mocanals Reviews

All the Winters That Have Been (1997 TV Movie)

About love and forgiveness and how two people destined to be together can't escape their fate ....

[8/10 · 31 December 2006]

All The Winters That Have Been is a compelling story , based on the novel written by Evan Maxwell. It is divided in two parts, each containing a strong message. In the first part, agent Dane Corvin (Richard Chamberlain) is posing as a businessman interested in buying fish illegally caught by members of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. A law passed to limit fishing and protect fish resources in the area makes it impossible for this community to continue living from their traditional salmon and shellfish fisheries anymore if they do not resort to poaching . So although it is true that the Swinomish violate the law on fishing, this law does not take into account the fact that they have always made a living out of fishing and cannot survive without. Dane Corvin, who falls in love with the half Swinomish and half Irish Hannah ( Karen Allen), understands the plight of the Swinomish but fails to postpone the operation. The arrest of Hannah 's brother puts an end to Dane's and Hannah's relationship leaving both characters deeply hurt. The second part starts when 20 years later Dane Corvin comes back to the area to visit his dying uncle (Hal Holbrook) whose last wish is to bring Dane and Hannah together again. Dane who has been hurting and missing Hannah for 20 years has taken refuge in his loneliness that keeps him most of the time in Alaska for preservation campaigns in favor of bears and wolves. Hannah who has become an important artist and whose art contributes to the development and wellbeing of the Swinomish community, has moved on with her life and her secret. Hannah unconsciously has forgiven Dane but circumstances prevent her from verbalizing her forgiveness. She has to meet Dane again in order to listen to her heart, accept her love for him and tell him her secret. It is now Dane's turn to find in his heart and soul how to reconcile all the elements of his shattered life and so make forgiveness and love the main messages of the second part of the movie.

The great director, Lamont Johnson, ( who directed Richard Chamberlain in several episodes of Dr Kildare in the early 60s and in Wallenberg in 1985) succeeds in making a movie with a quick sequence of scenes that follow each other very smoothly but allows at the same time the actors to make great performances and fully take advantage of the dialog that sounds in some instances like a theater play... Richard Chamberlain, Karen Allen and Hal Holbrook are magnificent, sober intensity is the key word for their acting in a movie that allies hard facts of life with tenderness, romance, love and forgiveness. Beautiful locations in British Columbia, excellent lighting and photography - you really feel the cutting touch of the crisp air blowing from the bright blue sea and you smell the fresh fragrance of the dark green spruces - are added reason why I like to watch and re-watch this movie. The sunset light that embraces with its magic aura Dane standing on the porch briefly reminds a scene of Marcel Camus renowned Orfeo Negro of 1959.

The Bourne Identity (1988)

The fight against terrorism is very much on today's agenda ....

[8/10 · 31 December 2006]

Although filmed in 1988 The Bourne Identity is still very actual, the fight against terrorism being very much on today's agenda as well. The two parts movie takes us mainly to Zürich, Paris and New York, to locations so beautifully chosen as to make the viewer wish he could visit them. A man looses his memory after being shot and enduring serious injuries. The story is his search of identity intelligently intertwined with the unfolding of an international secret services action to capture Carlos, a famous terrorist and assassin who kept the CIA and other intelligence agencies around the world on their toes for years. The writers of the script certainly had an arduous task condensing the complex plot, their talent created a compelling story, a sharp dialog without ever confusing the viewer.

As mentioned The Bourne Identity unfolds in three different cities. In each of them new elements and characters are added thus making the pace of the show pick up momentum until it reaches a cathartic peak on E 71st street.

The actor in the title role with whom we take the thrilling trip, rather roller-coaster ride, could only be Richard Chamberlain. His unique acting arc displays, with intensity, finesse and perfection, loving moments -- his face melting with love and crying for sadness when his failing memory catches glimpses of the past, his handsome and young body surrendering to the talented and attractive Jaclyn Smith who falls under the spell of this intriguing man -- and tough and violent moments paired with callousness, cold blood, swiftness of reactions, distress and cruel realizations as well as a formidable physical shape. Richard Chamberlain IS Jason Bourne and he is the one who keeps the viewer's attention tense during the entire movie.

One of my preferred scenes is one confronting a French General played by the much missed Anthony Quayle and Jason Bourne/Richard Chamberlain, two great actors among the greatest, on stage and on the screen; so powerful a scene, it grips you, one almost forgets to breathe .... Magnificent acting, soldiers !

The Bourne Identity ends with a moral note, Jason Bourne/Richard Chamberlain once his mission accomplished questions the violence and the need for men to become monsters to fight monsters. In the very last scene, full of symbolism, our hero, tightly holding the arm of Marie St. Jacques/Jaclyn Smith walks out of a cemetery towards a new life where he hopes to make peace with himself and be capable of love again.

A last word to say that Martin Rabbett is co-producer, adding his great talent to the list of those who made The Bourne Identity a big success.

Shogun (1980)

Making a mini-series out of James Clavell's historic and highly intricate novel Shogun was an ambitious and groundbreaking undertaking

[31 December 2006]

Making a mini-series out of James Clavell's historic and highly intricate novel Shogun was an ambitious and groundbreaking undertaking that hasn't stopped fascinating audiences all over the world since it was first broadcast in 1980 . The fictionalized story, entirely filmed on location, takes place in Japan and tells us through the eyes of English sailor John Blackthorne, shipwrecked on the shores of the Japans, the power struggle between several feudal lords and between these and the Jesuits. Together with Blackthorne we discover early 17th century Japan, with him we progressively gain an understanding of the Japanese people and their culture, like him we are torn between the loyalty towards lord Toronaga and the wish to return to open seas and capture the Portuguese Black Ship, we also fall in love with Mariko, his beautiful married interpreter, we share his despair to be stripped from his ship the Erasmus and we are proud when he is granted the status of samurai and hatamoto . No one could have personified Blackthorne better than Richard Chamberlain. He IS Blackthorne, true to his huge talent and his magic capacity to fade into the character he is interpreting. Richard Chamberlain carries the whole complex production on his shoulders, he is practically in every scene, not only in dialog with other characters but also without uttering a word, he drives the story thus making the audience understand what is going on and what are his nuanced feelings. A tour de force charismatic Richard Chamberlain carries out brilliantly. Moreover he is intensely dramatic in the seppuku scene, funny and touching in the sailor's dance, wonderfully romantic as Mariko's lover and wears the silk kimonos with unmatched class and elegance. The whole cast is splendid. The actors who play the Jesuits and the crew of the Erasmus, are beautifully cast, all out of English theater. To quote but a few : Damien Thomas, Alan Badel, Michael Hordern, John Rhys-Davies. John Rhys-Davies plays the part of the pilot of the Black Ship with such tremendous energy and gusto that some consider exaggerated. Not in my opinion, his acting is very useful in the sense that it helps to underline Blackthorne's composed and reflexive nature. The same has to be said of the Japanese actors, the mythical Toshira Mifune, Yoko Shimada, Frankie Sakai, Yuki Meguro, Hideo Takamatsu, all sensational, with incredible presence.

The fact that Shogun was entirely shot in Japan grants the mini-series the stamp of authenticity, further stressed by the resort to Japanese without dubbing. The sets, made by Japanese craftsmen following century old traditions, are magnificent not to speak of the quality of the light and photography as well as of the music by Maurice Jarre. Jerry London, the director, and Eric Bercovici, both script writer and executive producer, supported by the cast and crew, succeeded in making a master piece. The filming of Shogun was a "wonderful nightmare" recalls Richard Chamberlain . To enjoy this excellent and spectacular mini-series and to know more about its making watch the five DVDs including a documentary on the making of Shogun .