Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 68

HVqgniaigillMqjM SECTION INSIDE iuvj LI VI LI LAi Ll UVI UUU Jazzblues, E2 Community arts, E4 Television E12 Friday, August 19, 1988 Austin American-Statesman Aim (odGdod Got Scorsese film explores new ideas while maintaining religious respect Willem Dafoe portrays Jesus in the controversial Last Temptation of Christ, which opens today in Austin. 4 YWr. I Review Harry Dean Stanton's Paul, an ob-vious leader and a possible proto- type for the modern television evangelist. Even in this strange new portrayal as friend, not be- THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST Stars: Willem Dafoe, Barbara Hershey, Harvey Keitel Rating: nudity Theater: Village Critic's rating: By Patrick Taggart American-Statesman staff Throughout his career as a filmmaker, director Martin Scorsese has insisted on re-inventing the wheel. Far more than anyone could have imagined, he has succeeded.

In Mean Streets (1973), which Scorsese buffs frequently cite as his best film, he re-invented the gangster movie, reducing the grandiosity and romance of The Godfather to petty bickering and loan sharking in New York's Little Italy with unforgettable results. For New York, New York, perhaps his only outright failure, he drew a new face on the movie musical, giving it dramatic weight and employing an intentionally stagy production design. But perhaps his triumph in genre redesign is Raging Bull, the 1980 biographical drama about the life of boxer Jake La Motta. No reverential whitewash this, Raging Bull portrayed La Motta for the caged animal that he was, and the result was a movie of extraordinary power. That it also possessed a brilliant sense of style and contained an indelible performance by Robert De Niro was almost beside the point.

By 1980, that sort of brilliance was expected from Scorsese. And now comes The Last Temptation of Christ, a movie riding a wave of controversy that may strike those who finally see the film as ridiculous and more than a bit sad. Far from being blasphemous or cavalier in its treatment of the most sacred figure in Western religion, Scorsese's movie is deeply sincere and wholly respectful. Only in ally giving his own life to the cause? Scorsese, working from a script by Paul Schrader, is only partly successful in selling this intriguing premise. It is no fault of Willem Dafoe, whose Christ is perhaps the most memorable of all who have appeared on film.

It's true enough that he is occasionally plagued by doubt, but his Christ is also capable of fierce determination. When he promises a baptism of fire, we believe it. But The Last Temptation of Christ possesses a patchy, episodic narrative that will lose casual viewers early on. Like Schrader's Mi-shima, the action in Last Temptation doesn't flow, it stacks itself up. You end up with a pile of scenes that resemble a movie, but the lingering feeling is that the pieces could have and should have been put together more carefully.

Within these pieces, though, are durable moments. The famous confrontation between Jesus and those attempting to stone a sinner is especially powerful, as is his meeting with John the Baptist. His sojourn Keitel's Judas is one of the film's most persuasive elements. The dialogues between sus and Judas chart the former's spiritual progress and reveal how difficult the transcendence of spirit over flesh will be. Mary Magdalene's role in all of this is not large, despite the controversy surrounding her appearance in a sex scene with Jesus.

Barbara Hershey plays the role bravely and with passion, but the truth is there's not much there. One leaves the theater feeling that The Last Temptation of Christ is by no means all that it could be. But as far as it goes, it is, warts and all, a tale told with passion, conviction and with an appropriate sense of wonder. The Last Temptation of Christ leaves the mystery of Jesus intact; his words and deeds will undoubtedly lure another filmmaker with yet another interpretation in the near future. But unlike so many of the lavish Bible epics of the past, The Last Temptation of Christ brings with it a feast of ideas for viewers to wrestle with.

Even flawed Scorsese movies make one think and feel. Barbara Hershey Is Mary Magdalene. some details may biblical scholars take possible exception. Never doubt, though, that Scorsese completely disposes of old-fashioned methods in the making of Bible epics. Don't expect to see flowing white robes and scrubbed faces.

Here the work of divinity is not performed to the accompaniment of offstage choirs, nor do fanfares from a mighty orchestra underscore transition passages. Scorsese's Holy Land is hot and eerily silent, and in the place of majestic music and opulent settings we are submerged in the white-hot passions of people struggling to know God. Much has been made of the final dream or fantasy sequence, but in fact the whole movie possesses an otherworldy, hothouse quality. We first see the carpenter Jesus mak- ing crosses on which Romans hang errant Jews. Judas, portrayed here as Jesus' best friend and a kind of spiritual enforcer, criticizes him intensely for this.

Torn by guilt, Jesus succumbs to fainting spells, experiences visions and hears -voices. Although he initially denies it, he suspects he is being sought by God to answer a special call. It's important to remember that The Last Temptation of Christ is based on Nikos Kazantzakis' book of the same name and not on the New Testament. The movie is not about Jesus the Messiah but about his reluctance to accept the job. In a way, that's a lot more interesting: Assuming Jesus was fully divine and fully human, how in the world could the human side of him cope with the thought of leading a radical religious movement, of eventu in the desert precipitates fascinating visions.

The apostles are a wonderful lot, and none is more convincing than Might life Out in the cold Dougherty fire sends groups scrambling for hard-to-find space Night life is a guide to music this weekend in Austin. losing hold of basic down-to-earth musical sensibilites. Tonight at 8:30 at Symphony Square. $4 admission. Bloodline blues If you lived in Gary, you'd probably have the blues, too, just like Big Daddy Kinsey and the Kinsey Report.

The father-and-sons blues dynasty was founded in the shadow of Gary's steel mills, but it's an international attraction now. Big Daddy Kinsey specializes in vintage Muddy Waters-style blues, complete with sizzling slide guitar work. The sons, including Donald, who toured and recorded with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, add tasty touches of reggae, contemporary soul and rock energy to create one of the most formidable blues acts around. Hometown hero Chris Thomas, a hot-shot guitarist with equally eclectic abilities, will open. Saturday at 10 p.m.

at Antone's. $6 admission. Folk favorites San Antonio's Melissa Javors is a Kerrville regular whose jazz-inflected folk approach makes good use of her multi-instrumental talents. Austinite Linden Sherwin's musical method has a more traditional country flavor to it. Put the two together and you've got a crash course in the pleasing possibilities of feminine folk music.

Saturday at 10 p.m. at the Chicago House. $3 admission. Michael Point and Tropical Vibes, and the Ty Gavin Band, among others, to keep the music moving. In addition there will be performances of everything from soulful emcee work to Jewish folk songs to electronic rock.

At 8 p.m. at Club Islas. Donation requested. Attitude adjustment Reggae stalwart Ini Kamoze is tired of outside interference, and the Jamaican singing star simply isn't going to take it any more. Kamoze's new album, Shocking Out, tells people to get off his case in the most forceful, yet musical, manner since Johnny Paycheck told the world to shove it.

Kamoze's approach, accompanied by rock-solid reggae riddims and a surplus of showmanship, is a powerful package. Kamoze seemed poised for stardom a few years ago but somehow lost his momentum. Now he's back on track with his strongest material yet and a determination to make up for lost time that should express itself in a killer live show. Saturday at 10 p.m. at Liberty Lunch.

$6 admission. Fancy fiddling Erick Hokkanen can fiddle up a storm at the drop of a hat. With his group the Off-Beats keeping things on track, Hokkanen lets the strings sing and the bow blaze brave new musical paths. He can take the music where he pleases, mixing hard-core country with more contemporary fare, never Staff photo by Karen Warren Janelle Buchanan of Big State Productions, left, and Pat Jaspers of Texas Folklife discuss alternative sites for their groups' shows, which had been scheduled at the Dougherty arts center. By Diana Claitor Special to the American-Statesman When members of the arts community heard about last week's fire at the Dougherty Cultural Arts Center, they were shocked, but now the bad news is really hitting home.

"It's a real setback," said Cassandra Knobloch, Austin theater director and drama instructor. "The Dougherty has reasonable rent and it also has a support staff, but there's another thing j- I feel very strongly about it being the municipal arts center for all the people of the city." Knobloch recently formed Theatre Austin, which has its first production scheduled for Oct. 13 at the Dougherty. Knobloch, whose successful production of Confluence last spring garnered three Austin Circle of Theatre nominations this week, had booked two dates at the Dougherty for her production of The Holdup. Even though the set is designed and the show cast, she and her board decided Sunday to postpone the show indefinitely.

In the best of times, there aren't many performance and exhibition spaces to rent in Austin. The State Theatre, Austin Fifth Street Theatre and several other alternative spaces have closed in the last three years. Facilities that are available for rent, like Zachary Scott Theatre Center or Capitol City Playhouse, have few dates available because of their own in-house productions. The Dougherty, although old Sonic services Music from Down Under is front and center on the international music scene lately and The Church's shimmering, ethereal power pop is one reason Australia is popular on the airwaves. The Sydney-based quartet's neo-psychedelic songs are marked by an unusual melodic emphasis that infuses a lilting lyricism into The Church's music.

In concert, however, songs are delivered in -rapid-fire succession with a much harder musical edge. Peter Murphy, charismatic vocalist for Bauhaus, and Tom Verlaine, guitaristmastermind of Television renown, will also perform. Verlaine, who will play solo, may be worth the ticket price by himself. Sunday at 9 p.m. at the Austin Opera House with Peter Murphy and Tom Verlaine.

Tickets are $15.75. Payback time Ernest Needom enriched the Austin music scene for almost a decade, but the classy jazz pianist is now fighting an underfinanced battle with cancer. Many of Needom's friends and fellow musicians have banded together to help him by staging a series of benefits, beginning with tonight's wide-ranging musical revue called International Groove Night. Funk masters Moving Parts will be joined by The Tribe, Ras Iginga and imperfect, fulfills many requirements for small- to medium-size groups: It is centrally located (at 1110 Barton Springs Road), easily accessible and inexpensive. For example, the rental charge for a night at the Dougherty is about $100; the charge for renting the stage at Capitol City Playhouse is about $450 a night, with discounts for long-running shows.

The fact that the Dougherty is booked solid for nearly a year in advance says a lot about the community's need for it. But apparently it will be months before the exhibition hall and performance space can be used, according to Rita Roosevelt, division manager of the city's cultural facilities. It is unknown how long renovation will take since city engineers have just begun preliminary studies to determine the damage. In fact, it is has not yet been decided if the structure is worth renovating. In the meantime, Roosevelt and other city staffers have made room for the displaced Dougherty staff in their own offices and are working with arts groups that had booked dates in the city facility.

"We are depending on them (arts groups) to call in and tell us when their dates were. We have to operate from memory because most of See Dougherty, E11 omsm canon? (itm-re gm ceo 'aa vnm ecra.