Word: spiritlessly
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...drinking) hand shooting out sharp jabs, a shoulder thrust forward and the curly graying head pulled in protectively as a close neighbor to the shoulders. He hooked the New York Times for its general timidity or unimaginative misinter-pretations; he bloodied the nose of technology for its spiritless contributions; he pillowed ideological liberals before abandoning them in a neutral corner. These were old foes he had knocked kicking on his better outings, though on this night he could not seem to care enough to expend wind in their pursuit...
Never has Bergman created in any other film a more clinical, reductive, spiritless, or hollow prototype of himself as artist, or more aptly, as architect of the themes of human torment. Elis looks and even dresses in a way that resembles the director and shares as his defense against the world the same vast resignation and distancing. Bergman devises his own special "alienation effect," with the actors speaking to the camera about what sort of person each character "is," as if they are universal givens. Whereas Brecht and Godard use the technique of actors speaking as themselves to remind...
...pseudo-artsiness of the dream sequence is nothing in annoyance value compared to the performance of Michael Murphy's pit band. The musicians are seldom together, often out of tune, and usually spiritless. Conductor Murphy has little sense of tempo, and Philip Lang's nicely-orchestrated overture takes on a dirgelike quality that tends to make overture-lovers like myself cringe. (Note to Mr. Birnbaum: these people in the band are your enemies! Take a whip to them soon...
...monolithic uniformity in ritual and belief has been the unique glory of Catholicism-at times, even, its salvation as a definable entity. Even Protestants dissatisfied with what often seems to be the spiritless confusion of their own churches would contend that Catholicism should profit by the Reformation but not use it as an example. For better or worse, millions of Catholics like the church...
...Three Movements contains an ample selection of hexes for orchestral musicians. The Berlioz was a failure, but this shaggy, distorted reading can be set aside (though not excused). Neither the orchestra nor guest conductor John Corley was ready to bandle such a wildly gyrating piece, and with a little spiritless effort they got it out of the way. Mr. Corley had obviously cultivated a style better suited to the three remaining works--a straightforward approach that concentrates on accuracy, balance, and ensemble. In any case, the consensus at Sanders Theater (both orchestra and audience) seemed to be that there were...