When you're seven years old, it doesn’t matter that you're in a choir which is part of the official celebrations marking the 60th annivers- sary of the founding of the Armenian socialist republic — there's still the irrestible temptation to ham it up before the camera, as this photo by Tass photographer Sergei Metelitsa attests. The choir is from Leninakan in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic which marks its 60th anniversary Nov. 29. From the opening scene — a 16th century Japanese soldier- courier racing past battlements, down roads crowded with hundreds of his fellows, all in blacks and greys with splashes of red — the master director- scenarist-artist Kurosawa has you hooked. The designation ‘‘artist’’ means. specifically visual artist as in Picasso, Paul Klee, di- Chirico — because Kurosawa is more than just a film artist. Every frame of Kagemusha is a visual thrill — theinspired align- ment of floor, walls and figures in the palace scenes; the mag- nificent design of bodies, horses, hills and sky in battle scenes reminiscent of the classic Battle of Agincourt in Olivier’s Henry V. So much for visuals. The story opens with the ironic state- ment of a thief — who has been asked to substitute for the war- lord Shingen — that he, the thief, is sentenced to be crucified for stealing a few coins while ‘‘you, my lord, have murdered thousands and stolen their lands.” Nevertheless, the thief (bril- liantly played by Nakadai, who also plays Shingen) is persuaded to take the place of the fatally- wounded Shingen in order to mislead rival clan leaders. ‘“Per- suaded’’ — with crucifixion as the alternative. It’s all very feu- dal, indeed. thief’s earlier perception of class forces gets lost in the pageantry and clash of personalities. And those personalities are gripping — Masayuki Yuiis at once men- \_ acing and profoundly attractive (New Kurosawa film visual masterpiece In the ensuing drama the | KAGEMUSHA (The Shadow Warrior). Produced and directed by Akira Kurosawa. Screenplay by Kurosawa and Masato Ide. At the Varsity Theatre, Vancouver. as lord of the Mikawa territory, Ieyasu Tokugawa; Tsutomu Yamazaki projects the fatalism and doubts of Shingen’s younger brother (who had ap- peared as his brother in battle from time to time and justifiab- ly feared the aggressive plans of Shingen’s son, Katsuyori); the scheming, resentful Katsuyori, played by Kenichi Hagiwara. There is a grace such as one finds in the dance in the move- mentsof individuals from the sweep of a kimono-sleeve to the masses of men in battle (headed inevitably toward disaster in the face-of newly-introduced fire- arms). A dream sequence, the background painted by Kuro- sawa in vivid, expressionist col- ors, dramatizes the thief’s fears that Shingen will return from the dead to destroy him. One vivid scene follows another as the drama unfolds to its tragic end. Kagemusha stands alone as a masterpiece. —Pele De Lappe BRAS Tatsuya Nakadai is the thief who impersonates a power- First-ever Soviet peace delegation here Nov. 21 A first-ever delegation from the multi-million member Soviet Peace Committee is to be in Vancouver Nov. 21, continuing a cross- Canada tour that will ultimately take the five-member group to Ed- monton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo. The delegation began its historic visit in Montreal Monday. It is headed by Gie Artmane, vice-president of the Soviet Peace Committee and an actress who is also a deputy from Lithuania on -the Supreme Soviet. The other members are Genrich Prosinenko, chief of the department of disar- mament for the SPC; Nikolai Ananyev, international affairs of- ficer for the Central Council of Soviet Trade Unions; and Sergei Gribkov, secretary of the SPC. Dimitri Agrachev is also travelling R.B., West Vancouver, writes: As one who has an active interest in the world of science, I was excited but also frustrated and disappoint- ed by the recent Voyager I Saturn flyby mission. Excited, of course, by the results - and amazed by the technological realities and future possibilities that the mission represents — but dis- appointed in reflecting on what could be. Imagine the progress in space exploration possible if in- stead of competing programs, the world had a co-ordinated and uni- fied program perhaps run by a United Nations committee. Even the American National Academy of Science’s Committee on Lunar and Planetary Exploration has call- ed for American-Soviet coopera- tion in space travel. Unfortunately, there is a grow- ing reactionary element in the U.S. ‘science community, represented by magazines such as Omni, that is ’ pushing for scrapping the various international space treaties and urging the U.S. to prepare to ex- ploit space for its own profit. It has with them as their interpreter although all of them speak English. The Canadian Peace Congress is hosting the visit and its B.C. af- filiate, the B.C. Peace Council is handling arrarigements in this pro-. vince. A public reception for the delegation is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21 in the Canadian Memorial Church gymnasium at 16th and Burrard in Vancouver, beginning at 8 p.m. The Peace Council was also ar- ranging a press conference as well as a further reception in Surrey hosted by the Fraser Valley Peace Committee. The group will be leav- ing for Edmonton Sunday. Earlier this month, in celebra- tions marking the 63rd anniversary of the October Revolution, Soviet president Leonid Brezhnev and Letters = Cooperation - could take us to stars even been suggested that there be private property on the moon and planets when ‘‘we’’ (the U.S.) are ina position to exploit the resources of those orbs. This would be a massive backward step for human- kind. Just imagine what would also be possible if the suicidal arms race were abolished. The world could take 95 percent of that wealth to work on earthly human needs and problems and use the other five percent for joint space exploration. That amount coupled with cooper- ation would increase the resources available for such missions many times over. The Americans have made tre- mendous strides in manned flight and deep space probes, such as the t— GLOBE TOURS The complete travel service ful warlord in Kagemusha. 9 ey PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOV. 21, 1980—Page 10 We will professionally look after all your travel needs. We specialize in tickets, tours, passports, permits and reservations. Call us today — for prompt personalized service. 2679 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5 Phone 253-1221 newly-elected premier Nikolai Tikhonov reaffirmed the Soviet Union’s stand for peace and renew- ed initiatives for disarmament. “I should like to assure Ou! foreign guests,” Brezhnev said “during the ceremony Nov. 7, ‘‘that the Soviet Union will invariably be true to the peaceful course of its foreign policy.” “Tt will continue to come out. resolutely against the arms race, and military adventures, fot mutually beneficial cooperation of all states,” he said. In his address, premier Tikhon- ov emphasized: ‘‘There are no 1 ternational problems which coul not be solved through negotiations with reasonable consideration © mutual interests.”’ Apollo, Viking and Voyager series- ‘The Soviet Union’s historic ad- vances have been related to long term, earth orbiting space stations and unmanned lunar and neat planetary landers and rovers (the Salyut, Luna and Venyera series): Put these together in a spirit of CO” operation coupled with the dé velopment of European space tech- nology and there is no reason why we can’t go to the stars. The crux of all this is the end of the arms race and the refusal of the people of the world to allow al other war — hot or cold. Even 22 American liberal like Carl Sagat realized that point in his PBS TY series Cosmos. We are at a cross roads of civilization, he said. Wé can destroy ourselves or put ou! planet in order and head for the stars. It can be done. The technol- ogy is there. Let us work for that day. (STEELE icraaaeg 5a The Federation of Russian Canadians invites you to its 50th Anniversary Concert Sun., Nov. 30 at 2:30 p.m. Picture display Concert program with: @ Guest artists from Tor- onto & Grand Forks @ Union of Young Douk- hobors Choir (Vancou- ver) AUUC folk orchestra Kobzar dancers Dovbush dancers FRC choir and dancers () Supper to follow. e Russian People’s Home 600 Campbell Ave., Vancouver Tickets: 255-6488 and 254-3430 uusraramenenmmscncnaa!