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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 1984)
Portland Observer. November 28, 1984, Page 7 Impressions of race relations vary in current films The Gods Must Be Crazy o th er w ith it. A subtle message that " c i v i l i z a t i o n " sho uld be le ft to the whites, and that Blacks w ould be bet ter o f f w ith th eir p asto ral life in the by Robert l.ot bum Bush? S u b tle on film , but everyday ” T b e G o t! j M u s t Be C r a z y , ” a m o vie d ire c te d by S o u th A fr ic a n Jam ie lly s c u rre n tly p la y in g at the M o v ie H o u s e , is b eing b ille d as an “ epic c o m edy o f ab su rd p r o p o r tions. ” T h e f ilm show s life in s o u th e rn A fric a w here w hites are not o p p res sors and sadistic killers, where Blacks hold d o w n jo b s on integrated new s papers and re la te c o m fo rta b ly w ith w hites. O n e m ig h t w o n d e r w h e th e r the ‘'absurdity'* o f this comedy might be a p p re c ia te d by S o u th A fr ic a n Blacks, should they even be able to see it. In any case, the s to ry revolves around the adventures o f a Bushman fro m (he K a la h a ri D esert o f B o t sw ana, one o f So uth A f r ic a ’ s client states to the n o rth w h ich borders Black-ruled A ngola and Zim babw e. N lx a u , the B u s h m a n , o n e o f the last o f a d yin g b reed, is o ut h u n tin g one day w hen a coke b o ttle dro pp ed fro m an a irp la n e lands n ea rb y . T h e coke b o ttle becom es an o b je c t o f w onder to the Bushm an and his ro v Brother From Another Planet earth to rid the Bushmen o f the now tro u b le s o m e b o ttle . O n his tre k , he comes m contact w ith a white nerd o f a m icrob iolo gist and his w hite teach er girlfriend fro m South A fric a . They help capture a Black communist guer- n lla troop that has kidnapped a class extra sensory powers. F ro m there, he moves o f f in to the city on an odyssey w hich takes h im th ro u g h the streets and dramas o f H arlem . H e finds refuge in a bar whose p a trons think he is a crazy street person as he sits alone and trem bling. H e can't talk, but communicates where he’s from with a thumb's-up sign After he fixes a O ne does not have to leap very far to m a k e such a c o n n e c tio n . Possibly the most offensive aspect o f the film video game with his amazing electronic abilities, they adopt him. even tlxxigh he at this point was the laughter com ing is "a little w eird." As the bar's patrons talk we get a glimpse into their lives. O ne o f the men t> a caseworker who helps tl»e brother by fro m the m a in ly w h ite a u d ie n c e , as Blacks on the screen get caug ht in d o o rw a y s a n d d o v iolen ce to each N lx a u m akes it to the end o f the throw away the coke bottle. “ T h e Gods M ust Be C ra z y ” holds Nlxau the Bushman throws Coke bottle from a cliff into the sea off South Africa in a scene from "The Gods Must Be Crazy.” getting him a job vixing video machines. W e follow them from the welfare office to the streets to the video arcade. A fter the brother fixes dozens o f machines in give the d ire c to r the b e n e fit o f the d o u b t, one m ig h t ask w h e th e r he w here Blacks and w hites live in h a r m ig h t be try in g to d o w h at he can w ith in the censorship to p ro m o te ra c ia l h a rm o n y . O n the o th e r h an d , mony and even have fun together, to “ T he Gods M ust Be C ra z y " could be out an im a g e o f s o u th e rn A fr ic a and offers him a huge jo in t, saying, " la k e dus, brother, and get on the bout lo the promised land " A fte r com ing d o w n , the brother figpbve slave from another planet Wandering the halls o f the immigrant reception center at Lilts Island, he listens to die voices o f the immigrants with his acting like keystone cops and shooting each other. A patently South A fric a n message th a t B lacks in A n g o la or Z im b a b w e c a n ’ t ru le them selves? earth, a huge c liff in South A fric a , to w ho raps to him o f life on the street In duectiv John Sayles' latest movie, "B ro th e r F ro m A n other P la n e t,” a the Statue o f Liberty. H e ’s not a g ift fro m the gods, but a take over the government o f a fiction al B la c k -ru le d state to the n o rth . W e are show n offensive scenes o f Blacks for it. T h e f i lm ’s best m o m en ts are c o n tained in the scenes depicting the life o f the g ra c e fu l B u sh m en . B ut the m o o d is s h attered by a n a r ra tio n in fo rm a l E n g lis h (w h ic h som e m ig h t find patronizing to say the least) tell by Robert Lothian Black man (played by Joe M o rio n ) falls from the sky and lands w ithin sight o f room full o f schoolchildren. T h e g u e rrilla leader had trie d to ing fa m ily , and they fin d m a n y uses it into his own arm so he can experience what it was that caused the youngster's death. H e walks high through the nesghhorhiMKls with a Rastafarian guide reality in South A fric a . N lx a u sets o f f fo r the end o f the other. Needless to say. the w hites lib e r ate the helpless school children fro m the clutches o f c o m m u n is m , and brother pulls the needle out and plunges another extravagant public relations the back room, a Puerto Rican cowork gim m ick a la Sun C ity that prom otes the m yth o f racial h arm o ny in South er befriends him. W andering the streets, he comes across a teenager w ho died fro m an overdose, w ith the needle still sticking out o f his arm . In a sensitive scene, the A fric a , a m y th th a t no m a tte r how hard it tries, cannot free itself fro m its subtle and not so subtle racist content. ing us that the Bushm an m ust th in k the m a g ic al b o ttle a g ift fro m the Gods. T h e Bushmen d o n ’t know who the G o d s a re , b u t we d o — w hites w ho rid e in airp lan es and th ro w out coke bottles. T h e them e o f G od s as whites continues throughout. Soon tro u b le develops, the Bush m an c h ild re n begin fig h tin g o ver the b o ttle — w e a re show n several p a in fu l shots o f them h ittin g each Fiesta benefits El Salvador A fiesta fo r the b en efit o f N ew E l Salvador today w ill be held on S atu r d a y , D e c e m b e r 8 , 1984 fro m 5 :0 0 p.m . to 12:00 m idnight at St. Andrew C o m m u n ity C e n te r, 8 06 N o rth e a s t A lberta Street, Portland. T h e fies ta w ill o ffe r d in n e r, w in e and beer; a gift m arket w ith arts and crafts; and e n te rta in m e n t, including Spanish songs by G a il H ig h p in e and H e c to r de la O . M u s ic fo r d an c in g w ill be played by M a n te c a . A p iñ ata and other entertainm ent w ill be ava il able for children. T h e p ub lic is invited to attend the fiesta. Proceeds w ill help to support a chicken cooperative in Chaletenango, sponsored by N ew El Salvador today (N .E .S .T .). N A T IO N A L C O U N C IL T h e N a tio n a l C o u n c il fo r N e g ro A ssociatio n fo u n d e r’ s p ro g ra m w ill be h eld on S u n d a y , D e c e m b e r 2 , 1984 at 3:00 p .m . at Hughes M e m o r ial C h urch , 111 N .E . Failing. PAT’S COIFFURES 4835 N.E. Union Ph. 287 7929 Hours Monday Friday 11 • m .-7 p m . Saturday* 9 a m . 7 p.m Hock Shop Buy, Salt or Trad« I Anything of value 5600 N.E. Union 287 5330 BRIAN COURT USED CAR SALES MOTOR CO. " W a bava (uat the car you need." 9003 N.E. Union • 2864491 FIGHT LUNG DISEASE WITH CHRISTMAS SEALS. t traces the dealer to his office high in a downtown tower. W ith his extra-senary abilities, he causes the tycixm to expert erne an overdose, and then stuffs a pile o f the while stuff into his face, presum ably smothering him. later he has an affair with a beautiful nightclub singer being preyed upon by tlic chib owner, whose picture lie saw on a marquee Sayles himself plays one o f the nerdly slavedrivers w ho w ant to rip o f f the brother The welt are workers, his Puerto Rican coworker (w ho suddenly speaks only Spanish) and the men in the bar all galvanize to protect him from these wierdos. W hen the slavedrivers eventually catch up with the brother, he runs, end ing up on the street w ith a large group o f Harlem Blacks from all walks o f life. The sight o f this fo rm id ab le group is crxxigh to send the slavednvers running. The film is w acky and com ic, but what stands exit is its sensitive portrayal o f a man who can’ t talk, w ho is com pletely alone in a strange land, w ho learns about life on the street, is ac cepted and when the slavednvers even tually come fro m their planet to get him , even defended by the people
