University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

That 'Joe' Is A Likeable Villain (+ 'Monte')

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

"Joe," now playing at the
University Theatre, has been
proclaimed by almost every critic as
a brilliant film. I was slightly
disappointed that it wasn't as
fantastic as I had been led to
believe, which was also a problem
with "Last Summer." The
difference however is that "Joe" is
a sleeper which came along and
surprised many people. With this in
mind, I think one can find much to
enjoy and even praise in the film.

In the first place, it takes guts to
make a film of this nature. William
Compton's daughter has had an
overdoes of speed, and Compton
sets out to find her boyfriend who
gave it to her. When he does, he
unintentionally ls the boy, and
flees to a bar where he meets Joe.
Slightly drunk, Joe tells everyone
how he feels about damn niggers,
hippies, and commies.

Joe is an extremely likeable
villain. If you agree with him, you
obviously will like him; if you
disagree, you will like him for his
blind beliefs and courage to speak
his mind to anyone, regardless of
their station. Compton is less
attractive, being a weak tragic-hero.
He accidentally reveals his crime,
but discovers Joe won't blackmail
him — he'll become his friend.

The scenes of Joe and
Compton's developing friendship
are fascinating, for Joe the middle
class worker is totally unaware of
Compton's world of $60,000 a year
salaries. What is more interesting is
Compton's realization that despite
their different backgrounds, they
have several things in common.
What Compton doesn't realize is
how prone he is to go along with
Joe's thinking.

From this point onward, the
film shifts emphasis from social
differences to Joe's desire to kill
hippies. No doubt, some will
criticize this plot summary as too
revealing, but I think that "Joe"
divides itself into two stories, which
luckily fit together well. The
second part of the film begins with
Melissa's escaping from the
hospital, learning her father's secret
and running away. Compton calls
Joe, who volunteers to help search
for the girl. For the remainder of
the film, Compton is completely
dominated by Joe — whatever he
says, Compton agrees to do.

What makes "Joe" a success is
the excellent acting by Peter Boyle
and Dennis Patric. Boyle's role as
Joe is a challenge and he carries it
off with genuine flair. The barroom
monologue is a definite highlight of
the film, and amazes one with its
frankness. Mr. Patric's performance
as Compton is also outstanding,
making this spineless figure a
believable individual.

Norman Wexler should be
congratulated for his guts in writing
the script, but should be questioned
bout its lack of unity. To me, the
film does show that its focus was
changed after the shooting had
begun. At the risk of being hissed, I
think it was tacky to have Melissa
reappear in the final scene. I think
Compton would have realized what
had happened without this
dramatic irony, even though it ties
up loose threads and seems
inevitable.

The direction provided by John
Avildsen is straightforward and
honest. One scene, however, uses
special techniques, but in an
original manner. Compton's

murdering of the boy is filmed with
previous frames of the same action
superimposed to create a visual
mood and feeling of violence, slow
motion, and a long passage of time.

While "Joe" isn't as flashy as
other films, it is entertaining and
contains good acting. For a small
budget film, being a sleeper has
advantages, such as reaping a profit
and making the public aware of
talented unknowns. Of course, this
can often happen with more
expensive films, and the Barracks
Road Theatre has a film which, I
hope, will prove this theory.

"Monte Walsh"

"Monte Walsh" has received
some good reviews, but apparently
hasn't created as much
hubba-hubba as "Joe." This is a
damn shame, for "Monte Walsh" is
a better made film and more
entertaining than several films I've
seen all year. Showing the influence
of "The Wild Bunch," "Monte
Walsh" examines the dying of the
Old West and cowboys, as
technology and progress move in.

Director William Fraker has
made a beautiful, neat film, of an
amazing short length. He and
photography director David Walsh
have filled the screen with images
which in color and style have the
haunting quality of a Frederick

Remington painting. The film has
very little plot and consists of
spectacular scenes that typify the
independence of cowboy life. By
"spectacular" I mean not only
visually, but on an emotional peak
as well. I would further add that
the use of spectacular scenes is not
overdone as in "The Wild Bunch."

Where other films would get
caught up in the visuals, Frazer has
firmly restricted himself from
making each shot more incredible
or breathtaking than the previous
shot. The most amazing segment of
the film is Monte's taming a
bucking mustang. The restraint
used so carefully through the film is
abandoned here to cleverly lead us
to accept the possibility of such an
impossible combat between man
and animal.

Another contributor is music
director John Barry. The score is
perhaps one of the best he has done
and has only two flows. The
repetition of the song "The Good
Times Are Comin' " is fine, but at a
high point in Monte's realization of
the dying of the West, an
orchestration would have been
more appropriate than Cass Elliot's
singing. Here it is slightly jarring.
The other musical flaw occurs
during the shootout. Barry's music
here is much too identifiable with
his music from "Goldfinger."

The cast is excellent. Jack
Palance has never been as likable as
he is here. Jeanne Moreau is also
outstanding as Martine, the whore
patiently waiting for Montie to
propose. Lee Marvin — is Monte
Walsh. There is no way around that
point, and I doubt anybody else
could have done as fine a job as he
does. Once again though, Frazer's
restraining hold on the actors
deserves a round of applause. From
the comedy of Marvin's rolling a
cigarette while in bed with Moreau,
to his staring at her deathbed,
Frazer has done such a job of
understatement that emotions
cannot be held back during these
scenes.

I know people will flock to see
"Joe." I do wish, however, they'd
take the effort to see "Monte
Walsh" and enjoy a well made film.
With such a variety of well made,
thought provoking, socially
conscious films available for
viewing, have we all overlooked the
sheer entertainment value of films.
I hope I'm wrong in assuming we
have.