WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 8.2
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:50 Rated: No MPAA Rating (Language, violence)
Starring: Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, Bill Raymond, Michael J. Fox, Mark Margolis, Treat Williams Director: Jay Craven Producers: Jay Craven and Bess O'Brien Screenplay: Jay Craven and Don Bredes based on the novel by Howard Frank Mosher Music: the Horseflies Released by Caledonia Pictures
One hardly expects a movie about logging to be this compelling. The reason is that co-writer/director Jay Craven has the good sense to keep the actual mechanics of logging in the background while bringing the characters to the fore. And no matter how much Rip Torn's Noel Lord may be shaped by his craft ("I'm a logger. A man can be no more than he is."), WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH is ultimately defined by him and his housekeeper Bangor (Tantoo Cardinal).
The story is an old one: the battle of the individual against the forces of government-backed big money. It's tradition against progress, with the latter holding the trump card. No matter how much we hate to admit it, this has always been the way of this country, and Jay Craven's feature debut is just another example.
The year is 1927; the setting is Kingdom County, Vermont. The local power company is beginning construction on a huge dam that will provide electricity for the entire area. The only thing that stands in their way is Noel Lord, who has a lifetime lease to the land on which his family has lived for generations. Everyone except Noel has sold, but he remains steadfast in his intent to stay where he is. Equally determined are the power company executives Quinn and Clayton (played by Bill Raymond and Michael J. Fox), who have at their disposal money, the law, and, if necessary, more violent methods.
While the struggles of Noel against his adversaries provide WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH with its energy, these are actually rather routine. Quinn and Clayton are stereotypes, and no attempt is made to characterize them as more than one-dimensional villains. They want the land, and that's all there is to it.
Of far greater interest is Noel's relationship with Bangor, an American Indian who has lived with him in near-seclusion for twenty-five years. These two are comfortable with each other's odd ways, and have all the affection of an aging married couple. The reality of their interactions easily shunts aside the shallowness with which the script treats the power company executives.
Veteran actor Rip Torn, who played similar parts in HEARTLAND and CROSS CREEK, gives a gritty, gutsy performance as the long-haired, cigarette-smoking Noel. Tantoo Cardinal, Kicking Bird's wife in DANCES WITH WOLVES (a film with a similar message), holds her own in every scene with Torn. One doesn't often talk about "chemistry" with older characters, but it's definitely there.
In addition to being beautifully photographed and establishing a strong sense of "place", Craven's film is thoughtful, well-paced, and never manipulative. The latter is critical, because it keeps certain scenes from descending into melodrama. Ultimately, this period piece gives us a glimpse into a part of history that many may not be familiar with. Even more importantly, it presents an opportunity to spend one- hundred odd minutes with a pair of characters the likes of which we rarely come across - in person or on screen.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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