Three films, three cases of unjust imprisonment

"Snow Falling on Cedars"

Directed by: Scott Hicks

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sam Shepard, Max von Sydow, Youki Kudoh

Rated: PG-13

Scott Hicks, director of the highly acclaimed "Shine," has fashioned in his latest film, "Snow Falling on Cedars," a heartbreaking love story set against the backdrop of a murder trial and enveloped in one of the strangest societal quirks in American history.

During World War II, thousands of U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry were interred in camps for reasons specified as "national security." The fact that German or Italian Americans were not dealt with in this manner only makes the whole situation more bizarre.

This is the underlying plot device that drives Hicks' film, which is based on the acclaimed novel by David Guterson. Hicks' story is engaging but, the narrative style he employs many important points are presented in time-shifting flashbacks tends to be somewhat distracting.

On the other hand, "Snow Falling on Cedars" is a beautiful film to look at, thanks to the work of respected cinematographer Robert Richardson. Many of the exterior scenes (the film is set in the Pacific Northwest) evoke feelings of Japanese watercolor, and there is even a shot or two that give a nod to Impressionism.

As for the plot: Ethan Hawke plays Ishmael Chambers, who publishes the local newspaper started by his father. The elder Mr. Chambers took his share of criticism and threats when he pointed out the absurdity of the paranoia that was unleashed after Pearl Harbor. Ishmael himself has been in love with a local Japanese girl, Hatsue, since they were both children. It is her husband who is now on trial for the murder of fisherman Carl Heine.

Heine had acquired land that rightfully belonged to Kazuo Miyamoto's family, forfeited when they were interred during the war. The prosecution thinks the case is open-and-shut, and we begin to get the feeling of the subtle racism that existed during these times.

Ishmael has tried to run the paper with less obvious political content than his father did, and indeed keeping his mouth shut about this case might mean he could finally have Hatsue for himself. This wouldn't be much of a Hollywood film if noble deeds didn't intersect with human desires. Of course nobility wins out.

The love story that we come to know through the flashback scenes is one that should make "Snow Falling on Cedars" the date movie of the month, but the political implications will probably be a turn-off to the typical younger crowd. Older viewers, particularly those who lived during these events, will probably understand the context a little better and connect with the storyline on a more personal level.

As for me, I think the combination of sumptuous cinematography, love story and murder mystery and the political backdrop add up to a pretty worthwhile viewing experience.

"Girl, Interrupted"

Directed by: James Mangold

Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg

Rated: R

It took Winona Ryder, executive producer, five years to bring Susanna Kaysen's book, "Girl, Interrupted," to the screen. While Ryder's intentions were pure and she made some great choices, notably casting herself in the title role and Angelina Jolie as the wild spirited Lisa, the film that eventually got made suffers from a screenplay that misses a lot of the spirit and tone of the memoir and a director (James Mangold) who just isn't up to the material at hand. So many scenes play like such a direct homage to another psych-ward drama, I'm surprised Mangold didn't change the title to "Girl, Interrupted the Cuckoo's Nest."

In 1967, 17-year-old Susanna Kaysen, at the urging of her parents, committed herself to an upscale psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts. Kaysen's parents were worried by the fact that their daughter seemingly had no plans for the future, suspicious behavior in blue-blooded Massachusetts at the time. A half-hearted suicide attempt with a bottle of aspirin and a fifth of vodka raised concerns, as well.

Once inside, Susanna meets an interesting cast of characters, the most charismatic being the wild and seemingly untamable Lisa. Lisa is the undisputed ringleader here, and Susanna, like everyone else, falls under her spell.

While the book is a series of episodes and memories laced with a great deal of sardonic wit, Mangold's screenplay and direction lose a lot of the fine points and he even invents a few bombastic Hollywood scenes, presumably to make the film more acceptable to the general viewing public.

While I was disappointed in the film over all, it is worth seeing if for no other reason than the two fine performances by Ryder and Jolie. The former has established herself nicely in the past decade and the latter is a force with which the movie business will soon be reckoning.

"The Hurricane"

Directed by: Norman Jewison

Starring: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon

Rated: R

Staying truer to its subject, and also featuring a dynamic performance by its lead actor, is Norman Jewison's "The Hurricane." Denzel Washington continues to prove himself as one of the best actors working today and infuses his role as Rubin Hurricane Carter with a great deal of power and dignity; traits that the real Carter has in abundance.

Carter, a boxer from Paterson, N.J., was accused of a triple homicide in 1966 and railroaded into prison by a corrupt political and judicial system. After 19 years, a second trial, appeals and countless endorsements by celebrities and common folk, Carter was vindicated and set free.

The movie follows parallel plots. One shows us the circumstances of Carter's conviction and the way he kept his spirit, and dignity, intact. The other is the story of Lesra Martin, a young man who was inspired by Carter's book and who vowed to get him out of prison.

Carter's story is better known than Martin's, and the film teaches us a great deal, but not everything, about how Martin and his mentors, Sam Chaiton, Terry Swinton and Lisa Peters, came to be involved in the ordeal.

The trio met Lesra while doing some charity work and found him to be a bright kid. He was actually third in his class, and he could not even read. With his parents' permission, the Canadians take Lesra under their wing, home school him and prepare him for college. While learning to read, Lesra buys a book at a used book sale. It's Carter's "The 16th Round," and young Martin is inspired as he has never been before. He writes Carter in prison, and the two become friends.

Martin and his mentors soon move to New Jersey to take up Carter's cause, vowing not to leave until he's free. In real life they did not leave, and Carter was set free. This happens here, as well, but what the movie never shows us is the communal nature of Chaiton, Swinton and Peters' lives and work. Neither are viewers privy to the fact that, after release, Carter and Peters were married. He's since left the commune as well as the marriage.

Never mind that. The film is a powerful, inspiring piece. Veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins' work adds a lot to the movie, and Washington's portrayal of Carter is even stronger than his brilliant role as Malcolm X in Spike Lee's film. If he doesn't at least get an Oscar nomination, we'll know it's a fixed fight.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)