CILIATE TERT AY VACA PHL

| Promises in the Dark is a warm,
intelligent and extremely sensitive
drama about a beautiful and char-
ming 17-year-old high school girl
who, through a minor accident
while kicking a soccer ball on a
playing field, develops cancer.
From the discovery of the disease
and the traumatic effect on her,
her parents and a remarkable
woman doctor (Marsha Mason)
the film builds to the inevitable
and unavoidable conclusion.

But on the way to that horror
and grief for all concerned, the
writer has developed some
remarkable characterizations,

‘Promises in the Dark’
A sensitive drama — without answers

some truly intelligent human be-
ings and some, among the doctors
particularly, that inspire him to
make bitter comic comparisons
with the narrow-minded single-
visioned officers in Joseph
Heller’s famed ‘‘Catch 22’’.

PROMISES IN THE Dark. Starring Mar-
sha Mason, Kathleen Beller, Michael
Brandon, Ned Beatty and Susan Clark.
Written by Loring Mandel. Directed by
Jerome Hellman. At local theatres.

There are times when too many
stories become confusing interm-
ingled in the course of the telling.
But the touching and forceful ac-
ting by Kathleen Beller, who plays

the girl, and the integrity and’
humanity of the doctor, so con-
vincingly portrayed by Mason,
overcome the shortcomings. And
in the end no one is left in doubt
that despite the possible conse-
quences to herself, the young doc-

tor has but one choice — and
courageously acts upon it.
However, there is a_serious*

omission in this film and, con-
sidering the intelligence of the
writer and director, I feel it was a
conscious (and I hope shamefac-
ed) omission. I’m speaking of that
most important social issue, seen
every day in the newspapers,
about the failure to reduce the

staggering war budget and to put

the money into reeeacelt for public’

health.

It is inconceivable that such a
brilliant and socially aware doctor
would not mention to a colleague
the inadequacy of research and
the reasons for it. Then, at the end
of the film, which, as the title im-
plies, makes promises in the dark,
she would see her future course of
action. And instead of a film
which ends with her in heartbreak-

ing despair, she could be seen
awakening, and determined to
act.

Lester Cole

MARSHA MASON .. . sensi- |
tive performance in Promises
in the Dark. 4

_ Biography, art works among book offerings

WINSTON CHURCHILL. By V..G. Tru-
khanovsky. Moscow, Progress Publish-
ers, 1978. Cloth $8.95.

““While it proves the decisive role
of the masses in the history of
society, Marxist theory at the same
time allots an important place to the
activity of outstanding people, of
leaders and organizers, and it shows
that they perform a function that is

_essential to society.’’ (Fundamen-
“tals of Marxism-Leninism.)

Winston Churchill, a biography
written by V. G. Trukhanovsky and
first published in English in 1978 by
Progress Publishers of Moscow, is
an excellent example of how to in-
terpret the role of an outstanding
political leader from the Marxist
Wewpoin.

“The Churchill legend spread in,
Britain,’’ Trukhanovsky writes,
‘and depicts him as the architect of
the Allied victory over Germany,
Japan, Italy and their allies. There
is no doubt thatthe Churchill
government’s part in the anti-
German coalition assisted the
achievement of victory. But it is
also incontestable that before June,
1941, Churchill was unable to find
the means towards victory. If Ger-
many had not come up against the

- Soviet armed forces, Britain would

have been unable to avoid a

crushing defeat .

ss. Fhe author demonstrates factual-
ty how Churchill’s inbred hostility

towards the Soviet Union led him to
destroy the victory coalition he had
worked to build, after the war was
won.

All in all, this is a very good
political biography. There are some
annoying typographical errors but
they are minor irritants in a book
that is well written and_ well
translated. It will help the reader to

understand the role of Winston

Churchill in his more than 50 years
of active political life and in relation
to many of the major international
events of this century, including
World War I, the Russian Revolu-
tion, World War II and_ the
emergence of the world socialist
community.

WE STOOD TOGETHER. By Gloria
Montero. Toronto, James Lorimer and
Co., 1979. Paper $9.95.

Over the years in which she was a
leader of the Canadian Committee
for a Democratic Spain, Gloria
Montero won a reputation as a par-
tisan voice for working people and
her newest book We Stood
Together is further testimony to it.

The book is subtitled ‘‘First
Hand Accounts of Dramatic Events
in Canada’s Labor Past’’ and it is
just that: colorful interviews with
labor personalities whose struggles
span three generations and the
breadth of the country.

There are 11 interviews in all, in-
cluding Bill Pritchard’s account of

the Winnipeg General Strike, Ray

Stevenson on organizing northern
Ontario miners, Homer Stevens on
the west fishing industry in the fif-
ties and sixties, and Grace Hart-
man, on organizing public service
workers.

Montero has a feel for her subject
and she sets the scene for each ac-
count effectively although the sur-
rounding history is often presented
tooe*siniplistically with some essen-
tial parts missing.

But as a first-hand glimpse of
militant labor traditions, We Stood
Together makes fascinating
reading. The inclusion of a number
of archival photos adds to the ap-

peal.

LANDMARKS OF CANADIAN ART.
Edited by Peter Mellen. Toronto, Mc-
Cleland and Stewart, 1979. Cloth
$17.95.

For those familiar with the sweep
of Canadian art or those just begin-
ning to discover it, Landmarks is a
book well worth the $17.95 price
tag. In fact, with its superb color
reproductions, it’s a buy.

Editor Peter Mellen chose 116
works that, in his words are ‘‘land-
marks in the development of Cana-
dian art.’’ Most of the works are
from the 19th and 20th centuries
although the first section is devoted
to the art of the Natives peoples.

Mellen traces the development of

art, beginning with early French-_

Canadian religious works, through
the work of such artists as Cor-
nelius Krieghoff and the influential
Group of Seven to the contem-
porary art of such people as Roy
Kiyooka and the late William
Kurelek. Introductions to each sec-
tion help place the works in context
while biographical sketches offer a
glimpse of each individual artist.
And the color plates alone make the
book worth the price.

If your ardor for Canadian art
isn’t up to that price, even with the
substantial discount, you might set-
tle for the Masterpieces of Cana-
dian Art calendar at $5.95. Robert
Harris, Emily Carr, Fred Varley

and Krieghoff are among the 12 ar-
tists represented.

THE WORLD OF MAN IN THE WORLD
OF NATURE. By |. Laptev. Moscow,
Progress Publishers, 1979. Cloth $3.95.

Consider that the changes that
man is effecting in the biosphere are
having an effect on man himself.

Consider that the ratio of light
reflected by our planet to the light it
receives, is changing because of.
pollution in the atmosphere.

This timely book by Soviet writer
I. Laptev gives scientific substancé
to the fears we have all been shar-
ing: that the crises in the environ-
ment has reached global propor-—
tions.

The natural environment of
human existence, the earth’s
biosphere, is under tremendous
pressure. For the first time we can
see the end of oil and gas resources;
we can tally the last of our non-
renewable metal
calculate what little land is left for
farming.

We are reaching frightening
limits. We are throwing into the at-
mosphere over 200 million tons of
carbon monoxide, Laptev says,
resulting in a screen which impairs
the stream of solar radiation to the
earth.

Who is doing this, what coun-
tries, and why? In an excellent
chapter on ‘Ecology and Ideology’,
Laptev writes that ‘‘the struggle
against pollution of the environ-
ment can succeed only if it becomes
part of the struggle for social
transformations.”’

Laptev’s book is excellent
reading, and certainly a timely one
in linking the struggle against en-
vironmental degration with the
struggle against capitalism.

THE FORCES WHICH SHAPED THEM.
By Mary Ashworth. Vancouver, New
Star Books, 1979. Paper $6.50.

. The Forces Which Tore Them
Apart would be a more appropriate
title for Mary Ashworth’s book

Season's Greetings

PACIFIC re a DECEMBER 1 bss 1979-Poge 14

+
é 2 a | a" « Sih

IivAt

with a special
wish for a
peaceful

resources and -

about the impact of racist educa-
tional policies on the lives of ethnic
and national minority children in
BG

Ashworth traces these policies
through the uprooting of Native In-
dian children from their families
and their summary placement in
residential schools; the forced
segregation of Chinese children
from the public school system in
Victoria; ,the evacuation of
Japanese children to camps in the
Interior during World War II; the
institutionalization of Doukhobor
children; and the pointed failure of
the provincial government to
challenge the growing acts of racial
violence against East Indian
children and their parents.

As Rosemary Brown points out
in her introduction to this book,
“racism is not an accident of at-
titude....,, .but,a deliberate, political

New
Greetin

, Neil Bryson

} Searle Friedman
, Raoul Figueroa
€ Steve Gidora

'Season’s Greetings to ou
| Friends and Supporters

Canadians for Democracy

in Chile
has produced
a stereo album
Los Parras Live in
‘Vancouver

| A unique Christmas gift —
support for Chile solidarity.

Delivery guaranteed by
} cember 21. $6.00 each.
; order phone:

, 254-9797 (Sue) or 253-1398

or 684-3254 (John)

Bargain at Half the Price

For a democratic and progressive culture

policy legislated by elected |
representatives and implemented by
bureaucrats.”’ q

If minority communities sough
to protect their language ant
culture, as did the Native Indiat
and Doukhobor communities
“assimilation was ruthlessly impos
ed on their children.’’° :

If, on the other hand, som
minority communities wanted thei
children to learn English ant
assume an equal place in Canadiar
society, as did the Chines
Japanese and East Indian, thet
such assimilation was ‘‘vigorousl
withheld.’’ Instead, the federa
government disenfranchised then
and the provincial government
segregated their children at school:

Although Ashworth has pre
red to string quotes together wil
minimum comment, her style ;
brisk, her material well organize

and.her, book, well worth, read:

Year’s
gs from:

Tom Hawke
George Hewiso:
Keeton, Dean and Lan

Gerry Olse
Joyce Turpi

De-
To