Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

40% of critics liked it
(91 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(7,913 ratings)

Nine years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a small town in the Pacific Northwest still struggles with the troubling legacy of U.S. policies against Asian-Americans. In December 1950, just off the shores of San Piedro Island in Washington, a Japanese-American man named Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune)… More Nine years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a small town in the Pacific Northwest still struggles with the troubling legacy of U.S. policies against Asian-Americans. In December 1950, just off the shores of San Piedro Island in Washington, a Japanese-American man named Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune) stands accused of murder after his close friend Carl Heine (Eric Thal) is found drowned in icy waters. As the trial gets under way, with Alvin Hooks (James Rebhorn) prosecuting Kazuo and Nels Gudmundsson (Max Von Sydow) defending him, reporter Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) covers the proceedings for the local newspaper. It's difficult for Ishmael to view the trial objectively, as his first love was a Japanese-American girl named Hatsue (Youki Kudoh), who later married Kazuo. Now, Ishmael has discovered that, when the Japanese-American residents of San Piedro Island were sent to internment camps during World War II, Carl's mother used their incarceration to scuttle a land purchase by Kazuo's family. This could suggest a motive for murder, but Ishmael is reluctant to step forward with the story. Snow Falling on Cedars was based on the best-selling novel by David Guterson, adapted for the screen by Ron Bass and writer/director Scott Hicks. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 8 min.
Directed By: Scott Hicks
Written By: David Guterson, Ron Bass, Scott Hicks
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Dec 22, 1999 Limited
On DVD: May 30, 2000
Studio: Universal Studios

Critic Reviews

(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com
A visual and emotional feast.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Exceedingly blurred rendering of a simply told, artful novel.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pretty but chilly.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
It's second to none in its ability to specify a world and immerse us in it.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Impeccably crafted but dramatically dull.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
I found much of it as dispiriting as a museum tour conducted in soporific tones by an overexposed TV pundit.
Burl Burlingame, Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Shot either in extreme, eye-swelling close-ups or in excessively composed, arty landscapes, I now know more about the blood vessels in these actors' noses than I care to.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Good movie for adults and older teens.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
... it powerfully re-creates the history, captures the essence of Guterson's characters, and carries us through hypnotized by breathtaking cinematography.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the movie is, for the most part, just unreasonably dull.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Badly hobbled by an over-emphasis upon cinematic technique that obliterates the emotional undertow of the story.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Alice S

Beautiful performances, cinematography, editing, and score. BUT I must say watching this film again with a total paranoid cynic who doesn't think films should get wrapped up in the awesomeness of their own beauty has harshed my mellow a bit. The montages and flashback/forward… More
Beautiful performances, cinematography, editing, and score. BUT I must say watching this film again with a total paranoid cynic who doesn't think films should get wrapped up in the awesomeness of their own beauty has harshed my mellow a bit. The montages and flashback/forward editing ARE slightly self-indulgent and they take time away from the most iconic (3 second) shot of the movie - that of the Japanese internment camp prisoners walking on the docks under a blissfully ignorant American flag. If you're gonna make a statement, damn well make it right!
Tom E

This is the first movie I've ever seen that addressed the issue of the Japanese internment during WWII (aside from the fleeting reference in Midway) -- It shows how Childhood friendship pays off in adulthood -- I loved it!
xGary X

When an american-japanese fisherman is accused of murdering an childhood friend in the shadow of WWII, Ethan Hawke finds himself trapped in a crisis of conscience when he comes across possible evidence of his innocence. This is a beautifully crafted, very literary period drama in… More
When an american-japanese fisherman is accused of murdering an childhood friend in the shadow of WWII, Ethan Hawke finds himself trapped in a crisis of conscience when he comes across possible evidence of his innocence. This is a beautifully crafted, very literary period drama in which the courtroom scenes are intercut with flashbacks from the lives of the various protagonists to produce a rich tapestry of motives, prejudices and conflicts of interest that affect their actions. It's beautifully shot in gorgeous snow-laden countryside, with a sensitive and pivotal performance by Youki Kudoh, while Max Von Sydow dominates the courtroom scenes in his inimitable style. It reminded me a little of a chilly English Patient. Except it's good.
Steve K

Gorgeous cinematography. I enjoyed this.
Leigh R

Nice film.
Mike T

This movie does minimal justice to a complex, interesting story that could have provided for a much more engaging viewing experience. Photographed with breath-taking prowess, it was fully deserving of its Best Cinematography nomination. That being said, the artificial writing detracts… More
This movie does minimal justice to a complex, interesting story that could have provided for a much more engaging viewing experience. Photographed with breath-taking prowess, it was fully deserving of its Best Cinematography nomination. That being said, the artificial writing detracts from the visual beauty of the film and leaves the audience feeling cheated. By the end of the film I was sick of the agitating manipulation, muddled structure, lack of character development and a nonstop barrage of cliches. Ethan Hawke and Max von Sydow perform well with the little amount of screen time they have, but the performances surrounding them are almost unanimously wooden and unconvincing. To put it plainly, this is a pretty movie to look at, but there's nothing else there.
Daisy M

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i25.tinypic.com/11l3akn.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>for disturbing images, sensuality and strong language. Snow falls on… More
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i25.tinypic.com/11l3akn.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>for disturbing images, sensuality and strong language. Snow falls on Cedar was more a court case movie than a romantic one that revealed the story of an American boy Ishmael and a Japanese girl Matsue. Nine years after their separation, the young lovers meet again at the trial of Matsue's husband Kazuo (Rick Yune), accused of murdering American fisherman Carl Heine.The performances and directing were unbelievable, especially Ethan Hawke in the role of Ishmael, a local reporter who was torn between love and doing the right thing. Some scenes were breath-taking and the music was amazing. A must to see.
Dimitris S

Who would think that after Shine Hicks would fall on mediocrity and boredom?Snow falling on cypress marbles.A metaphor?Probably,a simple flick regarding the prejudice of a noble society?Affirmative but where is the original pleasure and the heart of an auteur?
Leo L

Beautiful movie.