Disclaimer: I watch too many movies so I think that watching the first episode of Under the Dome right before watching this movie and the movie, Max, a week ago colored my perception of this film. First, Snow Falling on Cedars is heart-breakingly, steadily beautiful & poetic-the film is at its strongest when it eschews words for images portraying emotion, particularly when the widow is testifying on the stand. Second, great cast. For me, the weakest part was the story–NOT the way it was told, but the actual story. In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t read the book so perhaps I would like it more if I read it. I hate the trope of using a trial to hash out the real problems and then discover that the trial is really not the point, but only a narrative device. I hate that revealing an aspect of the main character’s post WWII life is supposed to make me feel sympathetic to him deciding whether a guy should be legally lynched so he can covet his wife versus being a decent human being. I hate that I’m supposed to feel bad for a guy that was dumped by his childhood sweetheart-yes, under epically tragic circumstances, but still, get over it whereas there is little to no character development or emotion between the central husband & wife. The husband is almost an after thought. The wife is just an object. I kept thinking Bechdel test. Yes, the images movingly portray one of America’s great sins, but just shedding the light on one horror does not mean that we should excuse perpetuating other stereotypical tropes.