Casanova: the Master's Waste of Too Much Time
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Thursday. March 3.1977 The Duquesne Duke 15 Casanova: the master's waste of too much time lost in its subtlety, sinks with its In the title rote, Donald By ANN D'AMICO Sutherland has the tedious job of Entertainment Editor., cumbersome length and perishes in its purpose. attempting to convey vitality in an It has never taken so long to give otherwise inert vehicle. an insult. Federico Fellini's The film is an ingenuous idea Casanova is the longest, most that is disappointingly handled Sutherland is basically a mun- critical put down the film audience The life of the most legendary dane actor, and best at portraying has had to withstand in quite a seducer, charlatan'of all time, depthless characters, definitely while. not of Casanova calibre. His Giacomo Casanova has one of the depiction is a solid one, though,. • Casanova, Fellini's first English most magnetic stories, yet in i film, took four years to complete Felhni's version, it becomes one of despite his lack of -.and after sitting through almost the most anemic. Sutherland has been quoted as three hours of grueling, ultra- saying be would not have spent as subtle intellectual highbrow Undoubtedly, there are a few much time in make-up for anyone debris, several doubts in the lines worth quoting, particularly but Fellini. So much time is right! master's better judgment arise. when the Casanova's best friend Why would such a profound, sees him aging and says, "Having The costumes and make-up in prolific, already proven director had it all, he sees he has lost is all." Casanova are monstrous and exact write and control (or lose control) And unquestionably, Fellini does for the idea of the love message. such a wretch of a movie. capture the best of the moment in Fellini's overall message seems to Fellini's earlier works, Am»r- several instances as he contrasts cord, 8 12 and Juliet of the Casanova's diminishing life with be the "love is blind" cliche. Spirits, were all very the lowering of candle-laden Except, in this film. Love is a wax philosophically based yet chandeliers being extinguished by aaachaniral female as named by tastefully and understandably so. regimented footmen wielding long Casanova in his sinking years. The point of the film was there, but fans. it was up to the willing and intense Upon reaching his slower days, mind to perceive it. Fellini has landed upon a Casanova finds harmony in a In Casanova, the same is far masterpiece, but for the first time DONALD SUTHERLAND hi a seduction scene from Federico manipulated doll: Love. How from being the truth. Casanova is he has drained the life from it Fellini's Casanova. profound to name his last sexual experience, of virtually a million others, Love. Throughout the film, Lovelace marionette theater'pulls strings' of escapism Casanova feels be has discovered • love, but only in the end does he experience a distorted facsimile. found the HyMAKMNROSS the Lovelace Theater chooses to do under and between a sflk Social Assignment Writer ^tt wim puppets aunedhWiy at the '"Though not~" BOlshoT" ha lief the Love doll Is brilliantly cartoon-age set. material, it was clever enough. The group performed a piece mimed by Adele Angela Lojodice. The Lovelace Theater at Scaife The puppeteers performed eight "Invitation to the Dance" was called "The Silent One," based on As a matter of fact her robot-like Gallery in Oakland is currently pieces which showed more crea- possibly the only piece that spoke Humulux the Mute by Jean Anouil gestures were the most full of life showing Ragtime and All That tivity and imagination than more to the over-13 crowd While a and Jean Aurenche. While this performance in the film. Perhaps Jazz. A brochure from the theater analysis of social change or jazz. cat sleeps on the prominent family work had meaning when written by purposely so, for with Fellini his "calls it an "irresistible revue For example, in "Trio in C Sharp," altar, the boob tube, a woman sips Anouil and Aurenche, if went over intention is usually to make the tracing the historic scope of puppets are of brushes, spools and Tab as she prances in curlers and a the heads of the children and mistakes look profound humorous social change through a sheets. In the "Alligator Crawl," a pink fake-fur trimmed bathrobe. wasn't evident enough to adults. Her fairy godmother, a la Avon ' The idea of puppets as enter- With Casanova. Fellini trys history of jazz music (from Scott gator lounges on a bank while unnervingly hard to make Joplin and Fats Waller to the turtles and frogs serenade him. lady, grants the girl's wish to at- tainment is certainly legitimate enough. Needless to say, mankind everything symbolic for modernists)." Lilly pads and cattails help make tend the ball. something. However, it soon The purpose is certainly ambi- the scene imaginative without has been using and seeing them for In keeping with the contem- centuries. However, to choose to becomes apparent that his at- tious, but to show social change, being too cutesy. porary, however, the Prince's tempts are futile psuedoprofoundi humorous at that, while tracing a For the "Rag Ballet," figures explain humorous social change castle becomes Disco Palace, and a history of jazz at the same ties that haven't got a scene to history of jazz ... I doubt even wore African masks and dressed in complete with neon lights and stand on. Ph.D. candidates would try to Mack. The three dancers moved time with puppets to me is almost super-chic people. This piece I unbelievable. I was expecting accomplish that in a thesis. But slowly and rhythmically around, enjoyed the most because its idea I It is fine for a film to say more of a basic explanation of jazz. something pertinent; something This could have been quite effec- that will rock the world by its tive with puppets, presuming it discovery. But please Mr. FelMni, Clancy, Makem: magic once again was aimed at a young audience we'd rather get em steep by night knowing nothing about musk:, By MARK HOFER brothers, Tom and Pat Together, Fate played a part in reuniting except perhaps, Winnie the Pooh Production Manager they presented their always well them, for in the summer of 1975, and Mother Goose. But the poor Tommy Makem and Liam received concert from coast to they were booked individually to tots couldn't tell you what social Clancy, Ireland's two best known coast When Clancy wasn't per- appear at a festival in Cleveland change is to save their souls. And folksingers have again joined forming with bis brothers, be was Night after night, they performed playing cuts from albums on a forces as a team after seven years separately until they decided to do record player behind the stage of separation. The two were once a show together. The results were doesn't qualify as explaining jazz. part of a group, the Clancy overwhelming. When they ap- In fact, at first I was confused as Brothers with Tommy Makem. peared on stage together, the to the purpose of the show. The They performed for more than a entire audience gave them a five- recorded music in the background decade in major concert halls all minute standing ovation. often was not jazz at all, and when over the English-speaking world. This was all the two needed it did loosely qualify as jazz, it was In 1969, Makem decided to From then on it was Tommy like cold mashed potatoes made pursue his own career. He started Makem and Liam Clancy. They with hot water — bland and boring. out with a standing-room-only both rediscovered the excitement It was not until after the show performance at Madison Square of performing together. With all was over and I picked up a bro- Garden's Felt Forum and since has the folk material they knew, they chure that I was informed what I performed many times in Carnegie could easily begin to explore new had seen. I consider this a serious Hall, Queen Elizabeth Theater in Tom Makem and Liam Clancy dimensions. flaw. Were I to take children to Vancouver, Canada and the new attempting to establish his own Pittsburgh will now be able to this show, expecting jazz and then Sydney Opera House in Australia. career as a solo artist. He per- explore the world of Makem and getting what I got I would have In addition to his concert tours, formed in concert halls, clubs, Clancy. They will appear in con- been upset and indignant. Perhaps Makem has kept himself busy with universities and on television. cert at Carnegie Music Hall in I can sum up the show by pointing his own television series in Ireland, Presently, he stars, in his own Oakland on March 12. The concert out that the girls behind me Scotland and Canada. weekly series toped in Calgary, will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets may be ignored the show at one part and While Makem was off on his own, where he now resides. The series is purchased at all Ticketron outlets argued as to who was the cutest Clancy performed with his syndicated across Canada. for $5, $6.50, and $7.50. Starsky or Hutch! ^ . i .