Beloved

Good actors and plot and stuff

I was so disappointed that my copy of "Beloved" did not mention winning any film awards. I think this movie is one of the most underappreciated works of cinema. It should be deemed a major contribution to women's films and black films. I cried watching the film just because so much of it stirred my emotions.Critics have said that viewers could not relate to the Beloved character. I usually do not care for Thandie Newton. She's usually just a pretty face in damsel-in-distress roles. However, she really pushed the envelope with this role. It took a lot of strength to play a ghostly woman-baby. It takes tremendous ability to perform the googly-eyed, infantil manners that she makes. In the theater, I screamed twice, once at her entrance and once toward her exit. Additionally, I think Beloved the character may have been a metaphor for us African Americans. She wanted to know about her past. She wanted to know why she was separated from her family. She was one of a kind and shrouded in controversy.Others have said that the movie did not focus enough upon slavery as the book did. I am quite sure that if more of the horrors of slavery were shown, then people of all races, but especially non-African-Americans, would be scared off and make illogical claims about "playing the race card." This movie does a fantastic job in showing the catch-22 placed upon 19th-century Black American women. It shows how even working-class communities can punish their own members for not enacting middle-class values. Further, if the viewer looks carefully the racism of the time is continuously hinted at throughout the film.Oprah plays well against her persona. She's the only African-American female billionaire, yet she's playing a poor ex-slave. She is usually seen in glamourous outfits, yet here she and the other characters wear no makeup. On her show, she's portrayed as in control of the world. In this film, her mental state is shattered and even her body can't control itself. Oprah is not a mother, yet she does a wonderful job in showing a mother's unending love for her daughters. I love all of Kimberly Elise's films, Set It Off, Bojangles, you name it. This actress has the Midas touch and this film is one more example of that.This film, despite the computer graphics, showed the beauty of Midwestern flora and fauna. The actresses wore rich indigo dress and ornate hairstyles. This was a strong period piece. The script is filled with rich dialogue. "Your love is too thick, Sethe." "Love is or it isn't. Thin love ain't no love at all." "She my best thing." "No, you're your best thing." "Sometimes I think she was my sister and sometimes I know she was.""Beloved" is becoming one of the most read texts in American English classes. I think this film will help students understand a rigorous author like Morrison. However, because this movie only shows a slice of the book, students will still have to do their reading and not just rely on the film.

When I read the book in college, I thought it was slow and pretentious. I understood what the author was trying to do. She was combining a historical novel about the effects of slavery with fantasy/horror elements based on slave folklore. It was a weird mix of tones, and it just didn't work for me.I had a much different reaction when I watched the film a quarter century later. Maybe it's because my tastes have changed. Maybe it's because I've read a lot of fantasy and horror in the intervening years, mostly genre fiction but also some of its literary kin "magical realism". For whatever reason, I thought the story worked perfectly. The film was helped by superb supporting performances from Danny Glover and Thandiwe Newton. Oprah Winfrey was adequate in the starring role, but she doesn't do crazy as well as she does motherly anguish.

Well worth the price-interesting topic-Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey excellent performance

I, can’t believe I never saw this movie before, I give this movie 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I did not watch this film for a very long time because I never thought it could hold a candle to the book itself. And who can hold a candle to Toni Morrison? This movie broke me, again and again. I am grateful to have watched it even so.

It's really too bad that this movie isn't appreciated more. Many were off-put it seems by its brutality, darkness and ghost-story feel. It blows my mind that so many critics dropped the ball on this one. I've never read Toni Morrison's celebrated novel, but I could immediately tell from the first few scenes that the film was rather faithful. It has detail and intensity, and a depth that is characteristic of great literature. From the first ghost scene with the dog I was immediately enthralled and curious as to what this story was about and what it was trying to say, and just as importantly, how it was saying it. This story works on a deeper level. Morrison's use of ghosts to reflect internal workings is terribly inventive and interesting. The ghosts and stuff, starkly beautiful and strange, captured through Demme's powerful eye, do not need to be read as real or not real. Sure, they have a power of themselves over the viewer, which Demme does wonderfully. But, my point is, this is based on a book, and the ghosts more than anything are metaphors which paint and convey the internal pain and suffering of the truth. This film wonderfully shows us that somethng like slavery and rape can't just be forgotten or healed easily or quickly. These horrors, true horrors, persist through time and space, they are ghosts that move through history. And the more we suppress them the more powerful they become. That in itself, even without respect to Morrison's impassioned story about the survival of the American African slave, is in itself, a deep and profound message. "Beloved" is filled with these sometimes horrible truths, but it never forsakes humanity, it never levels an accusatory finger. The brutal truths are also wonderfully tempered with tender moments. One of the best in my opinion being the spiritual gathering of freed slaves, an eloquent vision of the power of love and community. If you don't get what I'm saying, you will as you get further and further into this film. Movies and books that work on this level deserve our attention. And despite what Leonard Maltin writes, Winfrey's performance is awesome. This movie simply demands more out of us. Give it and you will be rewarded with a great fusion of the ugly and the beautiful in search of deeper spiritual truths.

Very Interesting film in the way the story was put together... It begins with a strange scene that invovled a ghost in amongst a household who turns out to be the duaghter of the single parent who beacuase of the harse treatment recieved from the plantation owner and hands was consumed with fear and terror that the master would be taking the children from her to also become abused' so decide to kill her children before the master and his hands could get hold of them... resulting in the one duaghter being killed" who continues to live amongst them as a ghost huanting the house with the acceptance due to guilt along with a unrecognision or connection of all the events... Then a man comes along who fancies her and comes to live with them and manages to chase the ghost away... but the child ghost returns with a vengence" A very good movie showing the harse lives people lived back in the slavery days of black Americans with a very spooky side attached I would say horror movie... Also be aware! some nakedness also included... Another good movie with Opera Winfrey

I sat down and watch this the other day and all I can say that it's one of those films that will leave you wondering about it, later on, there are so many different topics and themes in this one film that at times you feel overwhelmed while watching but I guess that's the whole point.

I tried to read the book but became bogged down and never finished it. This DVD gave me some understanding of great writing and stunning acting but there are so many twists and turns I became totally confused. It is a harrowing story of the lives of people in the deep south of America before slaves fully got their freedom. Y'know what? It is so long I turned it off before it finished.

Not sure how to review this dvd. It was worth watching, but not something I would want to see again. There was some good acting in it, but it took a time to get into the storyline.

This is a great collection of music. It's evocative of the series and a good collection of music regardless. I'd say it's slightly better than the original soundtrack album and is great for that late night listening. Well worth a try.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.