| Sweet, Deep, and Beautiful |
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| written by JJenkins1 |
March 31, 2008 - 10:14 PM PDT |
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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This is rare and beautiful film. The story is told with a simplicity and clarity that speaks volumes about the care taken in making the movie--the commentary indicates it was fifteen years from start to finish.
Dealing with themes of religious hypocrisy, the ruthlessness of capitalism, the hard life of the small farm family, the stereotyping of foreign cultures, and the whole cycle of life and death, the film never wavers in its lightness, irony, and warmth. We even loved the closing credits, as the two principal characters waltzed in the background behind the lists of people who helped to make the film. It's a remarkable thing when a movie succeeds in dealing with deep subjects without a heavy hand.
There were a few weaknesses--these seemed to keep the film from the greatness it approached. The opening seemed muddy, and the commentary revealed it was a huge problem for the director; it's hard to follow but mercifully brief at nine minutes; very out of character for such a clear, almost sparse production.
The plot suffered from that old flaw Aristotle called "deus ex machina," meaning a sudden solution to the drama's crisis that seems to appear out of nowhere--in this case seven thousand dollars seems to come out of thin air just when it's needed, with no justification or prior development that explains its arrival.
Finally, the stars were just plain too good-looking; it's hard to imagine a struggling Minnesota farm of 1920, with few comforts and endless labor being worked by such gorgeous people.
But let's not quibble; seldom does the riddle of life and death receive such respectful, gentle treatment. It's a movie that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. |
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