One Indy too far

MOVIE REVIEW: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

The original Indiana Jones trilogy were the movies of my boyhood and whenever I have watched them since, they have reminded me so much of the type of films I loved as a kid. For this reason, it is difficult to review the latest instalment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, because, although there are strong glimpses of past glories, this film falls short of what fans of this franchise deserve.

The movie starts on a military base in the Nevada desert, with Indy having been kidnapped by cold war Soviets. Unfortunately, a military base in the middle of the US is not exactly an exotic location and Indy with his fedora, leather jackets and bull whip seemed a little out of place. The opening action sequence was okay but fell well short of the genius of Raiders, the outlandishness of Temple of Doom and the creativeness of the Last Crusade.

Set during the height of “reds under the bed”, Indy finds himself being suspected of communist sympathies (despite his war record and career as a spy – anyone a little confused?). On the outer, and about to abandon his professorship, he is approached by Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) who needs Indy’s help to find the crystal skull. Have you ever heard of the crystal skull? Neither had I. And a significant portion of the film is spent explaining what the crystal skull is, who found it, why it is so important et cetera, et cetera.

The Soviets, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) are also after the crystal skull and Indy must battle his way through South America to claim his prize. However, it is not clear why Indiana sets off on this quest – unlike in the original trilogy, his motivations are not at all obvious. On his way, Indy is reunited with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) from Raiders – no surprises who the love interest is in this film. But what was disappointing was that winning the girl seemed all too easy for Indy – in fact, he didn’t have to do anything at all, just show up.

The only highlight for me was an excellent car chase scene set in the Peruvian rainforest. By the end, I was wishing for the final action sequences to be tidied up and cut shorter. For most of the film, there is little suspense or creativity in the ways the Indy gets himself out of trouble. Having the crew of heroes sail over the edges of three waterfalls safely and without any extra device is not fun at all. Next time they should just give Indy super-powers so the writers do not have to get creative.

It was nostalgic seeing Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, but there was something of the sparkle from the original trilogy that was missing. Although he resembled a much younger man, I found his performance to be tired. The women carried this instalment of Indiana Jones. Both Cate Blanchett and Karen Allen conveyed so much fun and warmth (or lack of warmth in Blanchett’s case) in their performances. Shia LaBeouf was a competent sidekick, although for much of the movie, his character, Mutt Williams, does not actually support Indy but fight his own battles.

Spielberg himself has said that Last Crusade was intended to be the last fim in the franchise. At the end, I asked myself whether Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a better “last fim” than Last Crusade. Unfortunately, my answer is “no”. The storyline and some of the performances just came off as a little lazy – as though putting Harrison Form in the fedora and jacket would be enough to please the public.

One Man’s Rating (out of 5):

Hard agenda

THEATRE REVIEW: BLACKBIRD

Ray, an almost sixty general hand is confronted, almost tauntingly, by Una, a twenty something young woman whom he s_xually abused when she was just twelve. This is how Blackbird, directed by Cate Blanchett, begins and ends. And it is obvious to see why audiences will be confronted by the subject matter.

What makes the subject matter confronting for me is the claim in the play’s program that “you couldn’t say Blackbird was about p__dophilia”. If not about p__dophilia, then Blackbird is just a love story. And perhaps the only time I could comfortably accept a love story between a forty year old man and a twelve year old child is if it were set in Greece during the construction of the Parthenon.

Yet David Harrower, the playwright, recognises implicitly that this is not just a love story. Many years after the event of abuse (or love, depending on your point of view), Ray is still haunted by his past actions. He feels, not so much remorse, but rather regret that he ever gave into temptation. He is not the typical p__dophile that it is easy for modern society to despise – he doesn’t prey on children and use them for his selfish sexual pleasure. Peter Kowitz portrays Ray’s shame and fearfulness of his past misdeeds excellently. Wavering between anger and self-justification/delusion, it made me sympathise with Ray the individual even though the acts he committed are unspeakable.

Una is still affected, although she comes across as more heartbroken than damaged. Perhaps, in Una, they are the same thing. In Paula Arundell’s hands, Una’s anger, confusion and restlessness are palpable. A part of Una feels that Ray wronged her, not in the s_xual act, but in not holding up his end of the bargain in their “relationship”. Maybe this is the reason why she has never moved on – she has never forgiven Ray because a part of her believes that Ray, in pursuing a s_xual relationship with her, didn’t do anything wrong. And even if you buy the argument that this is indeed a love story, Una’s inability to move on from events many years ago surely highlights that the sin in maintaining a relationship with a child lies not necessarily in any s_xual violence, but rather in the exploitation of an immature and still developing heart (innocence, if you will).

The most confronting scene in the play occurred towards the end, and saw at least two fellow theatre-goers walk out. I won’t ruin the scene itself by describing what occurred, needless to say that it did not fit in with the narrative unless you view it as a flashback – a revisitation of the past where Ray’s weaknesses do not get the better of him. Arundell’s portrayal of Una, from the outraged adult to the immature juvenile, is masterful.

The grubby subject matter is reflected in the grubby set, and the characters use of this grubbiness highlights the shameful events which are the subject of this play (enough use of the word grubby for me). My only criticism is that the dialogue oscillates at times between serious explorations of the characters and mundane observations of the present. At times this felt out of place and awkward – even though this probably reflects how such an awkward conversation might occur in real life.

In the end, the play concludes as it begun. It would be fair to say that Blackbird is not plot-driven but actually a play about forgiveness and redemption, about love and temptation, about acknowledging your past misdeeds and carving away at a respectable future.

Where: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay

When: To 16 February 2008

Principal Cast: Paula Arundell, Peter Kowitz and Danielle Catanzariti

One Man’s Rating (out of 5):