149 of 153 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Critics have lost touch with with great film making!, May 24, 2000
I had to write this in the hopes that some off-base "movie critic" would happen to read it, and maybe get the hint that he/she is way out of touch with love, beauty and amazing film making. "Swept From The Sea" is one of the most wrenching films I've ever seen, evoking passion, heartache and intense joy in the audience one scene after another. It is the story of a ship-wrecked Ukranian who finds himself on the shores of hostile Cornwall, England, and how he finds acceptance and "true gold" in the heart of misunderstood Amy Foster. The acting is superb, with breath-taking Vincent Perez exuding more emotion and energy with a glance than most leading men are able to in a monologue. Rachel Weisz's elegant beauty and dignity brings Amy's character the fierce strength and delicate femininity that Yanko falls so deeply in love with. Ian McKellan and Kathy Bates add depth and diversity to the film with their individual impressions of the doomed love affair and McKellan's shocked realization of his ill-placed resentment for Amy is a scene that will stay with you a long time. In all, "Swept From The Sea" seemed to be taken by critics as Amy was taken by the townspeople of Cornwall...simple, dull and not worth the effort to understand or accept...and just like Amy, this film proved them wrong. It is complex and beautiful, sweet, powerful and deeply touching. Everyone should see this gem of a film...it will help you appreciate those dear to you as you search for the Amys and Yankos in your lives.
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135 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking, December 5, 2000
A gorgeous, and virtually overlooked film! I stumbled across it quite by accident through a perusal of romantic period films, and let me say, this one leaves them all behind! The scenery and backdrop is stunning, the acting supurb, and the score haunting. The story of an outcast, a foreigner, and their tragic romance will leave you in tears, especially at the end. Forgiveness, Christian values, and the power of love inspire and enhance a wonderful film, perfect for any fan of beautiful love stories.
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75 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comfort in the Storms of Life, October 18, 2003
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. ~Helen Keller
Amy's life is lonely and she lives in almost complete silence, obeying the wishes of the family she works for in a coastal village. She is captivated by the sea and collects treasures that float up on the beach near her secret hideout/cave. For the first part of the movie, she seems to be living in a dream world. While some think she is a simpleton, others think she is a witch who can conjure storms. She has a gentle, patient, malleable nature.
Often Amy (Rachel Weisz) is found dancing in the rain or standing in a window letting the wind and rain drench her clothes. She is a child of the water and loves the rain, rivers and the ocean. She seems to drift from reality into fantasy as she twirls in the rain. In fact, it seems she dreams her true love into life. She seems to be calling to him from the cliffs of Cornwall.
Yanko (Vincent Perez) arrives in Amy's village and changes her life. He is the only survivor of a shipwreck. He finds himself in a foreign land with no way to communicate with the residents. They fear strangers and almost kill him a few times before they allow him to live a normal life.
Amy seems to be a naturally kind and compassionate Pices. She also seems to be in love with Yanko from the moment they gaze at one another through the kitchen window. Like two trapped animals set free, they run to each other whenever possible and share a secret world only they understand.
"I'm your home and you're mine." ~Yanko
While both Yanko and Amy seems to live at a higher level of existence, you might be shocked by the downright cruelty of many of the villagers. There is a sharp contrast between those who are accepting of Yanko and those who are willing to shun even those who talk to Yanko. Amy not only faces distain because of her quiet manner, she is also hated because she welcomes Yanko into her life. She accepts him like a gift from the sea.
James Kennedy (Ian McKellen) realizes he is one of the Russian emigrants from a recent shipwreck while the rest of the village views him more cautiously. James doesn't seem to know the full story and the wounds are only healed by retelling the story to Yanko's former employer.
At times this movie borders on cinematic extravagance. The widescreen edition is stunning in places. Scenes of Amy dancing in the rain in a blue haze, horses pulling carriages across vast expanses of land, trains, seascapes, ships and an abundance of lush scenery at the edge of the ocean.
Being a lover of the ocean myself, I rather liked this movie. Not only is the scenery gorgeous, the score is dramatic, romantic, filled with longing and almost torturous in places.
Swept from the Sea is a story of two people who have a connection to the ocean and who understand one another on the deepest levels of the soul. Most of what goes on in this movie seems to go on in your own mind. Yanko and Amy seem to almost speak to one another telepathically. At times it is pure magic!
~The Rebecca Review
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