Friday, September 10, 2004

By Micaela Baranello
Gazette Reporter

“Vanity Fair” is a sight to behold.  The 19th century British
atmosphere hangs in the air and the colors are glorious.  Sadly,
there is the matter of the plot, something the film wishes it could do
without.

If you’ve read William Makepeace Thackeray’s book, you probably
remember Vanity Fair’s protagonist, Becky Sharp, as a nasty
schemer.  The daughter of a painter and an “opera girl,” she has
lofty social ambitions and claws her way to the top.  In the book,
that is.  Mira Nair’s movie makes Becky into a modern “you go
girl!” heroine who is so charming that society simply cannot resist
her.  This interpretation robs the film of much of the book’s
satiric punch and turns it into a cluttered drama.

There’s just too much plot for one movie.  Becky (Reese
Witherspoon) grows up as a servant in a boarding school, works as a
governess, charms her way into London society, gets married, and so
on.  Thrown into the mix are her best friend, the conventional
Amelia (Romola Garai); Amelia’s family; and a host of other characters,
who drift on and off unpredictably and are often never fully
introduced.  The passage of time is confusing, as none of the
characters visibly age, yet sometimes as many as 15 years pass by
between scenes.

Reese Witherspoon’s Becky is sweet and pretty, and her English accent
is passable (though her French needs work).  However, her deeper
motivations remain maddeningly opaque.  The screenplay gives her
no help, and we never sense Becky’s ambition.  Two outstanding
supporting performances pick things up somewhat: Eileen Atkins as
Matilda Crawley, Becky’s first supporter, a fiery and prickly old woman
with an acidic tongue.  Gabriel Byrne is wonderfully evil as Lord
Steyne, a wealthy aristocrat who’s willing to support Becky through her
darker days in exchange for some favors.  They add some welcome
cynicism to the whole affair (“The best thing about being born into
society is one knows early on what a tawdry public play it is,”
comments Lord Steyne), though these elements coexist awkwardly with the
straightforward drama of Becky’s story.

Vanity Fair remains a treat, however, for fans of good production
values, 19th century settings, and truly beautiful photography. 
One only wishes that it could have been given the six hour length it
deserves.

by Victoria Swisher
Living and Arts Editor

Due to the dearth of activities on campus this weekend, you Swatties
have a chance to get into Philly and explore!  Take advantage of
this free weekend to put things in perspective by seeing that life does
exist oustide Swarthmore’s world of academics.

Make like The Bangles and “Walk like an Egyptian” – see the long-term
exhibit of the Royal Tombs of Ur at the University of Pennsylvania
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for $5.  If Egyptians don’t
tickle your fancy, the museum has a multitude of other exhibits to
check out, including a full scale Japanese temple and exhibits from
Africa, Polynesia, the Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans.  For more
information, go to www.museum.upenn.edu.

If don’t like museums, Philadelphia has more to offer.  Go to
Zanzibar Blue instead, a Jazz restaurant open for dinners and lunches
(even Sunday brunch!), with no cover charge and no age requirement
(unless you plan on ordering alcoholic beverages).  For more
information about reservations, location, performers, and the menu, go
to www.zanzibarblue.com.

And finally, it’s not too late to catch the Philadelphia Fringe
Festival!  Go see innovative theater before it’s too late, and you
might even catch some (current and alumni) Swatties in the festival as
members of the Pig Iron Theater Company and the Green Chair Dance
Group.  For a schedule of events, you can visit
www.livearts-fringe.org.

*****

* The Arabic language news network Al-Jazeera broadcast segments from
an  Al Qaeda videotape on Thursday including statements from top
bin Laden  lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahiri that “[t]he defeat of
America in Iraq and  Afghanistan has become just a matter of time,
with God’s help” and that  “Americans in both countries are
between two fires. If they carry on,  they will bleed to death —
and if they pull out, they lose everything.”  Al-Zawahiri also
claimed that “[e]ast and south Afghanistan is an open  battlefield
for the mujahedeen, while the liars are hiding in the big capitals.”
According to CNN.com, senior US intelligence sources say that 
“groups of about 600 to 800 Taliban or al Qaeda fighters are able to
roam in parts of Afghanistan.” However, military officials say US
forces enjoy freedom of movement throughout Afghanistan and continue
offensive operations against al Qaeda and Taliban forces. The tape
marks the third year al Qaeda has released a videotape in the days
before the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. CIA agents are analyzing
the tape in hopes of determining the date it was made and if there is
any other information that can be gleaned from it.

* Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
Thursday,  Secretary of State Colin Powell labeled “consistent and
widespread”  killings, rapes, and burning of villages in Sudan as
“genocide.” While the statement does not compel the United States to
act, it provides a basis for intervention under international law.
Powell’s statement comes shortly before the UN Security Council will
meet to discuss a new draft resolution on the Darfur region of Sudan
and a report prepared by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The draft
resolution increases access to international aid and calls for a larger
monitoring force, among other stipulations. International rights groups
estimate that somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 civilians have died
in the region since February 2003.

* At least 55 people were killed in a raid by Pakistani forces on a
terrorist training camp along the country’s border with Afghanistan on
Thursday. Officials do not believe any high value targets were present
at the camp at the time. The camp is located approximately 250 miles
southwest of the capital Islamabad. However, “local tribal officials
[dispute] the military’s claim that the strike was on an al Qaeda
training camp and said several tribal members were killed in the
assault,” according to CNN.com.

*****

Friday:

Movie: “My Neighbor Totoro”
Sponsored by the Swarthmore Anime/Manga Club
Kohlberg 228, 8:00 p.m.

Movie: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
LPAC Cinema, 7:30  & 10:00 p.m.

Saturday

Basic SCCS Clinic
SCCS Media Lounge, 3:00 p.m.

Movie: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
LPAC Cinema, 7:30  & 10:00 p.m.

Freshmen Disorientation
Phi Psi, 10:00 p.m.

Sunday:

Mary Lyon Bike Sale
Mary Lyon, 2:00 p.m.

Movie: “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism”
SCI 101, 9:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

Today:
Volleyball at Muhlenberg Tournament vs. Dickinson, 6 p.m.
Volleyball at Muhlenberg Tournament vs. FDU-Madison, 8 p.m.

Saturday:
Men’s Cross Country hosts the Alumni Meet, 12 p.m.
Women’s Cross Country hosts the Alumnae Meet, 12 p.m.
Field Hockey hosts Alumni game, 1 p.m.
Women’s Soccer at Widener Classic vs. York, 2 p.m.
Volleyball at Muhlenberg Tournament, TBA

Sunday:
Women’s Soccer at Widener Classic vs. Wesley, 12 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already
tomorrow in Australia.”
–Charles Schultz

*****

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