
were bom here, or if you came over
here on a leaky boat or something
gross like that,” Jackie said mauer
of-factiy.
“I was bom here but I don’t see
what...”
“Thank you,” Jackie said, cutting
me off. “Who did you vote for in the
most recent presidential election?”
“I voted for Jesse Jackson in the
primary, and Michael Dukakis in the
general election,” I said.
“Arc you serious?” Jackie asked
incredulously.
“Yes, I am.”
“Okay, whatever,” Jackie sighed.
“I guess we can still interview you.”
I was becoming increasingly leery
of this impartial survey.
“Now, then,” Jackie sang gaily,
“arc you aware that there is a war
going on in the Middle East?”
“Uh, yeah, Jackie, I’ve heard
something about it.”
“Good. Good. Most of the people
we talk to don’t know where the war
is,” Jackie bleated. “Now the war is
between the God-fearing, freedom
loving patriots of the United States
and what pagan nation ? A) Iran. B)
Iraq. C) Russia. D) Vietnam.”
“Well, Jackie,” I said after a moment
of stunned silence, “my understand
ing is that the war is between a United
Nations coalition led primarily by the
U.S. and the sovereign nation of Iraq.”
“So, is your answer A, B, C or D?”
Jackie asked, befuddled.
“That would be B, Jackie.”
“Okay, good. Now, given that the
ruthless, blood-drinking, baby-killing, ■
non-Christian crazies from Iraq in- X
vaded the helpless, independence- sj
loving, oil-producing American ally l
Kuwait and brutally killed, raped and
otherwise made unhappy the Kuwaiti 8
people, do you support the selfless, |
divinely inspired, flag-waving, tech- B
nologically superior efforts by the X
U.S. to repel the Arabs back to what- X
ever hole they crawled out of?” 1
See HANNA on 10
Music adds drama to film s politics, passion, peace
I By Michael Stock
Staff Reporter
In 1938, an epic film was released
in Russia as a peace offering to Stalin.
Filmmaker Sergei Lisenstein enlisted
Sergei Prokofiev to provide the musi
cal score to make “Alexander Nevsky”
more than simply a documentary or a
propaganda film.
“Alexander Nevsky” is a motion
picture effectively combining a drama
of human elements with the powerful
suggestion of political propaganda.
And Stalin approved it.
In 1990, the film has been trans
formed into a unique production,
combining the film with symphony
orchestra, 125-member chorus and
mezzo-soprano soloist.
This magnificent production was
revealed to Lincoln audiences in the
Lied Center Saturday night.
The film, projected upon a giant
screen over the stage, has been re
stored through the addition of new
prints from the original negative.
Dialogue and sound effects have been
restored, and the addition of newly
translated subtitles have been syn
chronized with the orchestra score.
The Kansas City Symphony Or
chestra performed Prokofiev’s mag
nificent score, featuring Claudia
Carlson as the mezzo-soprano solo
ist.
Producer John Goberman, respon
sible for the integration of concert
and film, has won past awards for
work on “Live from Lincoln Center,”
including six Emmy awards, and in
sists the concert version allows “film
audiences to hear the film and music
audiences to see the music.”
The flawless integration of film,
orchestra and chorale made it impos
sible to focus singularly on the musi
cal score or the film. The live per
formance of the soundtrack adds life
to the film, and is in no way distract
ing.
“Alexander Nevsky” recounts the
tale of 13th century Russia repelling
advancing German forces.
Opening scenes portray the vast
Russian landscape, and the accompa
nying first movement, “Russia Under
the Mongolian Yoke,” provides a stark,
reflective tonal scene.
The camera pans to a scene of a
13th century Russian fishing commu
nity where Prince Alexander Nevsky
is peacefully residing since his com
manding position in the defeat of the
Swedes.
A patrolling Mongol force stops to
tempt Nevsky with a commanding
position in the Mongol hordes, but
Nevsky declines, saying, “it’s better
to die for your country than to leave
it.”
The scene shifts to the city of
Novgorad, the last foothold of free
dom from the German forces in Rus
sia. The orchestra produces a discor
dant ringing of chimes and percus
sion, as the camera discovers the bustle
of the city’s trades and bustle of the
13th century.
Again, Nevsky’s senuments toward
post-war thought are voiced by Bulai,
a Russian soldier.
“We’ve won our glory. Now we
think about ourselves.”
The scene is interrupted by the
announcement of approaching Ger
man forces taking the Russian coun
tryside by force, razing all in their
path. A call is sent out to Prince
Alexander to lead the battle against
the Germans.
Alexander’s response is not a cry
for defense, but for offense — to
engage German troops on foreign soil.
The supporting voice of the chorus is
triumphant in the Russian bid for
victory — enshrined by the will to
live and powered by the life of a
country.
The militant march of snares and
the regality of strings and brass sup
port the bravado of the rebel troops in
their preparation for war.
The battle scenes are realistic and
as carefully orchestrated as the ac
companying score. An unsettling heavy
stirring of lower strings is paced by a
meticulous snare marking the pace of
approaching German troops.
The ensuing battle scenes upon the
frozen lake are as riveting in cinema
tography as in musical score. The
following scene surveying the blood
drenched landscape is particularly
stirring because of Carlson’s solo.
The patriotic sentiment of the film
is clearly adaptable to Russian poli
tics circa 1938, allowing Eisenstcin a
powerfully effective film. The film
utilizes its driving Prokofiev score
for orchestra to lend new life to the
film for audiences in 1991.
1 Groovy dance, dress, dos—Deee-Litetul trend
I-aster than a speeding love train,
itronger than a superfly guy ’ s gold
ins.
vlore powerful than the sound of
uping platform -shoed heels doing
Electric Slide.
Vs the return of the mods,
rhc signs are everywhere. First,
ner “Mod Squad” star Peggy Lip
turned up serving coffee and
ighnutson thecultTV show “Twin
xs.”
rhen, the dcee-groovy moves of
idy club band Dcee-Lite hit MTV
radio airwaves last autumn. Groov
in outlandish platform shoes, Lady
js Kier and Co. brought their
nbination ’60s and ’70s groove
I message of positivity into the
rts of trendoids everywhere.
Fashion magazines during the last
ir have testified to the explosion of
s nostalgia with designers turning
Pucci catsuits, fun-fake hairpieces,
false eyelashes and heavy eyeshadow
— although designers like Donna
Karan are quick to point out that these
styles incorporate Lycra and are, in
fact, new.
But it’s not only supermodcls like
Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford
and Naomi Campbell letting the love
shine in again. Sorority girls at the
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln also
have been known to slip on big Lycra
headbands on their straightened hair.
The eternal lift-it-up-and-spray-it spiral
perms with triangular bangs seem like
just a bad memory of the '80s.
But before the ’60s style even has
reached its peak, it seems that the
’70s already arc back in. The glory
days of the ‘Me’ Decade are back in
vogue in New York and London, and
it’sonly a matter of time before Corn
huskers start retiring their hooded sweat
tops and high tops, too.
For some people, the ’70s conjure
William
M i 'Rudolph
tt-,
A-jfe.—
up bad memories of John Travolta,
Abba and wall-to-waJl shag carpet
ing, but no need to panic.
The mod resurgence lakes the best
(or perhaps that should be the worst?)
of ’70s style and brings it screaming
into the ’90s.
The key look for men’s hair is
cropped short on top with sideburns.
This does run the risk of running into
the Fonzie danger zone, but proper
grooming can help manage those
whiskers to avoid the Isaac Asimov
look.
Women, as always, have a few
more options: Judy Jetson beehives
like Ivana Trump’s will still do the
trick. Back-combed hair or a ’90s
version of the flip also will work fine.
And Linda Evangelista wannabes,
breathe easy: It’s still all right to have
short, gamine hair.
For either gender, long-sleeved
shirts with thick vertical stripes are
objects to have. Finish these out with
white jeans (they bombed this sum
mer at the Brass Buckle and the Post
and Nickel, but nationally they’re
cooler than acid-washed any old day),
and those happy relics from the Beatles,
Chelsea boots.
Prospective go-go girls can do the
husue down to the thrift stores to pick
up white plastic go-go boots to wear
through all those line dances. Adding
a pair of hot pants to complete the
ensemble goes without saying.
Those in doubt can always consult
reruns of “The Partridge Family,”
“Good Times” and, of course, ‘Mod
Squad” for further ideas.
Along with mod rags, the proper
groove can really set that modish
attitude. Recommended music for mod
movements: Isaac Hayes, the O-Jays,
Deee-Litc, Disco Tex and the Sex-O*
Lettes, and anything that lends itself
to doing the Electric Slide, now known
as the bus stop.
The only scary thought is the in
evitable corollary of all this nostal
gia. If we’re on the’60s and ’70s now,
then the first decade of the 21st Cen
tury could sec the return of New Wave
purple hair, tails, eyeliner, bi-level
hair, power dressing, the Andy Travis
hairdo, leg warmers and other early
’80s debris.
Let’s worry about that later.
Rudolph hi ■ senior English major and a
Daily Nebraskan arts and entertainment re
porter and columnist.
