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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1987)
PAGE 9 — The Georgia Bulletin, March 19, 1987 Extraordinary Love, Piety Dominant In "Therese" her mother superior. This meditative and fragmented film presents Therese’s youthful ex uberance and all-con suming devotional love of Christ as the expression of the personal joy and freedom she felt in the midst of an austere cloistered environment. The viewer is confronted with a paradox. The film tries to show the beauty, grace and ease with which Therese responded to what some may view as a life of unnatural restriction. Her total selflessness, her total surrender to what was later to be called the little way — the prayerful, extremely simple interior life in ser vice to God — is the emo tional core of Cavalier’s vi sion. Therese thrives in this seemingly repressive en vironment, where in con trast to her luminous simplicity other members of the order appear flawed. The non-religious viewer is likely to see her total giving as self-annihilation, though in actuality it is interior freedom, the triumph of the individual over external pressures. Cavalier renders this ad miring portrait in muted tones, naturalistic lighting and sparse sets without backgrounds. Some of the minimal dialogue is deriv ed from the nuptial poetry taken from Scripture and commonly used during this period. Within this solemn and sanctified environ ment, the poetry reflects both the prayerful aspect of a devotional life and the mystical union with God as expressed by the bride-of- Christ imagery in which Therese found meaning for her life. In this picture of com munity — the sharing of a sanctified life — Cavalier’s naturalistic vision comes alive. His detailing of everyday life exposes the humanity of the cloistered nuns, their extraordinary selflessness as well as their flaws. The real-people aspects of their lives are depicted. There is no doubt that he implies that some are less suited for the religious life than others. One scene perfectly ex presses the joy and sense of community in the midst of austerity — a Christmas celebration of gift-giving and sharing in which the humanity of the nuns comes alive with glowing and compassionate intensi ty. Although others have found the same interior freedom, Therese mani fested it without interior struggle; the purity of her intoxicating devotion, her heroic sanctity and selfless love was unique. The young may find this picture of religious life from the past more confusing than elevating. For adults to understand and appreciate the film, background regarding the nature of religious life of the period as well as some additional information about the life of Therese would make the film more comprehensible. The U S. Catholic Con ference classification is A-III — adults. The film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. The television schedule for the week of March 22 follows: SUNDAY, MARCH 22 concerning the prospects and priorities of a new economy are discussed. 8:30 p.m. on AIB CABLE.* French Actress Catherine Mouchet As “Therese.” Theatre Gael Production Drama Of North Ireland Theatre Gael will present “The Freedom of the City,” by Irish playwright and author Brian Friel at the Academy First Stage Theatre, Juniper and Four teenth Sts., March 19 through April 5. Per formances begin at 8 p.m. John Stephens is artistic director for the drama set in Derry, Northern Ireland, dur ing a civil rights demonstration. The play deals with the human tragedy behind the ongoing struggle in a wry and witty man ner. Friel is the author of “Philadelphia, Here I Come,” “The Enemy Within,” “American Welcome,” among numerous plays. He also is a short story writer. Theatre Gael is an Atlanta-based company producing the plays, music and dance of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Ticket prices are $10 for Friday and Saturday performances and $8 for other evenings. Call 892-0880 for ticket reserva tions. BY TONY ZAZA NEW YORK (NO - St. Therese, a young girl of Lisieux, France, who became a cloistered Carmelite nun at 15, is the subject of Alain Cavalier's “Therese” (Circle). Starr ing Catherine Mouchet, and winning the special Jury Prize at the Cannes festival, the film is about a unique person who finds joy and fulfillment by virtue of her extraordinary and un conditional love. The film is also a portrait of Therese’s exemplary pie ty and holiness, of her wholehearted response to the restrictions of religious life — a life of sobriety, silence and poverty — and of her almost heroic charity and humility. The perspective of the film is contemporary, and although based on There se’s autobiography tries to re-create the life of a human being rather than that of the oft-portrayed sentimental plastic saint. Cavalier provides an im pressionistic view in tableau form as he presents moments in her life (1873-97), which was cut short by tuberculosis. Much of the narrative material is drawn from her auto biography, a diary that she kept at the suggestion of ON THE AIRWAVES THE CATHOLIC MASS — The Mass will be celebrated at the following times: 8:30 a.m. on WOR-TV (Channel 47 on Prime Cable). 9:00 a.m. on WGN-TV (Channel 42 on Prime Cable). 10:00 a.m. on WVEU-TV (Channel 69). 10:30 a.m. in Spanish on AIB Cable.* MONDAY, MARCH 23 SHARE THE WORD — This video edition of the Scripture program produced by the Paulists features commentaries on the Readings for the upcoming Sunday, March 29. 8:00 p.m. on AIB CABLE.* VIDEO EDITION — This week Video Edition focuses on problems of the Nuclear Age. In particular, “Star Wars" and the effects of nuclear testing on local communities are treated. 8:30 p.m. on AIB CABLE.* “EL NORTE” — See Box. 9:00 p.m. on WGTV, Channel 8 (Channel 20 on Prime Cable). TUESDAY, MARCH 24 A BETTER WAY — A half-hour consumer information program produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 11 a.m. on AIB CABLE.* WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 THE MASS — The Mass celebrated at the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Decatur. 5 p.m. on AIB CABLE.* POOR PROMISES — This series addresses the issues surrounding the Bishops' Economic Pastoral. Alternatives SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS — Series host, Sister Maria Grazie, examines a wide range of religious topics, along with her weekly guests. 9:00 p.m. on AIB CABLE * FRIDAY, MARCH 27 CHRISTOPHER CLOSEUP - Christopher Closeup travels to the United States’ Mexican border, El Salvador and Brazil. This filmed examination of the Family of the Americas is hosted by Father John Catoir. 5:00 p.m. on AIB CABLE * *( AIB CABLE is an interfaith channel on Cable 5 in North DeKalb and on Cable 8 in Alpharetta, Atlanta, College Park, and East Point). “El Norte" “El Norte” — Fleeing a terrorist attack in which their mother has been kidnapped and their father kill ed, two teen-age Guatamalans — a brother and sister — flee to “El Norte,” the United States, where they hope to begin a new life free from fear and exploita tion. The journey has its own terrors, but they reach Los Angeles, find jobs and taste the life they have dreamed of, sweet and bitter. This excellent film gives identity to the faceless Latin American victims of oppression who have motivated the sanctuary movement. Several scenes of realistic violence are inappropriate for younger children. USCC classifica tion is A-III — adults. 9:00 p.m. on WGTV, Channel 8 (Channel 20 on Prime Cable), Monday March 23. Events At Museum In conjunction with the exhibition, “The Aura of Neo- Impressionism,” a documentary film, “The Landscape of Pleasure,” will be shown at the High Museum of Art on Sun day, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. Among works discussed in the film, which runs 52 minutes, are Georges Seurat’s pointillist vi sions; Paul Cezanne’s Provencal landscapes; Paul Gauguin’s South Sea images and Henri Matisse’s brilliant views of the south of France. Narrator is Robert Hughes, art critic for the New York Times. Admission is free. The program is made possible by a grant from the Members Guild of the museum. ***** “Architecture, History and Confusion” will be discussed by Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for the New York Times, on Tuesday, April 7 at 8 p.m. in the Rich Auditorium at the Woodruff Arts Center. Goldberger received the Pulitzer Prize, journalism’s highest award, in 1984 for distinguished criticism. A graduated of Yale, he is visiting lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture. Admission is free to museum members, $6 to others. Ad vance tickets can be purchased from the arts center box of fice by calling 892-2414. ***** Dr. Clark V. Poling, associate professor of art history at Emory University, will teach a course, "Major Currents in Modern Art: The European Avant Garde, 1905 - 1945,” at the High Museum on April 20, 27, May 4 and 11. The course includes discussion of Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian, and the movements of New Realism, Dada and Surrealism. Tuition for museum members is $25, for others $35. Registration closes April 10 and the class is limited to 200. For information call 898-1116.
