Despite my lack of enthusiasm for David Guterson's novel, I found myself enjoying Scott Hicks' adaptation of Snow Falling on Cedars. He's clearly intended his film to be a feast for the eyes, and for the most part, he succeeds. In today's rigidly narrative cinema, it's a genuine pleasure to find the sort of free-form expressionist sequence Hicks uses to embody the dual trauma faced by a character in losing his arm and getting dumped by his girlfriend. However, the film is plagued by the same flaws that kept me from enjoying the book, namely glacial pacing and unnecessary emphasis on the childhood foundations of his characters' motivations.
These flaws are compensated by several fine performances. At the film's center, like an oak among saplings, is Max von Sydow. He does nothing to dispel my long-standing belief that good money is never wasted on one of his performances. I hate to say stuff like this, but Snow Falling on Cedars is worth seeing for him alone -- he's in his 70s now, and you have to wonder how much longer we'll be able to enjoy this giant walking the earth
Snow Falling on Cedars is also commendable for reminding us of the moral abhorrence of the Japanese-American internment camps. At a time when WWII is receiving considerable cinematic attention (The English Patient, Saving Private Ryan, and The Thin Red Line come to mind), this film takes the important measure of reminding us that the "greatest generation" also made some great mistakes.
These flaws are compensated by several fine performances. At the film's center, like an oak among saplings, is Max von Sydow. He does nothing to dispel my long-standing belief that good money is never wasted on one of his performances. I hate to say stuff like this, but Snow Falling on Cedars is worth seeing for him alone -- he's in his 70s now, and you have to wonder how much longer we'll be able to enjoy this giant walking the earth
Snow Falling on Cedars is also commendable for reminding us of the moral abhorrence of the Japanese-American internment camps. At a time when WWII is receiving considerable cinematic attention (The English Patient, Saving Private Ryan, and The Thin Red Line come to mind), this film takes the important measure of reminding us that the "greatest generation" also made some great mistakes.