Last time we had a glowing review, hailing it as one of the great films of the year. Now we have a split decision, so let's keep track and see which side plays out. The first on is the negative, the second the positive. So there ya go... BEWARE OF SPOILERS....
I went to a screening of Beloved today. Being African-American and I had big hopes for this movie. I wish I could tell you that I was incredibly blown away, that this movie everything that Amistad, a movie that sorely disappointed me, wasn't. I wish I could have written you triumphantly saying that all the naysayers who said this book couldn't be translated to film were WRONG, WRONG WRONG. That through sheer force of her willpower Oprah Winfrey has created a film for the ages. But as you can tell by the big buildup, Beloved is none of those things.
That doesn't mean "Beloved" is a horrible movie. The acting was mostly top notch. Oprah Winfrey has chops, I never once doubted her performance as Sethe. Danny Glover was solid-- though I found his character's choice of hair style, a weird kind of parted afro, extremely annoying. Kimberly Elise was a gem. Lisa Gay Thompson (I think) did a fine job as a younger version of Sethe. The only performance I didn't like was Thandie Newton's portrayal of Beloved, the spirit of a murdered child come back to life, it reminded me of Jodie Foster's portayal "Nell" -- which in my book, ain't a good thing.
The movie is certainly a unique looking film. The cinematography was gorgeous. The film does a lot of jumping between the present and the past. And the way the they differentiated through the use of color was incredible.
But something about this movie bothers me. The story was overwhlemingly miserable. Imagine three hours of increasing misery, with no emotional payoff. No sense of hope. Nothing life affirming. Just a feeling of "life sucks." FOR THREE FRIGGIN' HOURS! That's the "Beloved" experience boiled down to its essence.
It's funny I feel I can't help but compare this movie to "The Color Purple" (which in my opinion got a bum rap when it came out). Because I think Speilberg got it right in softening the story some. Yes, you could argue that he made schmaltzy. But the fundemental lesson the book and the movie gave me was that life black or white, rich or poor was worth fighting for. And that is exactly what's missing from "Beloved."
Anyhow that's my review. I think I'm to hang myself now.
And here's Jeffdaddy's loving review...
Hey Harry, Jeffdaddy here.
I have seen the "Saving Private Ryan" competition, and it is "Beloved".
Today, I attended a critics screening for the film. Three words:
Believe the hype.
Concerning the depiction of the African-American experience, "Beloved" clearly deserves to be classified with cinema's best (To Kill A Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Do The Right Thing, Eve's Bayou, and TV's Roots).
This is a film that will haunt me for days and weeks to come. Beyond that, it will stick with me for the rest of my life. "Beloved" is the best film ever made about the African-American experience and the horrors of slavery. It is a very, very difficult pill to swallow.
Before I get into my thoughts, let me answer an often asked question right up front: it's pronounced "Be-love-ed" (instead of "Be-loved" as I have heard on a number of occasions).
I, like most people, do not like spoilers, so I will divulge none here. Instead, I will focus on the cinematic quality and the film's themes.
Oh, where to begin? The film can be summed up in one word: Haunting. Chances are you will see that word surface many times in the course of this article. "Beloved" is a deeply disturbing film, one of the most emotionally wrenching cinematic experiences that I've ever had.
I'll start with the cast. I know that Oprah Winfrey just signed to do her talk show through 2002, and it's too bad she did, because she should just drop that right now and focus on acting. Few actresses have the courage or ability to be as emotionally vulnerable as Winfrey is in this film. She is a subtle actress, never overplaying a scene in the least. She is not a technical performer, her character comes straight from her soul. It must have been a difficult experience for her do this film. She will most certainly be rewarded come next March by the Academy for her performance of Sethe.
It should also be noted that Winfrey is one of the film's producers. Obviously, this was a labor of love.
Danny Glover delivers the best performance of his career as Paul D. An actor often overlooked by Oscar, that will soon be remedied. His depth of character is a perfect companion to Winfrey's. I have not seen better performance by a supporting actor this year.
As we all know, it will be difficult for the Academy to single out a supporting actor from "Saving Private Ryan". The same can now be said for "Beloved" and the supporting actress category. There are three performances in this film that clearly deserve nominations. First and foremost is Thandie Newton who plays the role of Beloved. Not only should she be nominated, she should win the Supp. Actress award. Newton's portrayal of Beloved is stunning, a spiritually dark and tormented performance. There are also many physical aspects to her role that could have come off as technical. But Newton is able to master these aspects as well, making a character that is completely believable and very disturbing.
There is sure to be so much talk about Winfrey and Newton that I fear one key player may be wrongly overlooked. That person is Kimberly Elise. She plays Winfrey's daughter Denver. Denver has a great character arch through the course of the film, and it is created to perfection by Elise. It is her character that offers one of the films most important messages--in the face of fear, one must simply take a step and walk into the unknown, to walk into the face of fear. It is in doing so that one can finally overcome.
Finally, there is Beah Richards. She plays the role of Baby Suggs, an old woman imbued with wisdom. She is the heart and soul of the film's message. In a film that is so dark, Baby Suggs is the ray of light. Richards, Elise, and Newton should all be nominated for Supporting Actress--they truly are the three best supporting performances by women that I have seen in 1998.
The technical credits are all Oscar caliber. It is impossible for me to briefly describe each aspect, so I will simply say this: all aspects of production--art direction, scene design, costume design, score, cinematography, editing, sound, sound-effects editing--are absolutely astonishing. "Beloved" is tour-de-force filmmaking, an immensely powerful film that moves you both emotionally and spiritually. Oscar recognition in every category would definitely be merited.
The script is adapted from Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize winning novel. In the able and expert hands of Richard LaGravanese (and two others that I apologize for not being able to remember the names of) have successfully adapted Morrison's book to the screen. This is a story that will haunt you for a long time to come. As I said before, I do not wish to divulge any plot points, so I will simply say that this is probably the best screenplay of the year (yes, even better than "Private Ryan").
And then there's Jonathan Demme. The big question: is this his best film? Given the fact that I just saw it, I feel it would be too early to say that it is better than "Silence of the Lambs". But for those who will say that it is, I won't be in any hurry to disagree with them. On every level, "Beloved" is filmmaking that is expertly executed and thematically profound. The ultimate credit of that fact should be given to Demme. One argument I will make for this being his best film would be that I feel "Beloved"s moral themes and cultural message are far more important and meaningful than that of "Silence of the Lambs".
As with Demme's "Silence of the Lambs", "Beloved" implores elements that could be classified as horror. I wouldn't say that they are "horror" in it's purest form, but they are visually and stylistically disturbing on the level of horror. But Demme does not use these elements as simple stylistic devices. No, that would cheapen the film. But Demme isn't cheap, he's a master. He uses elements of horror (as I can only assume Morrison's novel does as well) to make his film better. What do I mean by that? The theme and message is made stronger by adding these elements.
Let me digress for a moment to better explain what I mean. "Beloved", like other films before it, shows the horrific results of slavery, from its effects emotionally, culturally, mentally, and psychologically. But "Beloved" goes one step further than it's predecessors--it shows the effect that slavery had spiritually. This is what makes the film truly haunting. In doing so, I think that "Beloved" does a better job of honestly communicating the horror of slavery than any film ever made. It is something that haunts and destroys the soul and spirit.
Having said that, I return to topic of the film's visual depictions and thematic undercurrents of horror. Demme uses visual horror to underscore and accentuate the real horror--slavery. It is a masterful job of direction and cinematic storytelling.
Expect Oscar nominations in virtually every category: Picture, Director, Actress, Supp. Actor, Supp. Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Dramatic Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing. It is also deserving for sound, sound effects editing, and makeup, but that would equal about 14 nods (more if it gets more than one Supp. Actress nod) and that simply wont happen.
I see "Beloved" being a lock to win Actress, Supp. Actress, and Adapted Screenplay. I'd have to consider Glover to be the front runner for Supporting Actor, and the rest of it's assured nominations to be strong contenders.
With "Saving Private Ryan", "Beloved", "Simon Birch", "The Truman Show", and the yet to come "Prince of Egypt" and "The Thin Red Line", 1998 looks to be the best Oscar year since 1993 (Schindler's List, Remains of the Day, The Piano, The Fugitive, etc.) I don't envy the Oscar voters this year. Not because it will be difficult to pick a winner (shoot, just draw a name out of a hat). The true difficulty comes in knowing that you will have to choose four losers, ones that clearly deserve the recognition of "Academy Award winner". As much as I hate to see deserving winners go unrewarded, I'd much rather have that type of year than one where the Academy is stretching to pick five nominees to fill the ballot in each category.
I think it's fitting that Spielberg and Demme, makers of two of this decades best films, will be competing head-to-head at this year's Academy Awards.
I almost hope that "The Thin Red Line" is held over to next year, like next summer or fall. That way, it can get the recognition that it will probably deserve, as well as making it more possible to heap awards on films like "Private Ryan" and "Beloved".
Some critics will say "Yeah, it's a great film, but I already know that slavery was horrible, so what's the point?" The point is this: to see a film that is this deeply disturbing, a story so painfully gut-wrenching, is to know that the effects of slavery are still haunting many people today. Until that torment goes away, not only is the expression of that pain valid, it's needed.
With that, my cathartic process has begun. Thanks.
Jeffdaddy
