Hide Article Text (OCR)
Tmpo Movies'Jonah' is an upbeat child born of eight characters' political wailBy Gene Siskeln % m nS.Vll Him HIM, Be f. In the YearU a Swim film about a Imnch n(| activist* in tJseir *« They've seen Iwtler M day*. particularly iho day* of Iho Pari* ” student riots in IWt When those protests failed (o achieve any lasting change. these Individuals prow up to take on other, more personal Causes—organic farming, teaching, meditation.Jonah*' ilt; a dilllrult Him In fallow, onty because I! isn't organized Into one itcat Jit lie story. Wo meet oach of the film's eight major characters In snapshot Incidents tlut are tied together only when tlicir live*Sin fa cron*. What bring* Ihem together In Iho last r of (he picture is their common personalitytrait. Karlt I* mill fighting a traditional life.Marie, the youngest of the crowd am I a checker at a Geneva supermarket. undercharges old folk* on a pension.That's her wleiU protest against the high price of food. She also undercharges Marco, an unorthodox history- teacher, because he looks funny. They mil fall In love.MMICO Bin'S his vrg-etabtes from Marcel, an organic farmer who's got a soft spot for wholes and the environment. Marcel lends one of his greenhouses to Mathicu. a printer who's been laid off tor union organizing and wants to u« the greenhouse to Ml up a progressive grammar school. Mnlhicu fcsks his young students strange questions. For exam-Ee. Can water feci anything when If* made In.117The farm becomes the focus of the story when Marcel lenra* from Max. a Marxist activist now re-signed to playing mtilrtle Hud a group of land speculators L« pin!ting in steal Hie farm at » bargain price. Max get* Ids information from Madeleine. a red haired hnnk secretary who enjoys *cx as n my* lical potion.Eventually most of Hicm characters Rattier at n dinner party nt Marcel's farmhouse. where tlscy learn that one of their group is pregnant. \ sugges-lion is made that the trnby be called Jonah, which bring* forth (lie film's title.— Jonah I* a strange film because Ms radical young people mnko babies. With tills intelligent crowd, that Un'l a casual net. It's an optimistic and mod unusual act for a film almut young jieople. American ynulk film* feature imfa'iicttricncc ami nhor-1km*. Fur that reason, despite all lltc political rnn.m-lug. Jonah Is an upbeat movieJONAH IS the product of Swiss dirrcfar AlainTanner and English novelist John llergrr. Like tlicir previous films. Fji Salamandro and 'The Middle of the World. Jonah Is political argument expressed through everyday tranum interplay, an argument against capitalism and the rampant conformity ofSwim life.The film opens with upfidit scene* in llw clly. hrrak.* away Into freedom In tho countryside, nnd then plunges back into II* anguished cttyscapc. To see the building* nf downtown Geneva nnd lo know that those buildings arc built on Ute hard reputation of Swiss finance is to know what Tanner nnd Berger arc arguing against.Flaco that sterile city against Iho scruffy looks nfthe film's eight combatant* and the film's political lines arc drawn. Marie, the supermarket clerk, sings hi one of the film's many fantasy sequences (»lut in black-and-white), If you lick the bools that kick you. you'll never feel the lash Jonah affectionately rhnllengc* revolutionariespast to continue to fig! it the good fight. It's a veryTRIBUNEMINI-REVIEWStrange brcadfollows★ ★★’/a••Jonah into will nt:IN THE YEAR WOt» AI#M Tgrvngr.|r»»f *Tbv fit Mill 1^*1•4'Ml V M HflMri*y JM' Usd* frotUtC«1 tfOiiiii •*»o y»mY«t* rimi .roau «■ »Vi1% i' luklDot ***4 fO.me casi*«i JrtfrUt¥•«**» MiiMfi*«•! A iMTJII 0#*»»MMTA-s#Mrf'-f# Q«y»f' »» •* 1 *3A sccno on Hto Iaim in Jvuih Who Will Bo 25 in Iho Yenr 2000: Qorwucpja Labourier, Roger Jencfly(contct). and Ruins;,'jpluM(rated niece of filmmaking, which means it will play a* disconnected to many viewers. There's a Jufgtiiig-o! characters act going on here, but once you know the film's orgnniiing jirinciplc, it's a plea-.sure lo meet It* memorable bunch of characters.4Madame Kilty4TIIFRK’5 NfrnilNC memorable about the ratwrbyclmractcrs in Madamo Kitty, our yearly dmc, It seem*, or Nn/.l ».cx. Ingrid Timlin. Iwroloforo a distinguished net rc*», nuts on a lildcoux blond wig and become* the Ullo cliuractcr, a madam whose bordello is seized fur political purposes by a clever young SS officer (Helmut llerger, who probably would be unemployed if bo couldn't play depraved young Germans).Berger's plan is to hug (he whorehouse to gel in-criminating information on his fcllowr German officers. Isn’t ho nasty?Of course, movies like Madnmo Kilty nre really ahout so! I-core sadomasochism. Better you should buy a dirly magazine than Modame Kilty. The magazine may coat nr. much, bul It will last n lot longer. Bating for Madame Kitty at the Michael Todd Theater: one Mar.
Newspaper Details
, ,
Mon, Jan 01, 0001
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
Rotten T.
USA 19 Jun 2020
Other Publications Near ,
News Journal
Suburbanite Economist
Southend Reporter
Community Publications
Southtown Economist
