Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

 “Accident rules every corner of the universe… except perhaps the chambers of the human heart.” – Nels

Number of Times Seen – 1 (29 Mar 2016)

Brief Synopsis – During a murder trial in the 1950’s in the Pacific Northwest, a reporter struggles to find the truth when he must confront his own past that is filled with racial hatred for all the wrong reasons.

My Take on it – This is a movie that I actually thought I had seen before, but then I realized that I mistook it for another film that came out at the same time.

The story here is quite interesting and unfolds in a very unusual way.

We are told both the present and the past entwined together which gives us a much more complete picture of what is really going on below the surface.

The issue of post war racial tension is a strong theme here, and it helps us understand how strong these feeling are for the characters and in a way we can see the ideas seeping out of them with everything they say or do.

This film has an amazing cast; Ethan Hawke, Max Von Sydow, James Rebhorn, James Cromwell,  Richard Jenkins, Max Wright and Sam Shepard.

They are all helped by a very good script with amazing dialogue which helps us understand the complexities of the character’s lives much easier in order to understand what dictates their motives.

I was slightly disappointed because I expected it to be an amazing movie instead of a very good one, but I enjoyed it nevertheless and am quite glad that I finally had a chance to see this film.

Bottom Line – Very interesting story and method for telling it. I liked the buildup which moves back and forth thru time in order to give us a much more complete picture as to what is happening. Excellent cast is helped by superb dialogue that helps us understand so much more easily what is actually transpiring in each of the characters minds that dictates their motives.  Was hoping for it to be slightly better, but it’s still a very good story, just slightly off from being a great one. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Many of the extras in the scene where the Japanese are sent to internment camps were Japanese-Americans who had actually been sent to the camps in the 1940s. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy

_______________________________________

Check out my *updated* movie stats here

To see my reviews of Oscar Winning Performances check out this link

To see my reviews of all Oscar Best Picture Winners click here (now complete)

Here is a link to my movie index A-Z