SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS — *** — Ethan Hawke, Youki Kudoh, Max von Sydow, Sam Shepard, Rick Yune, James Rebhorn, James Cromwell, Richard Jenkins, Eric Thal; rated PG-13 (violence, sex, racial epithets, profanity, gore); Carmike Ritz 15 Theaters; Cinemark Jordan Landing Theaters and Sandy Movies 9; Loews Cineplex Broadway Centre, Holladay Center and Midvalley Cinemas.
It's easy to mistakenly criticize a serene, meditative film like "Snow Falling on Cedars" for being aloof, slowly paced and even dull.
But such a superficial assessment ignores the tremendous effort — and sheer technical skill — that goes into such a risky adaptation. (The movie is based on David Guterson's best-selling novel of the same name, which also received some criticism for its leisurely pacing and adjective-heavy style.)
Admittedly, this is a film that dares the audience to embrace it, since so much of the romantic drama/mystery is dialogue-free, or at least dialogue-economic. And director/co-screenwriter Scott Hicks' visually sumptuous style often concentrates on striking images rather than characterizations.
Yet those who stick with it will be rewarded. It's not a perfect adaptation, but it certainly is a good one — and one that stays closer to its source than most.
In fact, the film's one fault (and not an insurmountable one) is having a less than interesting hero in the person of Ethan Hawke, who stars as Ishmael Chambers, a disabled journalist living in San Piedro Island, a community near Puget Sound, circa 1950.
A veteran of World War II, Ishmael is following in the footsteps of his father (Sam Shepard), who was also the editor of the local newspaper, as well as a pillar of the community.
While Ishmael tries to live up to that legacy, he's also trying to get over a broken heart — because his childhood sweetheart, Hatsue (Youki Kudoh, from "The Picture Bride"), is now married to fellow Japanese-American Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune).
Ishmael gets a chance to resolve both problems, however, when he is assigned to cover a murder trial, in which Hatsue's husband has been accused of the crime. But his feelings get in the way, and he's torn when he comes into possession of evidence that could prove crucial to the defense.
As adapted by Hicks ("Shine") and veteran scripter Ron Bass, the film is at its best in courtroom scenes and related sequences, because it allows them to examine race-relations issues both during and after the war.
To be honest, that bit of plotting is much more compelling than the soggy romance (much of which is told through flashbacks), though those scenes are crucial in terms of the overall story structure.
It's certainly a beautiful-looking movie. Working with cinematographer Robert Richardson ("JFK"), Hicks has captured a series of striking images that would hold attention even without a story to accompany them, but which, in context, also help describe the characters' states of mind.
Also adding needed depth is a terrific supporting cast. Shepard makes the most of his limited screentime, while James Cromwell, playing the trial judge, is memorably stern.
However, the real acting "star" is veteran performer Max von Sydow, whose warm turn as Kazuo's attorney even makes the brooding Hawke seem warmer . . . albeit very briefly.
"Snow Falling on Cedars" is rated PG-13 for wartime violence, simulated sex (handled discreetly), use of racial epithets, scattered profanity (including the so-called R-rated one) and hospital gore.