Winternacht

This wintry slice of North Plains Americana works like an antique book of hours, capturing with uncanny accuracy the dormant lives of small town people whose existence is measured by the length of their memories and by the passing hours of each slow day. The film has a striking sense of place, with the lonely town of Rachel River, Minnesota, providing its most compelling character. All the other roles, from Pamela Reed's independent single mother and backwoods radio jockey to Craig T. Nelson's crude, shabby deputy sheriff, are only extensions of the town's own faded spirit, and the sometimes meandering storyline follows a measured, halting rhythm of life in isolation. Not always consistent, but a beautiful mood piece, with haunting landscapes photographed by Paul Elliott.

I saw this film when it was first released, on the big screen in Los Angeles (in Century City's multi-plex, for those of you who know the city).

It was lovely. The audience, including me, was completely rapt. All these years later, I still remember scenes and images from Rachel River. Vivica Linfors is particularly strong here.

The biggest vote of endorsement came at the end of the film, when THE ENTIRE THEATER AUDIENCE spontaneously rose to their feet and gave the film a long STANDING OVATION.

Believe me, the times this happens with a jaded LA audience are few and far between. The film is that good - nuanced storytelling and performances, lovely cinematography, thoughtful and sensitive direction and editing.

I only wish it was available on Netflx. Maybe if enough of us request it Netflix will add it. This is one film that must not be lost to the dustbins of history.

Other comments notwithstanding, this is a very good film. Literate, understated, atmospheric, with good understanding of the human condition, and sympathetic treatment of character. Definitely not a film for action freaks, but a treat for those who appreciate depth and characterization. A solid 8.

The attempt to make a movie of this subtlety in the United States of the late 1980s was extraordinary, and the measure of how simply yet successfully it was done equally so. The result is moving and exemplary, and especially so for screenwriters, for it shows how much can be done at little cost if a company of filmmakers commit themselves to focusing upon people rather than hype. Readers of this comment needn't read further, for it ends here. However, the 'guidelines' for posting require me to 'hype' its length to ten lines - so I am obliged to repeat: RACHEL RIVER is moving and exemplary, and especially so for screenwriters, for it shows how much can be done at little cost if a company of filmmakers commit themselves to focusing upon people rather than hype.

I am at a complete loss as to why anyone, aside from brain-dead action movie fans, would dislike this small gem of a film. I saw "Rachel River" at the US (now Sundance) Film Festival, and I--along with most the other festival-goers--found it a moving, thought-provoking examination of life in small-town America. It easily deserves the awards it won that year in Park City: the cinematography beautifully invokes the chill and alienation of mid-West America in the dead of winter, Viveca Lindfors gives a touching performance as an elderly woman looking back on her life, and Pamela Reed is haunting as a young woman living a life of quiet desperation in a bleak environment. "Rachel River" bears comparison to a number of other memorable and melancholy films about fading hopes and lost opportunities, films like "You Can Count on Me," "Loving," "The Sweet Hereafter," and "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams."