Underdog's Day

by Sean Cameron

What makes the Virginia Film Festival such a unique and enjoyable event is its thematic structure, allowing the festival directors to roll out selections spanning the history of cinema, from forgotten silent classics, middle period Hollywood and foreign fare, as well as more contemporary offerings. Along with these more established films, the Festival also presents a number of top-notch independent productions.

Independent cinema has enjoyed unparalleled success and exposure of late, with smaller films like Fargo taking on big budget studio films for Oscar honors, and the widespread release of young, hip films like Trainspotting and Boogie Nights. Usually, however, these films receive some kind of big studio backing, either in distribution, or through the number of recently created vanity studios, offshoots of the big boys masquerading as arty little companies. Increased exposure starts here; and while this has seen the production of a number of quality-minded movies, they are not truly independent features.

This year's festival, however, presents a healthy selection of authenticaly independent films. I do not mean to argue that only staunchly independent studios are capable of producing good cinema; but they do tend to be more committed to artistic freedom and producing quality rather than bombast and lowest common denominator marketability. And the indies set for screening this year are true underdogs, with nearly unmarketable concepts and a lack of star appeal, but a formidable amount of talent and artistic achievement. The opportunity to see these films now is truly unique, for it is conceivable that they might not be as readily available any time soon, if ever.

The Empty Mirror (1996)

The Empty Mirror is by far the best independent production showing at this year's festival, if not the best feature film all around. Director Barry J. Hershey takes on a rather unsavory concept -- the exiled Adolf Hitler, in a self-reflective mood -- yet manages to pull off a cinematic tour de force.

The film imagines Hitler holed up in a bunker, gleefully referencing Nietzsche while ruminating on the magnitude of the artistic achievements of his life. He dictates his philosophies to an assistant while editing filmed documents of himself; it soon becomes clear that he is fashioning his own image for immortality. Hitler views himself as a symbol for mankind, for he fulfilled the longings of his dark side "while others repress." Norman Rodway is stunning as the corporeal manifestation of pure evil, oscillating between manic soliloquies and dialogues with his love Eva Braun, his chief propagandist Goebbels, and Sigmund Freud as he descends into self destruction. "None of us can stand ambiguity -- me least of all," Hitler tells Goebbels, which points to the source of his failure. Hitler could not accept human contradiction, especially that of his inner and public self, and the realization of his imperfection drives him to his personal hell.

Norman Rodway (left) as Hitler and Joel Gray (right) as Joseph Goebbels in The Empty Mirror, directed by Barry J. Hershey. courtesy of W.W. Film Co.

While tracking Hitler's descent, Mirror boasts a beautiful visual composition which promotes the themes of the work. The cinematography is striking, with vibrant colors that jump off of the screen, especially during a chilling sequence which finds Hitler wrapped in the blood-red Nazi flag. Another dazzling yet terrifying scene has Hitler conducting the film's Wagner score, and the dense light which bathes him allows the figure to inherit the epic sweep of the music. At the same time, Hershey never lets the audience forget that Hitler has lost and is trapped in a bunker-- the scenes of Hitler constantly rearranging a miniature city indicate his failure due to his ego-induced blindness. Hershey also edits in expressionistic montage sequences which give clues to Hitler's inner turmoil, fabulous displays of juxtaposed images, fire, and mayhem.

The visual construction relates the theme of appearance versus reality which torments Hitler. Throughout the film Hitler subverts his convoluted interiority in order to avoid complicating the external projection with which he influences, He begins to fall apart when the separation of the two is no longer possible. The film itself has a lush, handsome exterior but does not hide its meaningful core. Rather than style over substance, Mirror is an astounding melding of both. And while the visual concentration may come off on paper as suffocatingly pretentious, the film is constantly captivating, despite its length and pace.

I urge you to see Mirror now, for fear that it will never be released. Though it could be construed to glorify Hitler, it unapologetically presents the fascinating workings of a singularly deranged and evil mind. Mirror relates an intimate look at the architect of the most horrible crimes of the modern world; it is powerful, thought-provoking, endlessly entertaining, and should not be missed.

The Big One (1997)

The Big One is a video companion to Michael Moore's (Roger & Me, TV Nation) recent book Downsize This! As in the book and Roger & Me, Moore takes up the plight of the American worker while on a 47-city book tour, fusing comedy with everyday tragedy.

Michael Moore: writer, director, and producer of The Big One. courtesy of Dog Eat Dog Productions

Moore's comic genius lies in pointing out the absurdities of political and social America that somehow slip by us. One great sequence has him claiming that Steve Forbes never once blinked during television interviews, then shows the actual footage to back up the claim. Sure enough, Moore is right, but he does not stop there. He then tells his audience that he called up a doctor to explain the phenomenon; the doctor tells him, "That's not human." So Moore travels to the Forbes campaign headquarters, slyly getting the staff to reveal clues that Forbes is actually an alien. Whether lambasting politicians and heads of corporate power or confronting their respective "America-last" policies which devalue the blue-collar worker, Moore combines simple Midwest sensibilities with a vicious and informed mad-dog attack.

And Moore is definitely at his most outrageous and hysterical when he goes for the jugular. As in Roger, he attempts to confront big political figures and CEOs who have downsized workers in the name of saving taxpayer dollars and staying competitive. He arrives at one company which recently shut down a factory with a giant check for the CEO written for 80 cents. Moore explains that it is to pay for the first hour of Mexican labor which will replace the fired American employees. Later, he arrives at the office of a Congressional Representative who signed a bill slashing welfare with the cut off single mothers, all armed with brooms and mops, ready to work. The press secretary explains that maintenance jobs are filled, but he will recommend them to his boss. Moore then suggests that if the Reps are so concerned with wasting taxpayer money, they should eliminate the perks and cash giveaways which waste far more money than welfare.

Another notable scene finds Moore meeting an ex-convict who booked flights over the phone for TWA while serving time for murder. The news is shocking-- American companies can use prison labor in California, a practice seemingly only imaginable in Third World countries. The revelation is troubling, yet Moore refuses to pass up the comic opportunity. The ex-con launches into a rant, threatening to kill Moore's crew with the words "I don't give a fuck about you, you, or you..." as the message "To make a reservation on TWA, call 1-800-..." flashes across the screen.

The film culminates with Moore's visit with Nike CEO Phil Knight. Knight refuses to accept Moore's free tickets to Indonesia to visit Nike's shoe plants, where fourteen-year-olds are employed for slave wages. He then refuses Moore's request to build a plant in America, ducking the issue that an American venture would take a wider cut out of Nike's astronomical profits. "How much [money] is enough?" Moore pointedly asks; the question is never answered.

Moore's approach is intelligent and inviting, and is just the wakeup call America needs. He doles out cold, hard facts in a supremely entertaining way. Much is said about political apathy among young Americans, and I'm among the worst; but I believe more would be moved to action if problems were presented along the lines of Michael Moore. This is essential viewing for soon-to-be graduates.

Shorts

As usual, the programs of short films comprise the most under of the underdogs, offering a peek at up and coming talent in a compressed form. The "Ways of Being Caged" program contains two great twenty-minute productions, The Debutantes and Stop It. The Debutantes is a touching tale of a brother and sister "coming out," with the sister reluctantly preparing for a deb party while the brother struggles with revealing his homosexuality to his family. Rather than concentrate on the event, the film focuses on the brother coming to terms with his conservative southern family. The conclusion is left open-ended, so as not to make the sensitive act a spectacle. Stop It is an absurd tale of an excruciatingly long traffic light. Humor and a surprising amount of action abound, making it a laughable gem. "Prisoners of the Media" offers The Rainbow Man, a tense documentary of Rollen Stewart, who for a time was omnipresent at major sporting events with his "John 3:16" sign. As Stewart's religious fervor grew, so did his desperation for exposure and capacity for violence. The film portrays his descent, culminating with actual footage of his taking a young woman hostage and demanding a three hour block of airtime with which to prophesy the end of the world.

The independent films are typically poorly attended by the student population. Take a chance and see some of these films; after all, with ARTS Dollars, in the immortal words of John Belushi, "It don't cost nuthin'."