Uh-oh. I've read and seen several reviews of this movie now that heaped lavish praise on the acting, the story, the direction, the music, the "important social themes," Oprah's heroic quest to have the film made, etc, while warning that viewers who haven't read the novel "might be a bit confused in places." What a cop out! As another reviewer has remarked, it seems like some serious Emperor's New Clothes action is going on here. C'mon, who's gonna have the guts to step up to the plate and pan the movie that stars (and is produced by) the most powerful woman in show-biz? I keep getting the image of a drunken, ashamed Joseph Cotton in "Citizen Kane," typing up his glowing "review" of Kane's opera-singing wife...this movie is that bad!
I've heard the novel is great. With some imagination (and maybe a couple of tequilas), I could still see how that might be true. But the movie has to stand on its own, folks! Director Jonathan Demme's excellent "Silence of the Lambs" sure did. This one, however, falls flat: the plot just wanders along from episode to confusing episode (with frequent and annoying use of extended fade-outs).
Worse, despite all the horrifying things that happen to them, the movie's characters don't generate much sympathy. Why? Because while there's a strong sense of inner tumult, and lots of Exorcist-style physical turmoil (flying tables and glowing red lights -- gimme a break!!!) there's no sense of any real inner conflict. The characters just react -- to the inhumanity of the white slaveowners, or to the frequent supernatural outbursts. There's no evidence in their actions that there's anything they've had to weigh or be confused by. The things that have happened to Sethe (Oprah) are revealed in flashback form, so unfortunately there's not much chance for you as viewer to get involved in them -- it's stuff that's already happened, and you're just being filled in, in shorthand form ("prefab context").
Another major problem: this thing is WAY too long. The movie meanders for another 45 minutes to an hour after what is clearly the climactic scene, and for what??? It just kind of winds down in some very expected ways.
I've heard the novel is great. With some imagination (and maybe a couple of tequilas), I could still see how that might be true. But the movie has to stand on its own, folks! Director Jonathan Demme's excellent "Silence of the Lambs" sure did. This one, however, falls flat: the plot just wanders along from episode to confusing episode (with frequent and annoying use of extended fade-outs).
Worse, despite all the horrifying things that happen to them, the movie's characters don't generate much sympathy. Why? Because while there's a strong sense of inner tumult, and lots of Exorcist-style physical turmoil (flying tables and glowing red lights -- gimme a break!!!) there's no sense of any real inner conflict. The characters just react -- to the inhumanity of the white slaveowners, or to the frequent supernatural outbursts. There's no evidence in their actions that there's anything they've had to weigh or be confused by. The things that have happened to Sethe (Oprah) are revealed in flashback form, so unfortunately there's not much chance for you as viewer to get involved in them -- it's stuff that's already happened, and you're just being filled in, in shorthand form ("prefab context").
Another major problem: this thing is WAY too long. The movie meanders for another 45 minutes to an hour after what is clearly the climactic scene, and for what??? It just kind of winds down in some very expected ways.