The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 56

S.F. EXAMINER Jan. 29, 1982 Even the snake has lousy lines -The Border' good until the ending In El Paso we find the other naif of the story: Charlie, a border patrolman, who would really rather be working for the Forest Service or some such peaceable outfit. Unfortunately, he is married to a woman with the mind of a peanut and the soul of a TV commercial. Make more money for our dream home, she says.

The only way he can make more money is to go on the take with a fellow patrolman, who smuggles Mexican nationals across the border, then sells them to a middleman, who sells them to US. employers. It's no news to you, I expect, that the whole border scene is absurd and tragic and corrupt The movie makes no excuses or apologies. Its makers simply say: The situation exists, and it Is terrible. They offer no solutions, except the small hope that decent line of dialogue.

The movie has no sense of fun, which Is essential for this scary genre. Making It even worse is the waste of Its talented cast, who will no doubt survive and go on to other projects. But what about the black mamba? There aren't that many decent feature film roles to be had. Maybe it should try a Broadway play: "I Remember Or a book: "Mamba Perhaps a Mamba Done Told Laura Dean live and on TV Tympani," a new work created especially for television by composer choreographer Laura Dean, will be given its local premiere showing Monday, Feb. 8, at 10 pm on Ch.

32. The Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians will appear in the Bay Area later that week to give a master class at the Margaret Jenkins Studio Thursday, Feb. 11, and to perform at the Herbst Theater, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12- -From Page El uncventul, unsuspenseful drama about a snake run amok. Lance Holcomb plays a little boy who's sent the wrong snake from his local pet shop.

Oops. He got a black mamba, whereas Sarah Miles, who plays a herpetologist studying poisonous snakes at the London Zoo, got a harmless garden snake. Neither Is too pleased at the mix-up. Oliver Reed Isnt overjoyed, either, nor Is Susan George. They play the movie's villains, a chauffeur and maid who try to kidnap the boy while his rich mommy's in Rome.

The kidnap plot flops, so Reed, George and Klaus Kinski, who plays an "international criminal," hold the boy and his grandfather, Sterling Hayden, hostage in the townhouse, which has been cordoned off by an angry police commander, played by Nicol Williamson. Meanwhile, the black mamba gets out of its box and takes an unescorted house tour. Director Piers Haggard has no concept of tension, and scriptwriter Robert Carrington hasn't written one From Page Kl it. The camera is concerned with live human beings. This is evident from the the first 1 scenes, which were filmed in Guatcma- la, but presumably take place in Mexico.

The camera moves, like an artist examining the details of a painting, from one Indian face to another and into the church where hundreds of candles are burning in the 5 darkness. It is gorgeously photo- graphed, but there's no phony rever- ence to it. It looks pagan, if anything. The camera follows one face in particular a young woman carrying a little baby She is evidently bent on for the border at El Paso, along with all the thousands of her compa- triots who are desperate for work in the United States. er society particularly as It exists In El Paso.

Charlie's backyard is hard dirt surrounding a two-bit swimming pool, and one of the crudest landscapes In the Southwest lurks right over the fence. No matter. Charlie's wife must stage a barbecue. It turns into a rout, an orgy of flung food shish kebab, barbecue sauce, onions and tomatoes. Admirers of Tony Richardson will love it Ardent Texans will hate it 'The Border" is an Intensely active movie (all manner of vehicles careen about the desert at lethal speeds), and I found the suspense nerve-wracking because the characters who are In danger are so vulnerable and so innocent, and because the atmosphere of the area is so blindingly real.

The light is hot white; objects swim in the heat waves. It must have been a hellish movie to make. I Just wish I knew how it was supposed to end. there are other men like Charlie He is played by Jack Nicholson, who gives a fine performance. He is no obvious hero, with his thinning hair and his soft belly.

He is awkward, sweaty, unhappy. When he finally loses his temper, his face turns bright red, the veins swell on his neck, and it's a stunning example of an actor willing to throw his whole soul (not to mention his blood pressure) Into a role. I even believed In him when he smiles sweetly at the young woman's little baby, or grins in earnest shyness at the young woman. She is played by Elpidia Carrillo, a Mexican actress. She is very young and sweet-faced.

She speaks no English, hich doesn't matter. She doesn't need to. Valerie Perrine plays Charlie's wife. She is as pathetic and as plastic as the junk she buys for her little duplex on the desert, and what a good time Richardson has satirizing the consum For ticket information, call 431-uiu. The exquisite star of Cathy Tippel and the star of Last Tango in Paris i Ti.n if iixn i -flu iinYi Siinnft I til'.

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3 3 DAVID ANSEN NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE "3 5 4 in- '4 BORDER' IS A SUCCESSFUL INVASION OF PECKINPAH COUNTY, WHERE BOGUS HIGH LIFE AND A QUICK UGLY DEATH OFTEN INTERSECT. AS FOR JACK NICHOLSON, HE SHOWS AGAIN THAT HE CAN it I 5 1 EMBODY AS MUCH Mw ft 4 OF THE 20th CENTURY AMERICAN MALE-SEXY, PSYCHOTIC, DESPERATE, HEROIC-AS ANY MOVIE STAR 5 TODAY." RICHARD CORLISS rv1 TIME MAGAZINE JACK NICHOLSON JS3L 11 An EFER Production A TONY RICHARDSON Film "THE BORDER" HARVEY KEITEL VALERIE PERRINE WARREN GATES Introducing ELPIDIA CARRILLO Whtwn by DER1C WASHBURN and WA10N GREEN ind DAVID FREEMAN D.recior of Photography RIC WA1TE Musk by RY COODER Executive Producer NEIL HARTLEY Produced by EDGAR BRONFMAN, JR. Directed by TONY RICHARDSON Original Soundtrack on BACKSTREET Records and Tapes RESTRICTED 661 6110 CINEMA) I f7566b00 THEATRHTr 362 4822 THEATRE 1 22181B4 THEATRE 1 A INIVERSAI RKO PICTI RE PANAVISION tniwnuimtigMiK UKDfd 1 7 RtQUIRIS ICCOMPtNTIHG PARfUl OR IQULT GUAf)0l i(4 SOUTH SAN ERANCISCO 1 -PLUS- I WtSTPORMLllVICEWTt 1 -SHOWS-Tonight at 10:00. Cont. SatSun From PM.

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