One-day rise and fall of civilisation

Press, 19 August 1982, Page 18

One-day rise and fall of civilisation

Next week's offering by the Canterbury Film Society “Savages," is another film byJames Ivory, the maker of “The Europeans” and “Jane Austen in Manhatten.”

Ivory's original idea was to do a sort of “Exterminating Angel" in. reverse, showing the rise (and fall) of civilisation in a single day. His approach however, owes nothing to the cloying decay of the Bunuel film or the harsh realities of “Lord of the Flies.” This is made clear from the opening credit sequence in which a sweeping 30s lyric accompanies sepia images of a rolling croquet ball, while period windows are overlaid introducing the cast in col-

our. Characterisation is suitably parodistic, and during the dinner-party, especially, hits the right note with awkward pauses, conversational gambits and social humiliations, all photographed with dewy beauty by Walter Lassally, his subtlest colour work since “Tom Jones.”

The period in which “Savages” is vaguely set (late 20s early 30s) seems to have been chosen for its capacity to contain elegance and sophistication side by side with an undercurrent of decay. The idea works well -- throughout the film there is a sense of borrowed time, a Cinderella concept imposed by the 24-hour time struc-

ture. The cast, mainly composed of New York stage actors, does not feature many well known names, except perhaps Salome Jens (from “Seconds”), Ann Francine and the veteran, Neil Fitzgerald. Playing is nonetheless excellent all round, with the extrovert Kathleen Widdoes and the pensive Louis Stadlen hitting exactly the right note in their roles.

The society’s weekly screenings are held at University Room Al, Ham, at 8 p.m., Tuesdays, and at the Museum Theatre at 7.30 p.m., Wednesdays. The half-year subscription now is $l2 and $lO for students and senior citizens.