review: The Last Laugh by Dean Drummond

Joe Monzo contributed this review to Juxtaposition Ezine.

http://www.virtulink.com/immp/jux/j_index.htm

The Last Laugh

by Dean Drummond
performed by Newband
March 14, 1998
The Kitchen
512 West 19th
New York, N.Y. 10011

Last night, Dean Drummond and his group Newband gave the New
York premiere, at the Kitchen, of the classic German silent film "The
Last Laugh" accompanied by his new score . The movie was filmed in
1924, directed by F. W. Murnau, and stars Emil Jannings as a hotel
porter.

Influenced by German expressionist art and film styles of the period, it
is remarkable in that it eschews the use of printed language in
title-boards (with two unavoidable exceptions), relying, to carry the
story along, on what many of us modern-day viewers reacted to as
overacting. In keeping with its emphasis on non-verbal visuals, the film
also features many extraordinary and innovative camera shots, angles,
and effects: among the most notable are the opening shot, taken from
inside a descending glass elevator and looking out on the hotel lobby;
one shot done out in the street where the entire hotel building hovers
over Jannings as though about to fall on him (portraying his highly
emotionally-charged state of mind at the time); and one where a
neighbor's face appears grotesquely stretched and distorted as
seen through Jannings' hung-over eyes.

In brief, the movie portrays Jannings as an old man who
exudes dignity and respect in his
job as a doorman at the Hotel Atlantic. He parades proudly
through his neighborhood in his extravagant uniform each
vening after work. In a side story, his daughter gets married,
and this happy occasion provides both the rationale for a very
well-executed (and funny)drunken scene, and a poignant
contrast to the dismal events about to come. Jannings'
character has become too old and tired to carry the heavy
baggage of the hotel's guests, so eventually he gets demoted
to men's washroom attendant (the notice he reads is the
first title board used in the film). This is a staggering
blow to him, and he hides it from everyone he knows,
until his wife makes a surprise visit
to bring him goodies at his job, and
finds out, unbeknownst to him. After his wife discovers
that he's a washroom attendant, he
comes home. His new son-in-law answers the door because
his wife and daughter are too ashamed of him. Soon gossip
spreads the news through his whole community, and he is
ridiculed by all, family included. It seems there is
nothing left for the old man to do but
waste away the rest of his life, when suddenly the
director surprises us with an ironic and
hilarious twist near the end (announced by the
second title board). Thus, the main players
reap the fate sown by their respective good or bad karma.

Drummond's music is written for an ensemble
consisting of two instruments of his own
invention, a few conventional ones, and several of Harry Partch's. The
Drummond instruments are tuned to a 31-tone just-intonation scale,
and are the Zoomoozophone, a marimba-like mallet instrument made of
aluminum tubes and producing a soft, hollow sound, and the
Juststrokerods, made of solid aluminum rods and producing a clear
violin-like tone. The Partch instruments (tuned to the 43-tone
just-intonation scale described in his "Genesis of a Music") required in
this piece are the Bass Marimba, Bloboy, Boo, Chromelodeon,
Diamond Marimba, both Harmonic Canons, Kithara, and Spoils of War.
The standard instruments called for in the score are flute (one player
on
regular and alto), trumpet, and cello. The notes played on these three
instruments had to be microtonally adjusted by the players. In addition,
there was a Yahama DX-7 synthesizer (retuned with the help of the Grey
Matter E! Board installed), hi-hat, suspended cymbal, and several other
percussion instruments.

The score evocatively reflects the contrasting moods of the
film, particularly the drastic shift from the depths of the
Porter's humiliation and despair to the happiness and humor
of the final scene; in fact, the music was so well-fitted to
this scene that I quite forgot about it as I watched the
screen -- I consider this to be the best compliment a film
score can receive.

In several places, Drummond's score provides a realistic
sound for one that appears prominently on screen: in one
scene the Porter blows a whistle, represented by the flute; in
another, the trumpet in the orchestra gives the sound for a
man blowing on a trumpet in the courtyard while the Porter
gets drunk and watches from the apartment above -- the
microtonal inflections exquisitely reflected the inebriated
state of Jannings' character. And in the lively scenes
filmed in the street in front of the hotel and in the hotel
lobby, Drummond's music is appropriately effervescent. Here
and there a few "leitmotifs" can also be recognized, and all
of this is bathed in the glowing sound resulting from Drummond's
brilliant orchestration of this unique ensemble. It was also
very refreshing to hear Partch's instruments giving off music
sounding not even remotely like his.

Two things I was very glad to witness post-performance:
audience members were not prevented from wandering around
and examining the instruments visually, and no-one from
the audience abused the privilege by trying to touch anything.
Drummond and the other performers also remained accessible
for questions and conversation for a long time after
the show, which was most welcome.

The movie runs well over an hour, and except for the silent
opening and closing titles (I thought that was kind of unusual),
the music runs continuously from the opening shot to
the end, and should be considered a major piece of Drummond's.
This deserves to be released on video.

Joe Monzo
3/15/1998
monz@uscom.com
telephone 1 215 849 6723












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Thanks to Jon Szanto for sending me the digests I was missing.