Snow Falling on Cedars

Von Paulus · **Snow Falling on Cedars -** 11-18-2002, 02:26 AM

Man oh man oh man.

It's been near 2 years since I last saw this gem of a movie, I really can't praise it enough. Wonderful in nearly every sense of the word, though not completely flawless... but damn close...

Carl, a fisherman in the waters off Washington state, has been found dead, drowned in own nets, but with a serious head wound. Was he murdered? Post-war anti-Japanese sentiments are still running high, and the local Japanese community provides a murder suspect in the form of Kazuo, another fisherman, who had a grudge against Carl's family. Ishmael, the small town's newspaperman (Who lost his arm fighting in the Second World War), may have the information that would acquit Kazuo, but can he ever put his jilted love for Hatsue (Kazuo's wife) aside?

I advise you to all see this movie, Don't expect a gung-ho shoot em up, that is far from the intention of the Director, it is slow, but to speed it up would be to lose the amazing dramatic effectiveness. There are a few World War 2 sequences, and they're portrayed very true to life, and very effectively.

Please everyone, do yourself a favour and see a smart, intelligent, and beautiful film.

Tripper · 11-18-2002, 03:38 AM

Ain't that a chick-flick? Like The English Patient? Cause that had a couple scenes of war...

J/K Von...I consider myself a cultured film buff....I might check this one out. Thanks for the heads up. freak:

Von Paulus · 11-18-2002, 04:27 AM

Heh, No I wouldn't call it a Chick Flick Trip, It's one of the few films I've seen that handles it's romantic-tinged plot with maturity, and shows how tragic falling in love can be... Plus, the kids do it under a Cedar Tree oOo:

Christ, there's one bit in the film, and I hope I don't spoil it... But it's a flashback that Ishmael is having, of him running up a Japanese held beach in the Pacific, He falls... and then the camera glides past his head on the sand, and you can see him and Hatsue as children running on "the same beach" I tell ya, the flashbacks and cinematography and music are sooooo good...

Totally, mindblowing film experience...