Customer Reviews

Salmonberries

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

this is a fab film. the music is just one excellent bit. the bizarre bingo scene stuff is, to be fair, best left in the polar regions- but despite the setting, this is a warming and positive film which tackles some complex and interesting issues on its way through. it is much more than a showcase for k.d.- although she does, obviously, shine in a film that was written for her. the lighting and the setting, the story and the twists, the music and getting to watch k.d. maked in a library (don't ask- watch it? ) are elements of a splendid whole. okay, so it is a bit dated now, and not everyone wants to engage with lead characters howling in radar dish. but i think that it's worth the watching: saw it for the first time many years ago and can still remember clearly crucial and powerful parts. buy it- even if it's the only way to get your hands on what i think is the best song that kd has ever done.

My interest in this movie was initially based on k.d. lang's appearance in the same. However, I was soon submersed in the incredible story and beautiful scenery. This is a love story. This is the story of acceptance. The characters are deeply rooted and complex. I own the VHS version, and recently bought the DVD. I recommend purchasing the DVD because the quality is far superior, and there is additional bonus footage. Lang is interviewed by Percy Adlon as they watch clips of the movie together in her home. She presents her take on the complex character she played, and on her co-star. If you're looking for a movie that will touch your heart, both in pain and in joy, I recommend buying this DVD.

A movie that you can sit and watch and feel alive.A place with more content than you can you can see in two hours. The view is someplace you dream about. The howl is chilling.There is definitly not another movie like it anywhere.

I felt this movie was about an understanding between two people who were misfits in totally different ways in a hostile environment. It portrays human compassion at its zenith. I really liked this strange movie. It makes you think and realize that we are all one.

Salmonberries provides a view of a life that few of us will experience, in the polar region, on the edge of wilderness. People there know intense weather, and often great lonliness. The film deals with this lonliness, and its expression in song. A wonderful haunting piece sung by K.D. Lang, who also gives a fine acting performance.

Those of you who find the plot vague ( I guess mostly Americans raised in plush conditions), put your imagination to work!:
Think about more realistic and sophisticated Jungle Book. A neglected girl not exposed to(and avoiding psychological pollution by) common concepts of femininity and stereotypic roles of women (she didn't accept the Eskimo version from her foster family because she felt she was different). She was practically raised by Nature in its most brutal form - she was forced spent her childhood on mastering the skill of survival and finally something (perhaps long idle breaks from work)triggered her search for self-identity and exploration of humanity.
K D Lang was a perfect, natural fit for the character (or perhaps she herself inspired the whole story.

I watched this several many years ago, late at night with a group of friends and found the plot a bit vague, the characters poorly defined, the cinematography fair to good, yet still, after all this time, the last number is clear in my head, moving and true. k.d. has a fine voice, uses it well, and has a persona to match. With all that the movie DOESN'T have, it has her and she shines through.

I think this is a grate film. I noticed other reviwers didn't think so, but they probaly only watched it once. The first time i saw Salmonberries it seemed slow and very confusing! The second time i saw it, i began to understand the complex story line. And now that I understand the movie I can realy enjoy it.

This feels a bit like of mix of Percy Adlon's earlier 'Bagdad Café' and
Robert Altman's 'Three Women', set in Alaska.

k.d. lang plays an androgynous miner who falls in love with a straight, private, local German librarian.
They both have muddy, tragic pasts that slowly emerge. There are some deeply moving moments, and
some wonderful slightly magical realist touches. The cinematography is very good. But while lang does a
surprisingly decent job, I can't help thinking a stronger, more experienced actress could have brought out
even more in this amazing role.

That said, I did enjoy this much more on a second viewing. While it bothered me that it felt at times like
Adlon was trying to simply re-create the magic of `Bagdad Café' (odd, surreal setting, quirky out of place
characters, cinematography that uses color in exaggerated ways for effect, etc.) overall I found
myself more able to just let go and accept this tale on its own merits. And doing that, it made me smile.

I am absolutely embarrassed for all the k.d. fans who gave this film a bad review! Shame on you! Before you purchase this film, you need to understand that this is not your typical Hollywood big-screen movie with a straighforward love story and a happy end. This is an independent picture with a rather complex storyline that not many of us can relate to. Salmonberries is written about a different side of the world, about people with broken hopes and lives, about the human ability to understand one another even in the most bizarre of circumstances. This film is so painfully deep and so unaccustomely romantic that is takes your breath away - of course, you have to be a real connoisseur of complex vision and of independent film.

As far as k.d.'s performance goes, it is flawless, impeccable! She so masterfully slipped into Kotzebu's skin and has delivered the character in the most natural and graceful way. I cannot imagine another actress play this role better than k.d.! Despite the fact that she's a truly gifted singer, she is also an amazing actress! I strongly believe that k.d. deserves our biggest compliments and applause for this performance. I take my hat off to her!

Salmonberries is a truly entrancing film, accompanied by k.d.'s amazing Barefoot, and it is quite an experience!