It's 1950s Washington State. Fisherman Carl Heine's body is found. Japanese fisherman Kabuo Miyamoto is accused of the murder. Sheriff Art Moran (Richard Jenkins) and prosecutor Alvin Hooks (James Rebhorn) lead the prosecution. Nels Gudmundsson (Max von Sydow) is the defense lawyer. Judge Fielding (James Cromwell) presides over the court. Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) is the only reporter in this small town. He's a returning vet with only one arm who still loves Kazuo's wife Hatsue from his childhood. In flashbacks, Ishmael and Hatsue struggle against war paranoia. Ishmael's father Arthur Chambers (Sam Shepard) is hounded for supporting the Japanese in his newspaper.
It's got the snowy romantic moody atmosphere. However it lives too much off of it. The murder mystery is given short shrift. While watching the movie, I kept wanting the case be presented in a coherent way. The romance, the operatic style, and the prejudice are important but they keep getting into the way of the trial and investigation. This needs a short section where Sheriff Moran explains the case against Kabuo in a neat tidy package.
Snow Falling on Cedars
1999
Action / Drama / Mystery / Romance / Thriller
Snow Falling on Cedars
1999
Action / Drama / Mystery / Romance / Thriller
Keywords: 1950sjournalisttrialwifefisherman
Plot summary
It's 1950 on San Pedro Island in the American Pacific Northwest. Commercial fisher Carl Heine Jr.'s dead body is pulled out of the water in a fishing net by his crew, he who died of head trauma. Kazuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. Carl and Kazuo were once friends, had known each other since childhood, but WWII has placed a strain on any sort of relationship between the ethic Japanese and Caucasian populations of the area, the Japanese population which was and is still substantial on the island. Carl had motive regarding a land dispute between the two families, land which Carl's mother eventually sold from under the Miyamotos and which Carl had just repurchased. Evidence also points to Kazuo being on the water with Carl probably sometime during his last voyage, evidence which Kazuo knew would put him in a bad light, adding on top of being Japanese, and thus decided not to disclose to the investigating sheriff at the time he was questioned. Kazuo and his wife Hatsue's fear come to realization in that there are racist overtones to the questioning by the prosecutor, Alvin Hooks, in playing to existing anti-Japanese sentiment. Among the many locals following the proceedings is Ishmael Chambers, the owner/editor of the local newspaper, he who took it over following the passing of his father, the previous owner Arthur Chambers. Arthur was one of the few Caucasians on the island who came to the defense of the local Japanese during their internment because of the war. Ishmael, a veteran who lost his left arm in battle, has more personal than professional interest in the case as he has been in love with Hatsue since they were in their youth. Hatsue broke off their clandestine romance to marry Kazuo, Ishmael not knowing out of pressure from her mother to marry within their own culture. It is his feelings for Hatsue that Ishmael has his own motives for wanting to find out the truth of what happened to Carl.
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snowy romantic moody atmospheric opera
Graceful
This is one of those films that needs to be seen a second time to pick up on the subtleties of the plot. It is a feast for the eyes and features outstanding acting. It also has a sense of balance. It doesn't manipulate its viewer. The murder mystery isn't one that brings in forces that threaten the main character. The forces are prejudice and fear. The adversaries are not people carrying guns but rather the legal system that often overlooked the rights of people of another race or ethnic background. The internment camps are part of the backdrop. I know that people say this is slow, but so is the process these people faced.
I loved the intellectual character of the young man who has to look past his own feeling and try to bring closure to someone he will never be able to have. The transitions are so breathtaking. The winter scenes are a portrait of softness and violence. My wife had read the book upon which this is based and said that the movie might be interesting. Apparently, the producers were unwilling to go the extra mile to get this noticed. It's a gem and deserves to be on a list of very fine movies.
"Every once in a while, somewhere in the world, humanity goes on trial".
I'm usually in general agreement with IMDb viewers on most films, but with this one I have a major disconnect. The picture has a 6.8 rating as I write this, a far cry from the 10 I would give it for masterful story telling and exceptional cinematography. You just never can tell.
I realize that the non-linear format can be a turn off for many viewers, but unlike other movies I've seen utilizing the frequent use of flashbacks, I didn't find the technique to be distracting here. It was fully essential to develop the back story of Ishmael's (Ethan Hawke) unrequited love for Hatsue (Yuki Kudo),and the circumstances leading to the trial of Hatsue's husband for murder. Particularly relevant were the scenes pertinent to the Miyamoto family acquiring the berry farm and how they were basically swindled by Etta Heine (Celia Weston) and the legal system following the death of Mrs. Heine's husband. The roundup of Japanese families and their internment in prison camps following the outbreak of World War II was particularly painful to watch recreated on screen, alluding to an unfortunate era in the history of the country.
However the most agonizing theme that pervades the story is Ishmael's inability to come to terms with the loss of Hatsue. It invades every aspect of his thoughts and his very existence. Eventually this personal torment is eclipsed by the necessity to do the right thing for a fellow human being.
With a finale reminiscent of the closing scene in "To Kill a Mockingbird", the Miyamoto family stands in unison to proclaim their admiration for Ishmael after he does the right thing by bringing new evidence to the judge presiding over the trial. Just prior to that, Defense Attorney Gudmundsson (Max von Sydow) delivered a stunning summation to jolt Ishmael into recognition of what he must do for the sake of justice and equality. Later, in a quiet moment with Ishmael, the wizened attorney makes a poignant observation that's brilliantly insightful into the human condition - "Accident rules every corner of the universe, except maybe... the chambers of the human heart."