SOUNDS AND VIEWS: The unsinkable Titanic (06/14/98)

SOUNDS AND VIEWS

by Roman Sawycky

The unsinkable Titanic

Has anyone ever been completely taken with a Ukrainian feature film, one that would run over three hours yet seems much shorter and, throughout, keep one glued to the edge of one's seat? If so, kindly let me know so that I, too, may share in the experience.

As it is, I have suffered through many productions by Ukrainian film studios that despite the standard length seemed to drag on interminably. My late father was an avid film buff, but he avoided Ukrainian films of the 1950s, which he dismissed with one word - "khaltura" (kitsch).

Having listened to some of my dad's historical piano recordings, the accomplished contemporary conductor Adrian Bryttan noted that he was a "performer with technique to spare." Maestro Bryttan's own recent project quite successfully merged brilliant silent screen elements of "Flesh and the Devil" with live and lush symphonics; it proved to be a creative exercise in synchronized art and a technological achievement.

What I am saying is that motion pictures are a marriage of inspiration and technique that together make the art of film possible. If one of the partners is found wanting, such an embraceless marriage does not work.

In his timely column (The Weekly, January 25) columnist Andrew Fedynsky urged that a comprehensive overview be undertaken of the achievements made by Ukrainians throughout this century. What better way to do this than to run a series in The Weekly that would review significant contributions in the field of music, theater and film?

As far as Ukrainian motion pictures are concerned, few works have achieved and maintained an international reputation. Some may say success is contingent on a big budget. While this may be true in some cases, until recently Ukrainian projects have, for the most part, been hampered by lack of talent, imagination and proper organization of available assets.

On the other hand, in the past, when truly gifted and industrious individuals took the helm, the course led to international success. Such renowned directors as Alexander Dovzhenko and Sergei Paradjanov clearly did not have exorbitant funds at their disposal when they created such films as "Earth" and "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," respectively. Two more films stand out from the war years era: the film"Bohdan Khmelnytsky," directed by Ihor Sawchenko and "Rayduha" (The Rainbow), the sole film produced by Kyiv's Studios that won an Academy Award in Hollywood and a personal endorsement by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The year 1964 was a good one; apart from Paradjanov' s masterpiece that starred Ivan Mykolaychuk, there was "The Dream," featuring the same superb actor. This highly creative portrayal of Ukraine's national bard, Taras Shevchenko, served as a welcome respite from the standard fare of tedious, ideologically informed films reflecting the party line.

The years 1964-1965 also ushered in notable changes on the diaspora scene. The film "Shevchenko in Washington," as directed by George Tamarsky and Slavko Nowytski, set new standards in émigré documentary production. Also at this time, Walter Wasik in Canada began his work on dramatic features with exciting screen versions of Stepan Liubomyrsky's novels. On the whole, however, the lack of professional directors continued to present the major stumbling block.

High points continued to be scored in the documentary genre when Mr. Nowytski assembled a top notch crew and produced "Pysanka: The Ukrainian Easter Egg." The film took more American and European awards than any other project by a Ukrainian director.

As I have stated earlier, the crucial factor for a film's success is not funding per se but a combination of creativity, technical wizardry, money and luck. Like Mel Gibson's "Braveheart," "Titanic" is a result of such a sure-fire formula. A joint production of 20th Century Fox and Paramount Studios, "Titanic" is the latest and grandest installment in a whole series of books, films (10 features, including two from Germany), television documentaries and a musical that have dealt with the tragic event. The subject not only refuses to founder, but continues to gain in significance, especially after Robert Ballard's expeditions to the site where the ship went down. The tragic incident has now become immortalized in the imagination of millions of readers and spectators. And so the gold lost on the Titanic has now been recouped by virtue of an Oscar and at the box office.

The Titanic was a symbol of both man's triumph and man's blind ambition. The ship went down before its time and took with it dreams that would never be realized.

The movie has an unobtrusive yet pervasive, haunting score that is used to convey a subtle message, one that was aptly reiterated by the film's director at the Oscar ceremonies: Don't pass away before your death, never let go if you still have something or someone to cling to.

The romance in the film is not portrayed merely as a passing interlude but rather as an essential expression of love's life-giving magical power. The young couple in the film is characterized by charm and a natural quality; acted with a refined simplicity by Leonardo DiCaprio. The newest film version of the "Titanic" (1997) has come a long way since the film of 1953, that starred the dashing Robert Wagner and the sultry Audrey Dalton in the comparatively innocent love scenes.

Hollywood's current blockbuster simply has no match in terms of its high tech visual effects.

Despite the difficult times for struggling studios in Ukraine, there are new names and talents, fresh ideas, and improved equipment that give reason to hope for better times, when studios in Kyiv, Odesa or Lviv will not only stay afloat but may look forward to virtually unsinkable projects.