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Snow Falling on Cedars 1999 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Scott Hicks
PG-13, 127 min. (disturbing war images, sensuality, language) |
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Starring: Ethan Hawke, James Cromwell, Richard Jenkins, James Rebhorn, Sam Shepard, Max von Sydow, Youki Kudoh, Rick Yune, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Producers: Ronald Bass, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Harry J. Ufland
Screenplay: Ronald Bass, Scott Hicks
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Released: 12.22.99 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Based on a book by David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars is director Scott Hicks' first movie since his award-winning
effort Shine in 1996. And like Shine, this movie is filled with flashbacks that fill in the missing parts of the current
story, which in this case is a murder mystery. It is set in the Pacific Northwest in 1950, an area that still struggled with prejudice
toward Japanese families who were wrongly forced into concentration camps during World War II. The basic mistrust between
the two sides is the backdrop for a love story - albeit a one-sided love story of a white boy's intense love for a Japanese girl.
The title of the film is appropriate, considering the amount of time spent on the cinematography, which is first-rate. It helps
carry parts of the film that seem slow, but overall this is a wonderful film that addresses an issue that has gone largely
ignored by historians in the past half-century.
Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) is a newspaper reporter who is covering the local trial of a Japanese man Kazuo (Rick Yune),
who is charged with the murder of another local fisherman. Kazuo's wife, Hatsue (Youki Kodoh), is Ishmael's first love when he
was a child, which subsequently he has not let go of yet. We are presented with flashbacks of their young relationship between segments
of the murder trial. We see what the affects of the war did to not only their relationship, but also to the Japanese people living
in the area. This is the strongest part of the story, watching how the innocent Japanese were herded together into concentration
camps because of fear from their white neighbors. The U.S. government allowed fear to misplace their judgment, and this is
certainly one of the darker moments in our country's history.
Ethan Hawke is adequate, but Max von Sydow (Kazuo's lawyer), James Cromwell (the judge), Youki Kodoh, and Sam Shepard (Ishmael's father),
steal the show. The intricacies that are built into each character are brought into full view by their respective actors, and this
is what propels the film to near-classic status. Youki Kodoh is especially impressive, and I wouldn't be surprised to see her more
in the future.
Ishmael is facing a difficult decision - he must decide between holding onto his stubborn love for Hatsue (who has long since
moved on) or finally letting her go and bringing forth a critical piece of evidence he has stumbled onto in his investigation of the case.
He is confronted with his past, his intense and devastating love for Hatsue, and his own ideals with which he will run his late father's paper.
The Japanese community is hoping he will grow into a great man like his father (who was sympathetic to their plight during the war),
and are looking for a hint of sympathy from Ishmael, who believes more in "the facts" than emotions. But he learns throughout
the trial that facts are not the only important part to a jury - it's also their veiled prejudice that will most likely return a guilty
verdict. Anyone who has felt the pain of losing their first love can relate to Ishmael and his dilemna. This, more than anything
else, can hold your attention throughout the film.
Snow Falling on Cedars is wonderfully filmed, with visual masterpieces littered throughout the movie. It gives you a real sense
of the time and place in which the story is told. In many ways, it reminds me of The Thin Red Line or The English Patient
in regard to its cinematography. Overall, the acting and storytelling is superb, although there were a few times director Scott Hicks went
a little far in his voice-overs. This is one of those films that renews your hope for quality films from Hollywood - it's a quality
story that addresses an issue, makes you think, and most of all feels good. Snow Falling on Cedars is one of the best pictures
of 1999.
© 2000 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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