Northfork (2003)

[Winston T. Boogie]

Title: Northfork (2003)

Tagline: We are all angels. It is what we do with our wings that separates us.

Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Director: Michael Polish

Cast: James Woods, Nick Nolte, Claire Forlani, Daryl Hannah, Douglas Sebern, Ben Foster, Anthony Edwards, Duel Farnes, Mark Polish, Peter Coyote, Jon Gries, Kyle MacLachlan, Clark Gregg, Robin Sachs, Rick Overton, Graham Beckel

Release: 2003-07-11

Runtime: 103

Plot: The year is 1955, and a great flood is coming to Northfork, Montana. A new hydroelectric dam is about to be installed in the mountains above the town, ready to submerge the valley in the name of progress. It is the responsibility of a six-man Evacuation Committee to relocate the townsfolk to higher ground. Most have duly departed, but a few stubborn stragglers remain – among them a priest caring for a sickly orphan, a boy whose fevered visions are leading him to believe he is a member of a roaming band of lost angels desperately searching for a way home.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Going through my DVD collection I found my copy of this film. A brilliant picture that Roger Ebert called a cinematic masterpiece. It's one of those films I keep hoping shows up on Blu-ray as it is a stunningly gorgeous production. I would think that a Criterion or Arrow would want to put this out.

I feel it is pretty much a forgotten film at this point. I don't see it pop up on "Best" lists and never see it discussed anywhere. It's a shame really, this picture has a great cast, is beautifully photographed and has an wonderful and unique story.

Are there any fans of it around these parts other than me?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Here's a link to Roger Ebert's review of the film:

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/northfork-2003

The first paragraph of his review...

There has never been a movie quite like "Northfork," but if you wanted to put it on a list, you would also include "Days of Heaven" and "Wings of Desire." It has the desolate open spaces of the first, the angels of the second, and the feeling in both of deep sadness and pity. The movie is visionary and elegiac, more a fable than a story, and frame by frame, it looks like a portfolio of spaces so wide, so open, that men must wonder if they have a role beneath such indifferent skies.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

 

[Walter Kittel]

I picked up the DVD release of Northfork when it was released. It has been many years since I last viewed this film, so my memories are very hazy. I seem to recall liking it well enough and I did like the aesthetic of the film. I might have to break out the DVD to get reacquainted with this feature.

When films like this arrive, I do wonder if they will seem as visionary or as relevant years later - i.e. do they stand the test of time? I expect the nature of the story line (or at least what I recall) will make the film have something of a timeless quality, but have other films superseded it in terms of craft of approach to the film's topic? (Has it been done better, since then?)

None of this is meant to be critical of a film I have such vague recollections of, but simply a question of how well does it work after another twenty years of film experience, at least from my individual perspective.

- Walter.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I picked up the DVD release of Northfork when it was released. It has been many years since I last viewed this film, so my memories are very hazy. I seem to recall liking it well enough and I did like the aesthetic of the film. I might have to break out the DVD to get reacquainted with this feature.

When films like this arrive, I do wonder if they will seem as visionary or as relevant years later - i.e. do they stand the test of time? I expect the nature of the story line (or at least what I recall) will make the film have something of a timeless quality, but have other films superseded it in terms of craft of approach to the film's topic? (Has it been done better, since then?)

None of this is meant to be critical of a film I have such vague recollections of, but simply a question of how well does it work after another twenty years of film experience, at least from my individual perspective.

- Walter.

I think as Ebert said at the time, there really is not a film like it. In the visual beauty sense, yeah, you could compare it to pictures like Days of Heaven. It's gorgeous to look at. It's a unique and quirky story though and I don't think any other film has attempted anything like it. The acting is fantastic in it. So, I think not only does it hold up the picture still stands out as a great one. Films like this are attempted far less often now. Watching it again, I am surprised it was not nominated for all kinds of awards back then. I can't recall how much attention it got in 2003. I saw it in a theater back then and I think critics really liked it. It made me keep an eye on Michael Polish as a director, his next film after this was The Astronaut Farmer, I believe. Polish is still making films but I have not seen anything he has made in many years.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Well, interestingly, this thread popped up on the right hand side of the page when you are reading the Northfork thread:

Top 250 Movies of 2003

For the curious. I apologise in advance for the formatting. I know it's not the easiest thing to read. Some totals for movies currently in release will change, such as ROTK (which I know is already out-of-date). Top 250 Films Of 2003 Rank Film (Studio) $ This Year $ Domestic Total...

www.hometheaterforum.com

So, it did make it into the Top 250 of the year, at 221, but pretty much that indicates few people saw it at the time. I do recall I saw it in an arthouse theater...remember those?

Anyway, that list showing the top films 20 years ago is pretty interesting.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Polish is still making films but I have not seen anything he has made in many years.

I believe this is partly why Northfork isn't widely remembered, coupled with a relatively low box office. When directors remain relevant, their earlier works get more attention even years later and Polish based on his resume at IMDB has kept working, but his films aren't titles that I've seen, or recognize. Obviously, this is a personal perception and I shouldn't conflate the general public with my own viewing experience, but I kind of will for the purposes of this discussion.

According to the film's IMDB page, it was a summer release. Perhaps an example of counter programming that didn't attract enough eyes?

- Walter.