In this comparatively brief article want to discuss one ceatral issue raised by the fatber's character: the issue of cruelty. Yet before doing so, it's necessary to make two general points about the film, so that this great work of the Taviani brothers is seen for what it is.
First specifically about a village Sardinian shepherds, been created by local history and so — altbough it is exactly what I'm going to do — it is ju some ways unwise to generalise from it. For example, the subMissIve rolE DI women iD the story is by no means typical of munitses.
COOLNESS Scoond point. The way the film has been made courages the spectator from all vicarious identification. has ted come comrade to ND0 lacking in emotion and psychoLogical depth. The proper the atrical comparison would be Yet there 15 reason for the 'coolness of the film.
Peasant emotions are expressed Joore often in music the filo beartrendingly shows thao in narrative; peasant of character. "He's as straigh A HOOTS AUROLER "What made him dishonest?"
PUNISHMENT The cruelty of peasants has often dismayed the urban observer, Gorki, for example, was of appalled by the cruelty he witMCCO 10 MIC tryside. I cite Gorki because, he cannot be accused of cosy scotimentality It was not killing of a rabbit which appalled him. Unque ionably peasants are capabie of a special kind of cruelty — just as they are also capable special kind of courage or generosity.
In the film there are at least TWO SAILES DESECTUME Once when the father is punishdisconditions of life This mountains, the punishment is just — he continues to beat him be second incident cor erns a vendetta between tw families. A young shepherd from one family reconciliation, and it follows that the two families will shear their sheep together. When the Wing such crucity. Yet if it is to be Judged, this understood for what it is, and this means relating it to the whole context of peasant experience. It will remain an evil, but not noossarily the one the stranger first assumed.
Straightaway one must come to terms tbat over centuries the peasantRussian caun- ry has been the victim of every kind of violence inflicted by the ruling class and its And this violence the been far more individualised — far more apparently gratuitous than that suffered by proletarians who were able, in some measure, to organise their own defence STRICT DISCIPLINE the fact in those family's chances of have usually been so slim that traditions of obstinate discipline became necessary to sustain even the Nations, however, cannot take us ID S far Manding tbe cruelty. They suggest a kind of shearing is dane, the custom is they make generations after cruelty has to be able connection pleading.
the fact your control.
servanli. has often training of an valved.
One must also reckon with survival strict and sciousness.
Such mega-historical explantowards specific act of as a result, There is no time or space lor You live with your face right up against what has happened to you. No outside SOng intervention or compensation is possible. You are the events life — most of them beyond The fatber, who is respon sible for the survival of the whole family, has to train his eldest son to be a reliable shep herd. The training of a boy incurs punishments as does the animal. Wher the boy fails, the father beat .m. So Tar no cruchy 15 in But he continues to beat him, tbe beating making hun ever more furious: furious because his son has made bim beat him, furious because be has no choice. This fury is what has to be understood. Tough 1S21101 when understood, the boy has individuals still been beaten into unconIn general peasants are neither indifferently nor secretly, covertly, cruel. They are expressively so. And the act of cruelty is a way of expressing how near to disuster one is onesell. It is a comment on an eveal SOCIALIST MUSICIAN and Leon Rosselson played in South London Inst Friday on the opening night ot a new club in Brixton. The club the Brixton Socialist Cluh, will be providing songs and music, argument and discussion, information and entertainment on most Friday nights.
This week the film Salt of the Earth will be shown. It's about the great Mexican mining strike with songs from the period.
The aim is to provide a good night out and a chance to meet other socialists and militants in the area, plus an opportunity to advertise and learn about what's going on others are doing. The club is supported by Lambeth Trades Council, local socialist organand dozens Lambeth, like many parts of the country is short on social centres for socialists and trade There's no labour Club in the borough, and the one or two former working men's' clubs and "radical" chub long ago lost any links they may have had with the labour movement, The club's first job is to fill this vacuum.
More ambitiously, and tenta tively, we see a couple of other goals the chib should strive for First, we want to use it as at opportunity to get awas tron ibe common idea that socialist politics is only abour clections meetings and strikes, anc demonstrations, We want t show that socialism is about a lot of other aspects of Gle Secondly, and more difficult by presenting a wide range of CreWs, We HaD to break out pl the 'charmed" circle of the left.
people who never normally think of themselves as political or left wing will come along and: feel comfortable. Not an casy or short term task. It should be easier when we get our own premises in the not too distan For detalls of the program: look in tbe events column o this and other left papers and Time Our. Come along to The Canterbury, Canterbury Cres cent, behind Brixion Police Station, at 8pm. Heip and suggestions of events welcome. Entrance 50p.
Socialist Challenge