| OCR Text |
Show PagTn Th Daily Utah Chronlcte. Friday, Dfmb 11, 1C31 ARflABESHalj 1 Politicians gnaw own livers in anarchist tradition America is only one plate among many ulieie (tolitic ians pronounce the name of tbeir own profession uiib a sneer on iheir lips. "We have lot lean up the While House" this ivas the fiisi thing Ronald Reagan said after toining to ihe While House. Maybe by now he is i educed loan awkuaid variation on i he same ibeme: " To c Iran up the White House, ue'iegot lot lean out." Here. Amu lit an itoliiiciaiisaie like the lilciars clitics who make authoi italixe denunt ialions of the iuterpielative inanities of "the tiitits." ctr the touiisls who shake their heads sadh ai the extent ttt w hith vnne faioiite sMti has Iteeu spoiled hy "the tourists." Ken Mlititians inoibei cnuniiiesctccasionally indulge in this kintl of gnawing ai l heir own livers. But in America, the lalionale for ii is being turned into a new national imihology. Ilollxwood. in panic ular. is busily inaikeling the mull of i lie tine honest man (or. of course, woman) hulling against a toiiupt and Iivmm riiital establishment detet mined lo tlesiioy him. They may bcciihet of the left or of the tight Robert Redford antl Klliott (uld on the tine hautl. Km l Re nolds antl C Jim Kasiwtiod on the oilier but anti-gov- t imneni. they aie all anti-law- . anii-tove- ami-auihoiil- r. y. loll wood has itteiilly learned lofiud plenty ttf targets for iis wiatli in the motlein uoild. Several a considerable itopularitv in Kit in films whit h ihe I'.S will illusiiale what I mean. The fiisl is a Run Reynolds vehit let ailed Smokry and the liandit. I his pit ks up tin the xptilaiiiy of the two-mabautlii att. ihe (atiens' Band ladio craze, the continuing last ination ttf fast tars and fast puisiiits and. of course, the uige to loot for the pursued against the puisueis. Bun Reynolds plays "ihe Bandit." who uses his fast tar to tltroy ihe Mlite away from his fiiend (played by Jerry Recti, the tommy singer who made his fortune out ttf the "When Vou'ie Hoi. Vou'ie Hoi" and "When of vou'ie Not. Vou'ie Not." who is iiaustoriinga nut 'Hitis lines. illegal Inn across state pursuit played strictly for tonicity. A buffoon sheriff antl his idiot son base Reynolds and t ompany (unsuccessfully) across four states for the wrong icason. The beer makes it destination in lime, Reynolds and Recti win a small fot tunc on ihe wager that has intlutetl iliein lo go ami then, at the uiging of ihe young woman (Sally Fields) will' whom Reynold- has now- found line happiness, ibey bet ii douhlt-- oi nothing on another iuitossible feat ttf inteisiaie tim ing. This is Ameiitau auaithism al its healthiest. What is meant to Ik- funny is funny; what is iKiriraytxl as ridiculous v lidit ulous. Who mailt ihe law l hat (loots heel could not Ik sold in the state of (ieoigia (a law wbith. by the way, may h ive been suite the making of this film?) That man I ni haw-enjoye- d n twin-lauiologie- was an ass. just as the silly sheriff wfio confesses disrespect to his inflated dignity with liolation of the law is an ass. The fact that Americans admire Reynolds and Reed for their Kulenspiegelish prank is. on the whole, indicative of a wholesome realism and an unwillingness to be cowed by power without authority. Indeed. Ameiicans may say more: Aim I icans may say that all the sen ants ttf the law. with their taste for telling people w hat to do (and esjxt tally w hat not ttt dtt). have something in them of the bulls and the coward, and lhat all ihe bandits have a certain existential. Burl Reynolds thai in. . American anarchism may grow out of the nursery, but when watered and fertilized by ideology, it can take monstrous anc almost unrecognizable forms. This is what ha p tens in Capricorn One. an Elliott Gttuld vehicle. Gould plays the great modern prototyite of the : the investigative rettorier. nt anti-hero- Animal House. This tine deals with Take another fraternity life in an American university in ihe early '60s. Fraternities are. or were, little bands of competing freemasons which, until ery recently, provided ihe "social life" of mttst American students. The film presents us with two fraternities: The Delias are wild and anarchic totally and unashamedly devoted ttt hell-raiser- s, the e; Omegas are one fraternity of "campus leadership." Stholarship doesn't get much ttf a look-i- n either way. The plttt is of little interest. But all didactic pills are easily swallowed wiih large volumes of comedy until the closing tides when the future careers ttf the. principal actors are used to thie home the txtint: The Delias are to bet time editors of humorous monthly magazines. I'.S.. senators, crusading lawvers. and famed gynecologists: the Omegas are ttt become "Army officer killed in "Nixon aide raped in prison. Vietnam by his own troops." Ha. ha. Anarchy is triumphant. Anarchy even turns tun ttt be a suiM-riomethod ttf producing national leaders. Obviously, this is some specialized form of anarchy: one which easily coexists w ith some right ttf power and authority, so long as they are not exercised very punctiliously as long as they pay due aesthetic regard ttt the claims ttf anarchy. By what right, however, do I tall it anarchy? By what tight dttes John Anderson, during his campaign in the last presidential election, ask Ameiitans to believe that he is running against the politit ians for a (xtlitical preferment? If "campus leadership" is bad (and the Deltas oppose it), how can national leadership be good? If "politicians" are bad. how c an John Anderson, running for public office, be good? These are questions which the purveyors ttf the new mythology seem unwilling to confront. Theirs is a world of mere aesthetics and style, and they are never struck by the inevitable moral paradox lhat toli(it ians antl deputy sheriffs and campus leaders area necessary adjunct ttt the ttowcr that they. too. lust after. If only they could be satisfied ttt remain genial rogues and outlaws like Huckleberry Finn ttr Burt Reynolds disinterested anarchs with no desire to put on the deputy's uniforin for themselves why then, how much happier one would be to give their aesthetically pleasing imprudence tine's blessing. Amaresh Pas is a "Chronicle" columnist and a tra lum fellow in the Economics Dept. 197-T'o- r n iwmm18l s. HO-H0-H- O! - - - -- - ieH-alet- l YT'S TIME TO UP MAT "Ronald MY om CHRISTMAS LIST. SE- E- LETS ROMALD REAGAN. m BEEN THIS VER? HA$ GOOD "Jsl toifln: of coal.. lump 4 FOR-YOU- TEXT BQOKB DAILY FROM 9 am till 5 pm Sat. -- 10 am till 3 pm BUY-BAC- K r BRING IN THIS COUPON AND SAVE ai (itidishirts, you can do.,. design a rMT igttf dttion printed in ttcond a beautiful make yJatt-fuinai- na a kooded tuf calendar 3. f sveatrohe23: or puzzle- -, uith pkoto or monogram 7. print a canva tote baa i have your boxes' card reproduced! (tUC prices include print) and. of course, frr uou types. news alwaus here to bail uou out she's podiikt Uttered itLif. i I i rtuO For a limited time only, bring in this coupon and save non-creati- ve , on all high fashion, high quality frames, including those by Oleg Cassini. Christian Dior. Pierre Cardin. Gloria vanderbilt, etc. This coupon must be presented at time glasses are ordered and no other discounts are applicable. 50 EL do remember, alt custom designs actuaUu due in , can't he fe lt,r autre no ipecal tart can be done in seconds. 200 UI7I VERS I TY STREET SALT LASB GIT7. UTAH 84 1 02 HOURS: MON. THURS. 9-5:- FRI. 9-- 5. SAT. 10-- 3 Th tyewear Experts best Juoiitut areatcst most creative, to 90 elsewhere uou'i have to "be cmy prices, $ call UtidishirtS eat 2nd South 01 7 open plus mondau, december II? uhnderfuC 5-2- -- 1 (hart a W Crossroads Plaza Mall Mall, Orem 2241777 Cache valley Mail. Logan university 1035 tiusd&u-Saturd- ay hoiid&y $eason,Sufeeties) 4 363-767- 753-474- 1 1 UNION INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED 7 c |
