= F I L M R E v I E w 5 • • the Candid Eye technique at the Nation­ hot); the young son of peace activist way read one of Callaghan's short Terence Maccartney stories, while the young writer sat op­ al Film Board in the '50s. Filgate dis­ Kate Nelligan disappears - "where's Gil­ posite him with the galleys of an early plays all his formidable background and ligan!" - (worries a lot of people includ­ Filgate's Hemingway novel. expertise in this fine example of a docu­ ing his mom) and is eventually found This encounter led Hemingway to get mentary that captures the flavour, merit alive (but really cold) in a secret bomb shelter morgue. Morley Callaghan some of Callaghan's short stories pub­ and yes, ego of a leading Canadian writ­ lished in American magazines in Paris, er, and a lot of details and tales of his There are many such diversionary, and to Morley and his bride arriving at early life. The weaving of the present­ time-killing subplots in which several First Person that fabulous city in the '20s, where day with the past, the setting of the relationships begin to take shape. But they met with Hemingway and other il­ period, all skilfully blend to capture and only in one instance do two characters Singular: lustrious literary leading lights -F. Scott enthrall the imagination, so that the engage in a straightforward dialogue Fitzerald, , . viewer is left wanting to know more about the greater implications of living in a bomb shelter in 1987. orley Callaghan - First Person Callaghan returned to Paris for this about Morley Callaghan, to read or re­ Singular is a documentary made film, and roams and remembers in a read his books, and perhaps to sit at his Control screams for dialogue; there Mby a master - Terence Macartney­ sprightly, cheerful manner sitting in feet and hear more stories and reminis­ is nothing else happening down there in Filgate - in first-class form. Of course, cafe-bars conjuring up the past, a fund cences. the static grey concrete! An opportuni­ he's more than ably aided by his sub­ of stories spilling from his lips as though ty for subtle acting and bright writing, ject, Morley Callaghan, a runaway talker the action all took place yesterday. Pat Thompson • missed. Here, we might have seen if ever there was one, whose reminis­ Callaghan's lengthy and prolific characterization at its best with the cences of his early life run by in breath­ career is commented on by (among various actors adapting the different less Qrofusion. others) , Mordecai personae of the nuclear arms debate - Callaghan walks each day in the To­ Richler, publisher Louise Dennys, and p.ld. Terence Macartney-Filgate. sc. Marilyn Powell. the dove, the hawk, those who believe ronto where he was born - Irish and his longtime lunch companion Robert cam. Andrew Binnington. Terence Macartney·Filgate. that building a super bomb shelter is ed. Christopher ReiUy. Robert St. Hilaire sd Edmund fatalistic and those who say it is a wise Catholic - at the turn of the century. He Weaver. His two sons, Michael and Chong. Pierre Camacho. Jim Ollolini. nan. R.H. remarks that he never felt different, and Barry, provide more personal glimpses. Thompson. Readings by Michael Kamer. Lorna precaution. only later realized that he was born in He is now 84, and still writing. He Jackson. col. 48 mins. Instead, we get Ben Gazzara, who an outpost of the British Empire. walks aggreSSively, incessantly, does not cease being Ben Gazzara (as In addition to Callaghan's own voice, throughout the film - and talks the we've come to know hjm) literally sum­ R.H. Thompson chronicles the early same way. The opinions, anecdotes, and Giuliano Montaldo's ming up the story for a reporter after days, while the period is visualized ideas flow back and forth like the tides. emerging from the big bunker. through some lovely archival footage of The vitality leaps from the screen and Control "You can't escape nuclear war even in a - its streets thronged with rushes nonstop over the viewer. In­ bomb shelter," says Gazzara. people served by streetcars and graced deed, if there's a complaint, it's that 48 The film ends on a freeze-frame by noble buildings. The '20s, with jazz minutes is not long enough, and the film close-up of Lancaster's best imploring and speakeasies and bright young things is jam-packed with incident and move­ stare. Lancaster is another actor whose whooping it up, flashes by. Amid all this ment. It should have been 90 minutes at star status exceeds his acting skill. nostalgia, Callaghan tells of his student least. Overworn Hollywood faces are some­ summer job at the Toronto Star, and of This is an effervescent look at one of what of a distraction that tend to shine how he met who Canada's enduring literary figures, di­ through and obscure the characters was a foreign correspondent for a while. rected by an enduring filmmaker, Ter­ they portray. It was at the Toronto Star that Heming- enceMccartney-Filgate, a pioneer of Control is a well-intended television Mercifully, Lancaster appears only at movie which raises the morality quo­ the beginning and end of the program tient of prime-time television. For this but it is cleverly suggested, halfway reason alone, this international co-pro­ through the story, that the prof is be­ duction deserves a large audience. It hind the scenes and in control. His should be seen. human subjects, under close observa­ Unfortunately, the script is not as de­ tion, are by this time convinced that nu- veloped as one would ' expect from clear war is imminent. ~ Irish-born , a preeminent Fear reigns, there is the inevitable Canadian author now living in Califor­ moment of truth in which the 14 (there nia. The screenplay starts slowly and has been one defector) evenly divide ends abruptly; characterization is weak. themselves into the saints (read: Gaz­ One is left with the unresolved odyssey zara, Nelligan and among others Kate of 15 individuals who, after spending 20 Reid, whose acting skills are left unchal­ days locked in a bomb shelter, emerge lenged) and rogues. The saints vote asking themselves 'why can't we live with moral conscience to allow the with each other without fear and loath­ clamoring unwashed into the antiseptic ing?' bomb shelter while the rogues vote Commendably, this question is with the survivalist instinct of the war­ clearly framed on prime-time televi­ ring human being - to kill or be killed. sion. A distinguished professor (Burt The rogues get the guns and thus Lancaster) is employed by a politically their own way. They go out shooting motivated peace organization to lend (blanks) only to find the purging rays of his fme name to the publicity of a new the bright sunshine, the world in its state-of-the-art bomb shelter. The same perpetual state of pre-annihilation pre­ international mix of 15 unwitting indi­ paredness and lancaster's sullen viduals are each offered 510,000 upon (blank) face asking the television audi­ completion of a 20-day stretch inside ence ... "Would you attempt to save your the luxury shelter and a S5,000 bonus if neighbour if doing so jeopardized your there are no early defectors. own chances of survival?" We are not aware, however, that the Commendably, the question is asked. prof is scheming to turn this publicity Regrettably, no effort is made to help stunt into a gut-wrenching experiment the viewer comes to terms with an an­ in human behaviour by simulating a nu­ swer. clear attack outside the shelter. He does this by means of phony television and Jean Chantale • radio transmissions and a hysterical cast of thousands clamOring to break into the bomb shelter and hog all the CONTROL exec_ p. Denis Heroux p_ Franco bunkbeds. Cristaldi cOop Alexandre Mnouchkine d_ Giuliano Our friendly castaways on this nucle­ Montaldo sc_ Brian Moore. Jeremy Hole d_o.p_ Ar­ ar age Gilligan's Island are in turn cast mand Nannuzzi. J.p. Burt Lancaster. Kate Nelligan. Ben Gazzara. Kate Reid. Erland Josephson. Ingrid Thulin. into a series of desperately predictable Andrea Ferriol. A CanadalFrancelltaly co-production mini-misadventures in a weak attempt produced by Alliance Entertainment Corp. (Canada). to profile and build character. The heat­ Les Films Ariane (France). Cristaldi Film (Italy). in as­ • Morley Callaghan speaks in First Person Singular sociation with CTV. J;UDDing time 120 min. Broad­ ing system overloads, (it gets really cast April 6. ·S7.

34/Cinema Canada - May 1987