David Carradine to attend the premiere of his film

Press, 7 April 1982, Page 19

David Carradine to attend the premiere of his film

David Carradine. the director and star of “Americana.’ - is in Christchurch this week for the world premiere of his film, which will make its public debut this evening at the opening of the Midcity Cinema.

Lang Masters, the managing director of Masters Independent Cinemas, bought the rights for the first screening of the film from Carradine at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Carradine, a Renaissance man in the making of “Americana” in that he also cowrote and produced the film, and composed and sang some of the songs, is probably still best known as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaoliif*priest, in the successful television series, "Kung Fu.”

This time, he plays a mysterious Vietnam veteran who appears in a small Kansas town, which just happens to be the geographical centre of the United States. In this town, amidst the distracting emotional aftereffects of his time in Vietnam. his desire for emotional repair and to create a universal source of amusement for the community (a merry-go-round), the veteran generates a series of events that serve as moving commentaries on the nature of friendship. love, lust, hatred, war and the value of life;

In “Americana,” Carradine also has set out to show that the tools of the film-making' trade are available to any-

one, and that one can produce a movie without big budgets dictating its quality. He wants the audience to walk away saying, “Hell; I could do that.”

Carradine approaches film making as simply and naturally as possible by playing each moment for the reality of it.

No shouts of “clear the set” were heard in Kansas

since the people of Drury were as much a part of the film as the location. Carradine says, “What could be more perfect than the people of the town play-' ing themselves — dressing the way they dress and acting the way they act — a wardrobe or casting office couldn’t have done a better more realistic job.” The people were the sound effects: when a baby would cry or a dog bark on the set, that footage was kept in the picture to add to the reality of the moment, rather than, editing it out and using wild track later in the editing process. The local colour was real not staged — a local Dixieland band walked on the set and started playing, while the Indian dance in the street was the way the people of Kansas spend an occasional afternoon. ■ When Carradine asked Craig Huntley to compose the music for the motion picture score, instead of using words to express the feeling he wanted to convey, Carradine sat down at the piano and improvised a language of music, while watching the film on the big screen.

As Huntley said, “He’s talking to me in music instead of words.” The theme song from the film, “Let Me Take You Around,” was written by David Carradine and is performed by him and his daughter, Calista. The merry-go-rOund was brought in from Los Angeles and the broken horses were found in Kansas City. They were actually repaired during the filming of the movie f 5 by the cast and crew. Everyone working on the film rented a large house where they stayed during the 18 days of shooting, eating home-cooked food and keeping shooting costs to a minimum.

The film was shot with natural lighting that gives the film the quality achieved by the old master painters. In a bar sequence, the screen is rather dark but as Carradine explains: “When you come inside after being out in the bright sunlight, a room is dark and it takes a while for your eyes to adjust.” Carradine edited the film with his own hands, much like the work done with his hands on the carousel in the picture. The sharp technique and focused aura of Carradine’s performance evokes a spiritual quality throughout much of the film.

In this regard, it is reminiscent in many instances of the tranquil essences of con-

sciousness that characterised his role in the "Kung Fu” series. This tranquil quality is off-set brilliantly in the film by the often rugged individualism and guts of a determined Vietnam veteran. The sporting performances of Michael Greene, as the local gas station owner, and Barbara Hershey, as 'the simple, understanding local girl, are effective by achieving the subtlety and natural inner-conviction of character which the roles demand. This portrayal unifies the drama honestly and renders Carradine’s talent as a director noteworthy. Off the screen Carradine is soft spoken and profound in a philosophical sense, yet not the least bit hesitant to interject or merely crack a welltimed joke. As an artist, even on a first impression, Carradine is easily perceived as a reservior of truths. He is a man of content whose integrity as a film maker is just beginning to blossom. His innovative approach to let things unfold and creatively flow with their meaning seems truly spiritual and believable. In "Americana,” Carradine, the artist, paints his magic on the celluloid

medium he knows so well. Richard Carr wrote the screenplay for Carradine to star from the 1947 novel, “The Perfect Round," by Henry Morton Robinson. “Americana” also shows what a film maker who is serious about his profession can do with a small budget and a lot of love. “Let me take you for a ride, quiet all the pain inside

. . ~” Carradine sings in his own song as he carries our minds and hearts away on a merry-go-round of life.

And somehow we see ourselves in this picture . . . wanting to do what makes us happy, not much concern for the material things but fighting for what we want in our hearts and souls and winning in the end. Carradine controls the moving horses as well as any mortal man can through the ups and downs of life so, “Just grab hold of my mane, let me unwind you, help you to find you . . . let me take you around.”

And around and around he goes on the carousel of illusion called Hollywood, where Carradine has chosen to ride. But a true renaissance man cannot be restricted by fences or rules, he just pours out all over. In the Hollywood, where this business of compromise has less to do with promise and more to do with selling out, Carradine remains his own person.

He is an enigma, honest and true to himself and his art — he is David just being David. With strength inherited from his father, John Carradine, who said "Pioneers have always had to contend with fools,” David has come “fool circle” in Hollywood and has succeeded.

His depth of character and strength which has made him less than popular with the manipulative forces to be has also attracted enough secure people to “turn him loose” and allow him his