MOVIES - March 5, 1992

Pass the Medal: The French press is ridiculing Culture Minister Jack Lang for honoring movie actor Sylvester Stallone for excellence in the arts. The “Rambo” and “Rocky” star was named an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters on Feb. 21, becoming one of four Americans to win the honor this year. The others are Warren Beatty and directors Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone. The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine ran a cartoon showing Lang, waving some medals, clutched in the fist of a giant Rambo. A literary critic described the award as ridiculous and said Stallone represents the worst of American cinema. However, producer-director Gerard Oury came to Lang’s defense in Le Figaro, stating that Stallone is “far from being an imbecile. They’re confusing the actor with the roles he plays.”