Brendan O’ReganRobert Duvall is one of my favourite American actors so I was glad to see him interviewed on The World Over Live (EWTN) last Thursday afternoon. Presenter Raymond Arroyo was well informed on Duvall’s films and had some acting experience himself which helped when they discussed various acting coaches and styles.
I had forgotten that Duvall had played Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, but well remembered powerful performances in The Apostle, Apocalypse Now and his 2010 film Get Low which was the main focus of the interview. Unfortunately, one of my own favourites, the low-key The Great Santini, didn’t get a mention.
Duvall’s philosophy on life was to travel on the journey from cradle to grave doing positive things and not stepping on too many toes. He admired the black preachers in the US, observing that sometimes they were like ‘surrogate fathers to their communities’, but took issue with preachers who thought one’s final destination was predetermined – judgement, he said, was on the other side of the grave.
The interview was at times a little awkward – sometimes Arroyo seemed to be trying too hard to impose a pattern of redemptiveness on the films but Duvall was reluctant to agree entirely, pointing out some of the unsavoury characters he had portrayed, like Stalin and Eichmann. But he accepted that he had played many characters forgotten by the world but with depths to their lives, secrets to be told, amends to be made. It’s worth finding the full interview (originally broadcast in 2010) on YouTube – just search ‘Arroyo Duvall’.
Ironies
Also worth looking back on are the several ironies on the Nine News last Saturday evening when there was a report on that day’s ‘March for Choice’ in Dublin.
It’s quite possible that some of those so vocal in favour of repealing the Eighth (Pro-Life) Amendment are alive because of that Amendment – there was also a brief report on the Pro-Life Campaign’s media event highlighting an actuarial report of theirs that suggests conservative estimates of at least 100,000 lives saved by the Eighth Amendment. Funny enough that impressive figure has gained very little traction in the media since it was first released a few weeks ago. Katherine Zappone TD wants to take away the legal protection unborn children enjoy under the Eighth Amendment, and yet she is the Children’s Minister! With friends like that…
Sandra Hurley reported that she called for “much broader access to abortion”. Interviewed at the rally she said she wants access to abortion in circumstances that go beyond the difficult cases often used to break open the door to widespread abortion. She said most women going abroad for abortion go for reasons other than the difficult cases, thus revealing more clearly than ever, in my opinion, that these are just Trojan horses to break down our pro-life laws and values.
At the end of the report Michael Lehane of RTÉ’s political staff was asked about the likely political fallout from the rally. I don’t remember that question or anything like it being asked after any of the huge pro-life rallies.
Later that night on radio there was an excellent programme, Documentary on Newstalk: Back From the Brink when Brian Kenny reported from Liberia on the aftermath of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
The initial focus was on the St John of God Catholic Hospital in Monrovia that suffered nine staff dying from the disease in the early stages. We heard from Sr Barbara Brilliant, a Franciscan Missionary of Mary who spoke of the bodies in the street at the high point of the crisis as public health facilities closed down, often through fear, and private and faith-based facilities struggled to stay open.
Later, in more rural settings Sr Brigid Lacey of The Irish Holy Rosary Sisters and her colleagues Sr Anne and Sr Mary spoke of how, despite advice to the contrary, stayed with the people through the crisis (and through previously through war). It was crucial that they were already well established in the area when Ebola struck and they were quick to launch training and awareness initiatives.
There were cultural complications, along with misunderstanding of the disease and how it spread. This led to a particularly sad story of an ambulance being burnt and a boy who died locked up in a house with other sick people. Well worth listening back to on the Newstalk website.
Pick of the week
REEN
EWTN Saturday, October 1, 9.15pm
A woman who experiences same-sex attraction shares how she still upholds the ideals and teachings of the Catholic Church.
SONGS OF PRAISE
BBC 1 Sunday, October 2, 4.15pm
How the Rowntree family supported wartime Quakers facing imprisonment as conscientious objectors. Hymns include Mighty to Save and How Deep the Father’s Love.
PAT KENNY TONIGHT
TV 3 Wednesday, Oct 5, 9.30pm
New current affairs series. Co-hosted by Colette Fitzpatrick, with in-depth analysis and one-on-one Interviews.