We’re just minutes into Tobias Lindholm’s A War when the first IED explodes in a heretofore tranquil stretch of desert in Afghanistan. The 21-year-old soldier struck by the device dies moments later, leaving his fellow-troops shaken, grieving and enraged — questioning the direction of their mission, fighting a deluge of tears and snot, asserting that they’re not cut out for … [Read more...]
The View From Home 56: Alain Resnais, the Vietnam War and the Nouvelle Vague, agitprop from Italy, and a lyrical neo-Western
You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet: You can’t watch Alain Resnais’ You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet (Kino Lorber, $27.98 DVD) without thinking of the very first full line of dialogue spoken in a motion picture: Al Jolson’s boast that “you ain’t heard nothin’ yet” in 1927’s The Jazz Singer. As befitting its title, the innovations in Resnais’ singular new movie are more visual than auditory, … [Read more...]
‘War Horse’ remains magical, stunning theater
Broadway has long featured the creative use of puppets. Think Avenue Q, Disney’s The Lion King and even the revival of Little Shop of Horrors. But they all pale in comparison to the five-time Tony Award-winning War Horse and its expressive, full-sized equine puppets, which come to life in a stunning theatrical adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s popular children’s book. The … [Read more...]
‘War Horse’ is best bet for Kravis’ 2013-14 Broadway season
It was to be a routine announcement of the show titles for next year’s “Kravis on Broadway” series, the sixth season of touring productions since the West Palm Beach performing arts center began presenting road shows on its own. But the publicist kept frantically e-mailing a strong suggestion that I bring a camera to the event. Which headliner of which show had the center … [Read more...]
An even-handed account of the Civil War’s meteor
Although some people viewed John Brown as a madman, his daring 1859 raid on the U.S. military arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va., helped galvanize anti-slavery sentiment in the North. In Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz has written an engrossing account of Brown’s life and singular devotion to the abolition cause. With hindsight, … [Read more...]