PAGE 16 March 15, 1985_ entertainment

Emerald storm over Ulster

Ascendancy (1982), written and di-
rected by Edward Bennett and produc-
ed by the British Film Institute, won
the Golden Bear Award at the 1983
Berlin Film Festival.

by DOUG FINNERTY

 

The year 1916 was not a good
year for the Wintour family who had
made their fortune through Belfast’s
shipbuilding industry. Harry, against
his father’s wishes, volunteered for
the front. When he was killed at the
Battle of the Somme his sister, Connie,
sufferéd an emotional breakdown.

1916 was also the year of the Easter
Rising in Dublin, which was to fan the
flames of nationalism throughout most
of Ireland.

By 1920, the situation has deterior-
iorated. Connie (Julie Lovington),
whose right arm is now psychosomati-
ically paralized, has been reduced to a
mental cripple. She begins writing
letters addressed to her dead brother.
Mr. Wintour (John Phillips) seeks to
rectify the situation by bringing in a
staff of medics to watch over his
daughter.

Connies’s father, you see, has
problems of his own. Labour troubles
at the shipyard has placed an order
from a German firm in jeopardy.

Mr. Wintour siezes his chance at the
Orangemen. (Protestant Loyalists)
parade, There, he manipulates the
situation to implicate the union leaders
as Sinn Fein (Irish nationalists) agi-
tators. This solves Mr. Wintour’s
problem, but leads to sectarian strife
between Protestants and Catholics.

As the violence spreads from indust-
rial Belfast to the surrounding country-
side, the British Army steps in to
protect Mr. Wintour’s life by turning
the Wintour’s Victorian estate into a
fortress covered with sand bags and
barbed wire. They also begin training
local volunteers for the RIC, a security
force that will assume its duties after
the British Army withdraws.

It is at this point that Connie meets
Ryder, (lan Charleson), a young
English officer who regrets missing
out on the Great War where ‘‘the
enemy’’ wore uniforms. As Connie

tries to draw Ryder into her own little
world, Ryder tries to bring Connie

back to reality...

Julie Covington portrays Connie so
well that one is never sure whether
Connie’s madness is a reaction to her
brother’s death, a reflection on the
outside world, or just a put-on to fool
everybody. lan Charleson gives a very
good portrayal of a British officer who
feels caught in the middle. In fact, the

 

only thing Ascendancy lacks are
stereotypes, as even the extras ren-
dered some excellent performances.
Although Ascendancy was shot in
South Shields and the surrounding

 

English countryside, the people run-
ning the project have done a good job
in recreating industrial Belfast circa

1920.
A word of warning: Ascendancy is

Rohmer strikes

Full Moon in Paris,(1983) is the four-
th in a series of Comedies and
Proverbs by Brent director Eric
Rohmer.

 

by DOUG FINNERTY

 

“‘He who has two women loses
his soul,

He who has two houses _ loses
his mind.”’

And with this French country saying
in mind, let’s take a look at the young
commercial artist named Louise (Pas-
cale Ogier). At the moment, she is
living in one of Paris’ ultra-modern
suburbs with her lover, a developer
named Remi (Tcheky Karyo). How-
ever, there is a problem.

Louise wants to move back into her
flat in Paris, where she can spend
more time with herself. At least that’s

what she tells her possessive boy-
friend.

In reality, Louise does not want to
get too close to Remi, because if she
does, she will only end up leaving him
the way she left her previous lovers.

To keep Remi happy, Louise says
that if he can find another lover, she'll
step aside. Although she knows full
well that Remi will never leave her.
Louise now has a pretext to start
seeing Octave (Fabrice Luchini) a
happily married film critic. Louise is
determined to keep this relationship
platonic, but Octave wants a little

EVeH though Full Moon in Paris was
put together on a shoe-string budget,
the end result is tres magnifique. Part
of the reason is director Eric Rohmer
remains in complete control of the
project from the beginning to end.

ee
Think about it. Talk about i
Take action. |

   

OVER-

not a very pleasant film to watch. But
then again, the Belfast of 1920 was not
a very pleasant place to live.

Ascendancy, rated mature, is play-
ing at the Royal Centre Cineplex.

acain!

For instance, Rohmer manipulates
the plot so well that we are never really
sure who Louise will end up with;
Remi the possessive jock, Octave the
sophisticated wimp, or somebody else.
It’s a tough decision since Mr.
Rohmer has given both Remi and
Octave redeemable qualities. Also,
with the superb acting ability of
Pascale Ogier, it is easy to see why
men will fight over Louise.

| also admire the way Eric Rohmer
was able to film in Paris without
getting shots of the Eiffel Tower or
L’Arc de Triumph. Instead he presents
an image that the Expo planning
committee could learn from.

P.S. - Although Full Moon in Paris
a French language film, the English
sub-titles are readable.

Full Moon in Paris, rated mature, is
playing at the Royal Centre Cineplex.

WA ” |

DRINKING.

Canada

 

iv

 

“I like the taste of a cold beer on a hot day,
but | certainly don’t think you have to get the gang
together with a couple of cases of beer just to celebrate

the fact you've had
a bit of exercise?”

JOHN WOOD
ourmAc SILVER MEDALLIST

Health Santé et
and Welfare Bien-étre social
Canada Canada