Snow Falling on Cedars
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Movie Reviews of Snow Falling on Cedars
Movie Review: The rare thing of freeing yourself from an obsession
Summary: 4 Stars
Once upon a time, before the attack on Pearl Harbor to be specific, young Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke), the son of editor (Sam Shepard) of the local newspaper in a small town in the Pacific Northwest fell in love with Hatsue (Youki Kudoh), the daughter of a Japanese American family. Put then Pearl Harbor happens and despite editorials reminding everybody what it means to be an American, all of the Japanese in the area have their property confiscated and are bussed off to the Manzanar concentration camp (that was the term used back them). The twist of fate in "Snow Falling on Cedars," the 1999 film based on the novel by David Guterson, is that in 1951 Ishmael is running his father's newspaper and finds himself covering a murder trial in which the accused is Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune), the man Hatsue married in the camp. "Snow Falling on Cedars" is a film that combines a love triangle with a murder trial, but the character who is really on the spot is Ishmael. The trial has to do with the death of a fisherman, whose corpse turns up in the nets of another boat. The deceased had just bought the property that Kazuo's family had been planning to buy but the war and prejudice combined to deny them the property. The prosecutor (James Rebhorn) sees clear motive and Kazuo provides the opportunity. Most importantly, Kazuo is Japanese, and even if he fought for the U.S. Army in the war that is not enough to outweigh his race with the locals, even if the judge (James Cromwell) is clearly disgusted by the implications and Kazuo's attorney is the local sage and voice of reason (Max Von Sydow). But for Ishmael the trial is more personal and you know he is thinking that if Kazuo is convicted that he might have another chance with Hatsue. Besides, the evidence looks compelling, at least until Hatsue takes the stand and defends her husband.
The over racism of the people of this small town both during and after the war is quite disturbing, even though director Scott Hicks does not overplay his hand. Hicks attempts some ambitious ways of telling this story, where he uses a variety of visual styles to convey the different perspectives and realities. The effect is somewhat reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon," intentionally so to my mind, since both films deal with how we each have our own perspectives on reality. The result is that we become convinced of Kazuo's innocence and wonder when Ishmael will not only come to the same conclusion but act upon it, for it is clear he is the pivotal figure in the tale.
The title of this film has a definite sense of the poetic, and Hicks does a nice job of capturing both the poetic and the sense of a real community that was divided long before the war started (when the Japanese Americans are relocated we see one side of the school bus is empty, because they always sat on one side of the bus). Ishmael had proposed to Hatsue and the way the war altered their lives is obvious, as is the great injustice of it all, so Ishmael can hardly be faulted for wanting things back the way they almost were.
Ultimately, I appreciate the great irony that the true American in the story is Nels Gudmundsson, the lawyer played by Max Von Sydow. His character immigrated to the United States and when he defends Kazuo there is a constant current of rage and anger in every thing he says and does in court because the people of this town are rejecting all of the values and principles that made him come to this country. When he tells Ishmael "It takes a rare thing, a turning point, to free oneself from any obsession, be it prejudice or hate, or, even love," we know that we have heard the moral of the story and that Ishmael will finally be moved to action.
My only problem with "Snow Falling on Cedars" is, I think, clearly my own problem. My outrage over the treatment of the Japanese was such that the love of Ishmael and Hatsue, and even the trial of Kazou seem so trivial in comparison. Even a verdict of innocence is the proverbial example of too little too late. Then ago, part of the point here is that neither these characters nor the country deserve to be left off the hook for what it did to its own citizens.
Movie Review: Interesting Meditation on Love
Summary: 4 Stars
Ishmael Chambers and his story is really the central theme of this book; the treatment of the Japanese in general and the murder case really are just the "deux ex machina" that allow for the exploration of Ishmael's obsessive love for Hatsue, the Japanese girl he grew up and had an abortive teenage affair with.
It's his reaction to her unilaterally ending their affair that is the core of this story.
The circumstances were particularly hard for him: he receives her goodbye letter while sent away to war, just as he is about to lose his arm (obviously symbolic of the way her leaving him left him unwhole). Probably because of the psychological trauma of his injury, his deep love for Hatsue turns obsessive, and haunts him for a decade. Without rehashing the entire plot, the trial of Hatsue's husband for murder finally allows Ishmael to come to terms with the fact he's lost her, though this is never as explicitly stated in the book as it was in the movie by the defense attorney.
The reader must make some judgments: is not all TRUE love "obessive?" If a lover can be just casually tossed aside like a used Kleenex after [...], was there any "love" to begin with? Or was it really just base exploitation to satisfy an out of control hormone rush? If Ishmael had simply shrugged his shoulders after receiving Hatue's letter and said, "Oh well, bring on Lover #2," what good would such a "love" be?
On the other hand, his obsessiveness tortures Ishmael for years to come, and prevents him from ever finding a new love again. So really, his story is a decade-long search for peace. He finds it, but in a way that is not particularly noble. From the moment Hatsue dropped him, he felt a tremendous sense of powerlessness - it was HIS love to that was taken away, HIS affair nullified, and he never had ANY say in it, and the effect on Ishmael was similar to the most personal sort of rape. For a decade, Hatsue never made any effort to make him feel that their love had mattered to her at all - something which underscores the obessive nature of his continued feelings for her, because in reality they are quite irrational... it's quite clear she never truly "loved" him at all.
What finally sets Ishmael free isn't some insight into Hatue's feelings for him, though. No, what sets him free is a decision he makes near the end of the book: for years, he harbored the fantasy she would somehow come back to him. With her husband on trial for his life, it appears to him that the fantasy may in fact possibly come true, after all... yet in the end he makes a decision that frees Hatsue's husband and ensures she never can come back (if indeed she ever would, because in fact their love on her part was never true to begin with).
And that is what finally sets Ishmael free: this time around, it was HIS decision - not just a unilateral one by Hatsue, for now HE TOO concurred that their love should not continue. And with that sense of empowerment, he can finally set aside the awful hurt of victimization he felt when, in his eyes, she took something from him without ever asking him.
A very intelligent book, that provides some deep insights into the nature of human love. It raises important questions, and actually provides some answers. It's up to the reader to decide, though, if "love" really is just a selfish thing, good so long as it is convenient for oneself - but to be cast aside the moment a price is attached, regardless the effect on the other person. There is, of course, a very practical and hardheaded answer to that - but one must wonder what it says about the character of the person that gives it.
Movie Review: So Close to Perfection . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great movie experience, with stunningly beautiful cinematography, uniformly excellent acting, and several fascinating intertwinned stories to tell. Snow Falling on Cedars is centered around the trial of a Japanese American fisherman who is charged with the murder of a white fisherman in the years immediately after WWII. During the course of the trial our attention is drawn to the local newspaper editor, Ishameal Chambers(Ethan Hawke) who discovers information that has bearing on the outcome of the trial but is torn about whether he should reveal it or not because the fisherman's wife Hatsue(luminous Youki Kodoh) was his first and so far only love. We then see how their relationship developed over time through a long sequence of flashbacks interspersed with the trial scenes. And this in turn leads to what amounts to a history lesson, about one of the more shameful episodes in American history, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. And as we see in both the pre- and post-war sections of the movie prejudice was alive and well and it has a great impact not only on the nature of the trial but also on the lives of the characters. I loved the ending as it seemed entirely appropriate and true to the nature of the characters.
Snow. . 's greatest strength lies in evocative nature of the production, in this instance it is a masterpiece of direction, effortlessly grounding the viewer in time, space, and the minds of the characters. The sense of place is the most effectively realized of them all, the cinematography so thoroughly places us in Washington's San Juan Islands that I kept expecting to walk out the door into the snow and the forest and see Ishamael's car drive by or look out the window onto the foggy harbor. The frequent flashbacks were also well executed, with enough cues available to determine when a scene took place that I was only rarely unsure when it was. Finally, the stream of consciousness narrative style allowed us to dwell inside the characters and showed what they were thinking very well indeed.
But what about those nagging flaws that kept Snow Falling on Cedars from achieving its full potential. My greatest qualms about the movie center on its sound design. The soundtrack frequently overpowers the dialogue and while the music is both enjoyable and appropriate. I felt cheated by having to choose between a reasonable music volume and being able to understand the character's lines. In addition the auditory layering that was used to emphasize certain lines later in the movie was overdone, it could have been quite effective used with fewer repetitions or with fewer lines, as it was however it quickly passed the threshold into an annoyance. I was also disappointed that the actors didn't have more screen time to establish their characters. Finally, I felt that Ethan Hawke's performance was a little underplayed, granted Ishamael Chambers is very emotionally suppressed, but the few scenes where his control breaks would have been significantly more effective had they been played with a little more fire.
Despite these problems this is an extremely beautiful and worthwhile movie, provided that you are willing to tackle a complex nonlinear story telling structure and won't fall asleep to the gorgeous scenery.
A couple of final notes: I haven't yet read the book but was still able to follow and enjoy the plot, also I saw this on VHS as a fullscreen, and if the other reviewers commentary is anything to go by it is vastly more impressive in widescreen format.
Movie Review: Patience Required
Summary: 4 Stars
I love Cinema! I love exploring and considering what decisions a fine Director chooses in making a film, though I'm certain I don't understand every aspect of the process.
I must confess I've had to watch `Snow Falling On Cedars' several times to really appreciate the interpretation and artistic qualities Director Scott Hicks incorporated. I had read the book several years ago and had forgotten a lot of the detail, so this film was challenging for me at first.
Lots of movies that I enjoy are not so difficult to view. They are often well produced and directed, though not necessarily. Many incorporate the best and most interesting actors, but not always. The movies that interest me can be quite entertaining and easy to watch the first screening, with a very select few ending up in my collection at some point. But `Snow Falling on Cedars' hardly fits this "easy to watch" category; it is truly more of an Art Film.
I re-introduced myself to `Snow Falling on Cedars' as film after reviewing the Soundtrack. I'm a Music Teacher by trade and avocation and came across it when sorting out some CDs at school. Watching it again required focus and concentration on my part and my initial reaction was "This is maybe a two or three-star film -- OK, but not really outstanding."
It was either Siskel or Ebert - I dis-remember which - who made a comment to the effect that we of this generation seem to lack patience in letting a particular film develop, in letting its storyline and intricacies and details be revealed to us gradually, and often subtly. This may be part of the `instant gratification' that has been incorporated into our collective, post-modern personas; at least this seems true for me.
I will suggest that `Snow Falling on Cedars' is well worth your time. It may be helpful to read the book (again) though I haven't yet. It may be helpful to go through the Extras on the DVD, though some will say that the film should stand on its own merits. In this instance, I disagree; go ahead and do some homework. (I went to my copy of William Manchester's fine memoir `Goodbye Darkness' to brush up a little on Tarawa.) Watch it with the sound off. Watch it with the French language track. Listen to the Director's Commentary at least once. Read the DVD historical background regarding Manzanar. Certainly give especial attention to such great acting moments as Nels' (Max von Sydow) Summation in chapter 16.
If you have the interest and patience to do the research and view the film several times over several days, things wondrous and beautiful may reveal themselves to you, as they did to me. Rather than expecting an immediate reaction, consider this work as you would a complex wine, or Ansel Adams' photographs or a Gustav Mahler symphony: an artistic effort to be experienced time and again. I believe it's that good.
I recommend this film highly, so Four Stars from me.
Russell de Ville
4 March 2006
Movie Review: faithful rendition of the novel
Summary: 4 Stars
I am always skeptical with transition from a novel into a movie. Some directors have done their jobs marvellously & some of them lost the plot along the way. It took the author 10 years to write this best-seller & initially, I remained dubious if the director, Scott Hicks was able to compress the novel to almost 2 hours of viewing. What worried me the most was the ability of the director to convey the mood & atmosphere of the novel into the silver screen. Or else the essence of the novel would be lost. To be truthful, he's not only faithful to the novel but did the job with flying colours. The cinematography was simply superb & breathtaking. I was enthralled throughout the viewing absorbing every little bits that were offered to me. The production team of Frank & Marshall who had worked with Ethan Hawke before in Alive delivered yet another slick production. Scott Hicks deserved to be commended for a job well-done after his previous offering of The Shining, & the veteran, Max Von Sydow delivered a punchy performance as the defendant's lawyer. My girl friend, who hadn't read the novel before, found the movie rather abstract & at times, she couldn't grasp the story in totality particularly in how the film shots were shown. She reckoned that the story line itself was too simplistic & had been dragged on FAR too long. Just to prove my point, she slept half way through the movie. For her, she reckoned it's a so-so movie but for me, who had read the novel before, it's just sheer magic to see the novel on silver screen. I guess by having the author as one of the co-producers made a lot of difference. Highly recommended. It might not be to everyone's taste especially those people who are already used to David E Kelley's style in the series Practice but we ought to remember that deep down, this movie is still a love story, a story about how to let go & who-did-it plot was simply a percipitant to keep the ball rolling.