Nonureva Really Surprised!

Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

bi-azh This is how I understood the film without having read the book. I don't give a summary,that has been done by the other reviewers here, and yes, my review will contain spoilers. The drama is told about and around the character Ward Allen, a locally renown and remembered local sort of hero. But why was he important and what was his meaning for those who have known him and remember him? It seems, that he had a way to impress his follow men by his stubborn way of living in a romantic past, that was slowly slipping away and was glorified when he was long gone. The important factor here is "time" because clearly the 1920ies were a turning point, after WW1 and the great war to come that was sweeping away social classes and ways of living not only in Europe but also in America. The beginning of modern times is obvious, there are coaches and horses in the streets but also automobiles. In one scene Ward and Christmas look from their boat to the rising of an industrial building at the horizon and Ward says that the birds are not flying over it. The story reminded me very much of Ford Madoxx Fords "Parades End", set in the time of WW1. The hero of that story, who was also a creature of a time long gone, was defined as the last gentlemen, because of his unfaltering upkeeping of a moral codex no longer important in a changing society.(Watch Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC miniseries) The hero of Savannah on the other hand is not so much a gentlemen but a free spirit, a man who doesn't like to be "tamed", not by his family and upbringing, not by his wife and not by the society around him. But he stands no chance,time goes on and everything changes, his lifestyle with living outdoors and sustaining himself by hunting is no longer possible, and industrialization is on the horizon. That is child is stillborn can be a symbol. He has to take this strike of fate and then another and so on until he sees no way of going on and kills himself. All that is told in a slow and melancholic way with the help of a frame story in the present. The omnipresent birds and the water carry highly symbolic meaning as the flow of time. Many critics say that the three story lines are not told good enough, one should have concentrated on the friendship between the former slave and white man, that was his friend. But I don't think that is what this film is about, that is only a sideline. From that missunderstanding there might come the critic of using too many clichées,as someone accused the film on the messageboard. But those "clichées" are not what is important here. Ward had the ability to express himself by writing - he was not a writer in the usual sense of the word. Because of his upbringing and education he had the possibility to describe his confusion and the problems he had with the change of the older way of living to the modern age. He couldn't accept it and stayed therefore as a symbolic figure for the turmoil of that age, that many might have felt. As mentioned in the other reviews the pictures and the filming are excellent and the cast did a very great job, mostly Jim Caviezel who proved that he can also play extrovert characters. His use of his voice and movements are highly entertaining to watch. This is not a film for the big audience but it should have gained more attention. One thing I didn't like so much was the score. The main theme of the music was nice and kind of hypnotizing, but it was used too much, should have varied more.

John Raymond Peterson Who was Ward Allen? That was a question I asked myself, reading the movie's cast and other credits. Based on a true story, uh! Oh well, it's worth a shot; I'll watch it. I did, and despite the script shortcomings, something I was easily able to get over, I discovered an interesting character and a story that reminded me why I enjoy movies with romanticism, not to be confused with romance.The perhaps foolishness of pure thoughts, idealism, that is common to most romantic life stories, fiction or non, as in this case here, makes for good viewing and feel good moments. Annette Haywood-Carter's 'Savannah' did evoke those feel good moments. The scenery, set in the Savannah River marshes was well utilized in the movie's cinematography; that alone was reason for me to watch as much as I could.The cast which includes such compelling names as Chiwetel Ejiofor, of '12 Years a Slave' fame, Sam Shepard and Hal Holbrook are another reason to consider 'Savannah'. Bradley Whitford plays Jack Cay, father of author John Eugene Cay Jr. who wrote the novel on which the movie is based. The main character is played by Jim Caviezel, who in this movie plays a loquacious intriguing character, atypical of Caviezel's past roles, but one he acquits himself of flawlessly. If you like Shakespearean soliloquy arguments and pleas uttered by lawyers in court as well as in bars, drinking kind, not legal, you'll appreciate the script's contributions in that respect.The secondary character of Christmas Moultrie, played by Ejifor, is as compelling as is the main one, but brings an altogether different element, that of a first generation freed slave, and complements well the rapport of the two friends. Tieing the Moultrie, Allen and Cay's stories all in one movie is where the script falls short; it may be too much to feature in one movie and so the novel's story and perspective may well not have been done justice. The more reason to read the novel, something I'm eager to do now. I've not said much about the relation of Lucy Stubbs, played by the beautiful Jaimie Alexander, and Ward Allen, but it is pivotal to the development of Allen's life story, hence the late mention here. I didn't think a longer review would have help convince you to see the movie. If you appreciate romanticism, such as the genre is, I recommend the movie.

bob-rutzel-1 This is based upon a true story.Ward Allen (Jim Caviezel) gives up the privileged life on a plantation in Savannah, GA to live free on the river so he can hunt ducks.We start off in 1954 where Christmas Moultrie (Chiwetel Ejiofor) - the last of the free slaves from the Moultrie plantation - tells of his relationship with Ward Allen decades before. Then we go to 1918 and see Ward Allen.We have an all-star cast with Hal Holbrook as Judge Harden; Sam Shepard as Mr. Stubbs who is the father of Lucy (Jaimie Alexander), who eventually marries Ward Allen; and Bradley Whitford as Jack Cay, a lawyer, who is the listener - and eventual writer of this story - to Christmas and his stories of Ward Allen.I suppose we are all wondering what there was about Ward Allen to have a movie made of his life so-to -speak and further…… why would he give up a life of privilege to roam the woods and the river just to hunt and shoot ducks? We must listen and believe, as true, the stories Christmas tells about his friend. And, you must come to know that this friendship was pure gold. However, this is quite sketchy. We have 3-stories and any one of which could have carried this movie, but it was decided to provide a little something of all three. It is difficult to incorporate everything especially when all three stories have a lot to say. We see Ward's relationship with his wife and this almost turned into a love story, but later that was abandoned; then we see his battles with new government rules and regulations regarding his disregarding them that got him to the courts many times (he didn't believe in quotas for the number of ducks killed or the shooting of a certain type of "protected" duck); then we have the relationship with Christmas and this is where the story should have been centered. It is with this angle that a great legend could have materialized. But, we get only bits and pieces here. Bummer. It was decided to tell all three stories, sketchy as they might be, because……..well, Ward Allen was "a hell of a man's man" and we do get this perspective from the movie. Maybe that was the point of all this. The acting all around is very good. The best and lighter moments in the movie involve Ward Allen in court with Judge Harden who has a propensity to overlook Allen's transgressions as we can clearly see that Judge Harden is most impressed with Ward Allen, who by the way was Oxford educated and spouted Shakespeare often. Throughout there are good lines that provide some chuckles. The cinematography is outstanding regarding the Savannah River background. The ending is somewhat confusing because the movie cannot tell us what really happened to Ward Allen or his wife after his wife was sent to a rest home. But, to answer the question why abandon the good life for a life of hunting ducks on the Savannah River in Ward Allen's words: The river belongs to us and we to it. It was the only place he felt really free and that was most important to him. (7/10)Violence: No. Sex: Not really, we see more of a make-out session with his wife. Nudity: No. Language: No.

fdo-316-23697 Savannah does attempt to tell the story of the friendship of two men, one returning from overseas to choose a life close to nature and his friend from childhood a freed slave and how a changing climate, culture, and society can make certain types of people and professions obsolete through no fault of their own.It has an impressive cast with Jim Caviezel as Ward Allen and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Christmas Moultrie, together with Sam Shepard, Hal Holbrook and Jack McBrayer playing less important roles. In the center of all action is the duo of Ward Allen and Christmas Moultrie played by Jim Caviezel and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This important friendship should had have more room, more dialog. The relationship of Ward Allen with Lucy Stubbs played by Jaimie Alexander is more of a fictional drop-in and distracted from the rest of the storyline which could have disclosed more of Ward's intellectual background, the relationship with his father and his overseas upbringing.Overall, great scenery, fantastic camera work and for those who know the book a very well written family friendly script in the European style of storytelling. Not Hollywood cinema, nothing flashy or fast paced. Enjoy the LowCountry landscape and a great sound track.