Product: Snow Falling on Cedars (2000)
Rating: 3.0
Highs and lows in this movie
There are many wonderful things in this movie--the plot, the acting, and especially the photography. The movie centers around the trial of a young Japanese man who is accused of killing an American fisherman over a land dispute right after WWII. The accused was a war hero (on the American side) but lingering mistrust of the Japanese threatens the objectivity of the trial. The man's wife was the childhood friend and lover of a local newspaperman. Their romance was kept secret because it was forbidden by both families and by society. The newspaperman watches this trial with a moral dilemma because he is bitter about his breakup with the Japanese girl, yet he posseses information which might exonerate her husband. This story is told with the beautiful background of the Pacific Northwest. The performances were excellent, even the more minor characters such as the defense attorney at the trial. These positives are seriously marred by the frequent flashbacks which distract from the flow of the story and are confusing to the viewer. Sometimes it's hard to discern what is current action and what is history. This also tends to upset the emotional tone of the story. This movie is important in that it shows a younger generation how the Japanese were treated in this country during the war.