Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

Snow Falling on Cedars is one of those films that earns itself a viewing simply on the strength of its gorgeous look. Scott Hicks's follow-up to Shine might have been shot by Ansel Adams, so lush are its images of the Pacific Northwest circa 1950. The cinematographer is actually the great Robert Richardson (Eight Men Out, The Horse Whisperer), and his expert brushstrokes make the film a more profound meditative experience than it ought to be. Not a particularly interesting or suspenseful plot structure, the central murder trial exists more as a window to the memory of Ethan Hawke's Ishmael, who mentally catalogues so many past time periods that the viewer becomes desperate to sort them out as the scenes blend seamlessly from era to era. Some flashbacks seem like screenplay leftovers -- unexplained, existing more as dreamy fragments. The performances are mostly understated, in keeping with the largely visual agenda of the film, but the result is that it's hard to develop an emotional tie to either Ishmael or Hatsue (Youki Kudoh). The film wins points for exploring the wartime internment of Japanese-Americans, a topic too little understood and generally ignored by filmmakers. Further, it's always nice to see the talents of the wonderful Max von Sydow continuing to be utilized. Though undoubtedly flawed, as pure visual stimulus, Snow Falling on Cedars is delicious candy. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide