Re: -- + ~

[yaye@pipeline.com (Samantha Pena)]

equluus@aol.com [Equluus] wrote: 
 
>I'm sure everyone has seen this glorious and whimsical performance. 
>Kate's cinematography reminds me of old Alan Parker flicks (maybe its me) 
>and I love it!.  The pressing  I have is great (2 sided CLV Laserdisc) but

>I wish she would have thrown more of the albums songs in the film.  I 
>especially liked  the bizzare themes and Lindsay Kemp's make-up of course!

 
>your thoughts.... 
 
I recently purchased the video of The Line, The Cross, The Curve, and I was
fortunate enough to attend the big-screen showing of it last year here in
New York. As a devoted American fan, I'm always thrilled to have a chance
to look upon Kate -- feeling starved for it most of the time -- and so I
spent my time in line outside the theater, and I spent my $20.00 on the
video .  But, then and now, despite some inspired moments and an excellent
performance by Miranda Richardson, I find myself so disappointed with it.  

 
I must confess, that I have always enjoyed Kate's musical sensibilities
more than her visual.  With some notable exceptions -- "Running Up That
Hill", "The Big Sky", "Breathing", "Cloudbusting" --  her videos tend to
leave me feeling dissatisfied.  The aching and joyous beauty of her music
is worthy of so much more. 
 
The personal myth at work in TLTCTC, this symbolic journey of the artist
lost and re-discovered, is wonderful.  And I can understand Kate's desire
to include some of the actual people who assisted her in her journey;
Lindsay Kemp and Lily.  But as a film to be experienced and interpreted by
an audience, it comes off as little more than a vanity project.   
 
I've heard Kate express on more than one occasion a desire to keep things
"simple" when working on a visual project; and to not fall prey to the
tendency to make something look flashy and expensive like so many other
artists.  I assume that is partly responsible for the "stagey" and
repetitive quality to the film - as is true in many of her videos.   I just
don't think it works as well in a longer form like this though.  It is
tedious to watch Kate twirl for four minutes during "Moments of Pleasure",
it is boring to watch her and two other women twirl their hair for another
five during "Eat the Music". (All times approximate :->)  I find it
difficult to understand why she would not realize this.  I mean, there is
not even a change in camera angle!  
 
If I had access to Miranda Richardson's talent, I'm sure I would not be
able to resist casting her in *my* project, but truth is, her excellence
just emphasized the rest of the cast's amateur theatrics.  Kate is not yet
an accomplished actress by any stretch of the imagination, but she may have
come off better had her limitations not been glaringly displayed next to
Ms. Richardson's seasoned skill. 
 
Like all Lionesses, Kate would become ill if she did not have an outlet for
displaying her majestic splendor -- and she's got plenty of it and has
displayed it wonderfully for nearly 20 years -- but the lengthy, pouting
close ups and her endless fascination with her own eyes (shades of Barbra
Streisand's "Prince of Tides" tendencies) did not necessarily best serve
the aims of the film's storytelling. 
 
I guess like so many longtime fans, I always have ridiculously high
expectations of anything to do with Kate.  She has inspired and astounded
me so many times with her giant talent and her beautiful spirit.  And by
setting her such a high place in my esteem, it is inevitable that I will
sometimes feel let down when she proves to be just a brilliant woman who is
capable of very human ego trips and unfulfilled potential. 
 
Geez, what a bring down I am.  Sorry everybody!!  But, ya know, he *asked*
for my thoughts...... 
-- 
 
Yaye Kazu 
 
"Everybody should be able to make some music - it's the cosmic dance!"   
--  Harold & Maude