KWSAN REVIEWS
FILMS: 'Faces' rings true
By BOB BUTLER
Kansan Arts and Reviews Editor
Until now most movie-goers have known John Cassavetes as an actor ("Rosemary's Baby"). With "Faces" he becomes one of America's foremost directors.
"Faces" is a story of marital discord in suburbia. But even more important, "Faces" is a microcosmic study of modern man-insecure, dissatisfied, lonely, capable of both cruelty and kindness. It is a story that might be going on next door.
Cassavetes' story isn't particularly innovative: a middle-aged chairman-of-the-board (John Marley) can't take any more of his frigid wife (Lyn Carlin) and spends the night with an understanding callgirl (Gena Rowlands). The wife in her frustration goes out on the town with her female friends and ends up in bed with a young hipster (Seymour Cassel).
But in "Faces" the story is secondary to the dialogue, and the dialogue continually rings true.
The hand-held camera picks up the audience and sets it down in the middle of life. Here in the callgirl's apartment two aging business executives argue over who's taking the girl to bed. They come to blows, but not in a Lee Marvin brawl. These men are not cardboard cutouts created by some screenwriter—they are too real. They are balding and flabby with wives and grown sons and they know they are acting like children fighting over a disputed toy, but at the same time their pride will not let them alone.
We feel like intruders watching this film, as if we were hiding in the neighbor's apartment during a family quarrel. The camera studies faces: Miss Rowland's sad-eyed beauty, Marley's kindly, pock-scared features, Cassel's goofy come-what-may grin. And before long these are not actors but real people.
Much has been said about the use of improvisation in the filming of "Faces," although Cassavetes himself denies this, saying every word was in the script. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that the flawless acting and superb script combine to form one of the most touching and beautiful films of many years.
There's no moralizing in "Faces," no villains and no heroes. At the conclusion husband and wife face each other, each aware of the other's unfaithfulness and neither knowing what to do about it. It is the perfect ending to a film that dares to show us as we really are.
RECORDS: Farewell
By WILL HARDESTY
Someday, when musical historians are looking back on the 1960s, one of the groups they will undoubtedly recognize as one of the best, most creative and most musical will be the Buffalo Springfield.
Buffalo Springfield had an incredible depth and sound to their music, yet they were never really a big group in the sense the Beatles or the Cream or the Beach Boys have been or are "big." Almost everyone knows some or all of the words and sounds of "For What It's Worth," but it never enjoyed the popularity of, say, "Hey Jude."
At any rate, it is too late for the American public to repent and reform-Buffalo Springfield is kaput.
However, Springfield fans can get a new album by the group called RETROSPECTIVE-THE BEST OF BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD on Atco.
This album has a wide range of Buffalo Springfield material including their two really big hits, "For What It's Worth" and "Rock and Roll Woman." The only thing missing is "Do I Have to Come Right Out and Say It?"
BOTH SIDES OF PEOPLE by People on Capitol has the typical plot line of the music business: Group has big hit. Group goes into oblivion. Group struggles to re-emerge from oblivion.
After hearing the album, the next line is: Group remains in oblivion.
Mar. 4
1969 KANSAN 5
"BEAUTIFUL! The entire film is a poem of youth, love and violence...a Renaissance recapitulation of 'West Side Story' played with pure 1968 passion!" -PLAYBOY
OLINA HUSKY / LEONARD WRITING / MAUO D'ERMENA / MICHAEL YOKI / JENNIE MACNATHY
PA PHIWINDRA / NATASIA FARRY / ROBERT STEPHENS
FRANCIS BUCCARI AND MASSIMO D'AMME
ANTHONY HAWKINS / ALLAN J. AND BRADWANG
ROGAN GLOOMAN
FRANDI (FERRILLI)
Arts & Letters
Starts Wednesday!
It amazes me how a person can judge a three-night show by the first night when the performance is not as polished as Saturday nor the audience even remotely as responsive. Although Miss Browning is certainly entitled to her opinion, I am not sure the paper is entitled to influence judges before they have seen the show. You can be sure any judge who read the review did not go into the evening's program with a totally receptive attitude toward all skits. It seems Miss Browning and the paper would have served their purpose as well and done so more ethically had they withheld their opinion for two days.
In regards to Linda Browning's review of Rock Chalk of last Friday. I was wondering why the article was not entitled "Pi Phi's and Sigma Chi's win Rock Chalk."
Although at the time this letter is written the winner has not been decided, if that skit does win, it certainly will have good assistance from the UDK.
---
I am sure I speak for all three skits which were represented so
To the Editor:
critically in the paper in Miss Browning's viewpoint when I say "Thanks Linda, it was just the lift we needed to perform well Friday and Saturday."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The old newspaper adage "Nothing's as uninteresting as yesterday's news" holds true for reviewing too. Why review Rock Chalk after it's gone? It is certainly of no use to a person who wishes to plan his weekend if a critique is withheld until Monday. Furthermore, first-night reviewing is not restricted to sadistic Kansan staffers. University dramatic productions, nightclub routines and Broadway productions open with the implicit knowledge that critics are present and that tonight's (not next week's) performance is representative of the show.
As for influencing judges, are movie critics to withhold comments until the Acadamy Awards are handed out? Besides, it is a well-known fact on campus (if Rock Chalk skits are to be believed) that nobody pays any attention to what the UDK says anyway.
Today
8 p.m.-Senior Recital—Karla Norton (soprano) and Robert Benton (baritone)-Swarthout Recital Hall
Kansan Arts Calendar
Wednesday
4 p.m.-Poetry Hour-Edward Dorn reads own work-Forum Room of Kansas Union
7 & 9 p.m. —Classical Film—“Cartouche”—Dyche Auditorium
8 p.m. —Faculty recital—Howard Boyajian, violinist—Swarthout
8:30 p.m. —“The Mikado” —Strong Hall Auditorium
Thursday
8:30 p.m. —“The Mikado”—Strong Hall Auditorium
Friday
7 & 9:30 p.m.—Popular Film—“The Jokers”—Dyche Auditorium
7:30 p.m.—Folk Dance Club—173 Robinson
7:30 p.m.—International Film—“Lemonade Joe”—Hoch
8:30 p.m.—The Mikado”—Strong Hall Auditorium
THE ACCLAIMED MOTION PICTURE
"FACES"
"ONE OF THE YEAR'S 10 BEST!" Judith Crist New York Times
"FACES"
"A PHENOMENALLY GOOD PICTURE!"
——Newsweek
"CONSTITUTES MORE OF AN EXPERIENCE THAN A SHOW!"—Time Magazine
"FACES"
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