THE AISLE SEAT - "BELOVED"

by Mike McGranaghan

Beloved opens with one of the most (intentionally) disorienting scenes I've ever witnessed. We see what appears to be a modest-looking little country house in Ohio. From the outside, everything is quiet. Inside, though, some kind of supernatural activity is taking place. Objects are flying across the room, and the family dog is severely wounded after being whipped though the air (at least I think so; I tend to avert my eyes during scenes of animal cruelty in movies). A woman screams, children run in fear. There's no doubt that something unnatural is happening here. Beloved then takes the next three hours to explain to us what that something was. The scene grabbed my attention immediately, pulling me into the film. Beloved tends to be dark and rather complex, but I liked its unique approach to a very serious subject.

Oprah Winfrey plays Sethe, the woman we saw in the first scene. She is an emancipated slave who now lives with her daughter Denver (Kimberly Elise) in that home. The other children are no longer there, but to explain why would give away some of the story's power. One afternoon, the women are visited by Paul D (Danny Glover), another freed slave who immediately senses evil in the house. "It ain't evil," Sethe tells him. "It's just sadness." Paul D ends up moving in and beginning a romance with Sethe. The supernatural events start occurring again.

Coming home one day, they find a young woman standing in the front yard. Her name is Beloved (Thandie Newton), and she has the speech and mannerisms of a child. If you've read Toni Morrison's book (on which the film is based), you know who Beloved is. If not, I won't ruin it for you, except to say that no one is the same after she comes.

At this point, I find myself unable to really tell you what I liked about Beloved with any kind of clarity. The less you know about the specifics, the more you're likely to be affected by what happens. The plot is structured as a series of surprises, each one a tiny clue that gives you insight into the whole. If I was willing to blow the whole plot, I'm sure I could express exactly what Beloved meant to me. My hope is that you'll see it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I'll try to couch my feelings in more general terms for now.

There's no doubt that watching Beloved is a strange experience. If you're expecting a straight-forward historical account of slavery's aftereffects, you're in for a surprise. The movie is an unusual combination of historical drama and supernatural thriller. Director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) treats the film as a ghost story, establishing an unsettling mood that enhances both the historical drama and the mystery of Beloved's identity. The theme of the film is slavery - not just physical slavery, but mental and emotional slavery as well. As things become more clear and we understand who Beloved is, the more we begin to realize that although slavery has ended, all the film's characters are still slaves. They just aren't slaves to white landowners anymore.

I haven't read Morrison's novel, but those who have tell me it's very densely plotted and requires heavy interpretation. Somehow, the movie has managed to hold on to those same qualities. Beloved is the kind of film you talk, think, and debate about for days after you see it. So much goes on, oftentimes under the surface. I admired how the filmmakers never felt the need to spell everything out for the audience. Winfrey herself has admitted that different people will see different things in it. I think this is one of the rare big-budget, major studio movies that can be called "art." Like a painting or a piece of literature, the joy is not only in the presentation but in the interpretation.

I must also mention the performances, which are universally outstanding. Although Winfrey is one of the most recognizable people in the world today, I forgot I was watching the talk-show host. She is marvelous as Sethe, bringing a lot of pain and anguish to her role. Glover and Elise are also quite good, but the real stunner is Thandie Newton as the title character. The actress (who appeared in one of my favorites - Gridlock'd) reaches that place where acting ends and transformation begins. She captures the mannerisms of a child so fully that you forget you're watching someone act.

At almost three hours, Beloved is maybe 15 or 20 minutes too long. That's a small complaint, though, for what is otherwise an excellent film. In fact, for the most part, I liked that the story took its time unwinding (I just felt that a couple individual scenes could have been tightened for maximum effectiveness). The performances, direction, and writing are all first-rate. Beloved deals with some complicated ideas, but I surrendered myself to its quizzical style and was very absorbed. This is filmmaking of a high caliber.

( 1/2 out of four)

Beloved is rated R for violent images, sexuality, and nudity. The running time is 2 hours and 54 minutes.