ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

octagonproplex Aesthetically fusing the roaming sensuality of Terrence Malick with David Fincher's sleekly composed perfectionism, director Scott Hicks conjures something truly elegant in his sure-handed film adaption of novelist David Guterson's achingly humane meditation of memories and mysteries. Using a local Japanese-American's trial for murder as springboard to mosaically reckon with pains and pleasures ever echoing out from the intricately woven tapestry of the past, "Snow Falling On Cedars" is gracefully rendered from its illustrious source novel's deeply textured framing. The story intimately sets its focus upon a post Second World War American Pacific Northwest coastal community grappling with lingering racial anxieties and prejudices, whilst oneirically delving between the insidious angst of love turned longing, and the ethical responsibility of each to reach for integrity and forbid fear from effecting fairness. Finely crafted to the highest level by tip-top talents all giving their career bests, beautifully executing a singular vision of fluid design. Uniformly nuanced acting performances are flawlessly enhanced to the zenith of the Cinematic art form by the stunningly divine union of Jeannine Oppewall's sublime production design to Robert Richardson's evocative cinematography, and editor Hank Corwin's mercurial non- linear assembled paramnesia accompanied by composer James Newton Howard's haunting musical resonance. Every tactile frame is a gently measured reflection of the era and souls that once stirred there, authenticity attending to the minutia of their elements. In dreamy adagios and empathetic elegies, the aural aura of its sensuous score is ruthful reverberation of the film's delicate dignity.I cannot summon enough adjectives to adorn such wistful brilliance its just due. To my mind, "Snow Falling On Cedars" is a lamentably under-revered melancholy masterpiece.

AlfredYale This is probably the worst movie I have ever seen in my life, and the first video rental that made me and a buddy push the fast-forward button more than three times. When you have two religious viewers show the most emotion when a character swears at his former love while losing a limb, you know the movie is really bad. Snow falling on cedars has way too many shots of snow actually falling on cedars. And snow falling on the ground. And people talking like they are watching snow falling. Soooo boring. Believe me, it is much better to simply sit in front of your apartment window and watch the snow actually fall then to waste money renting this movie.

dwpollar 1st watched 8/26/2006 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Scott Hicks): Overly atmospheric but effective drama about a trial surrounding the death of a local fisherman in a post WWII Japanese-racist local town. The man on trial for the possible murder of this local man happens to be of Japanese descent. The story is shown in the eyes of a local reporter played by Ethan Hawke who's past reveals a relationship with the defendant's wife which is used as an extra storyline to explore the racism against Japanese descendants in the United States in the early 50's shortly after World War II ends. The internment camps that the Japanese were forced into by the Americans is explored for the first time in the movies here as well. This blackmark on American history is finally revealed and it is evident that this is part of the purpose of the filmmakers in this movie that could have been a simple trial-based murder mystery. It is obvious though that director Scott Hicks wanted to make this as complex as possible which lends to some of it's flaws. That complexity is explored visually for the most part with very little dialogue which is confusing to follow at times. Also, throw in a story of closure needed between Hawke's character and his former fling and you've got what could be a real mess. Instead, Hicks is able to keep our interest despite all of this and overall he made a pretty good movie.

Eric Samuelson Snow Falling... provides a legendary combination of acting, cinematography, story line, dialogue and history. One has the sense that the actors knew they were memorializing a portion of WWII and therefore provided an extraordinary level of craftsmanship.Love, war, courtroom drama, history and the silence of the sea combine to rivet your attention to the screen.Max Von Sydow, James Rebhorn and James Cromwell absorb the courtroom roles and give great performances. The Cinematographer won several awards for his craftsmanship.Treat yourself to this wonderful film.