FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
NORTHFORK
This droll surrealistic fantasy is like a gentler David Lynch hallucination. In 48 hours the
town of Northfork, MT, will lie on the floor of an underwater lake that will feed the
newly built electrical power plant. O’Brien (Woods) is part of an evacuation committee
that needs to fulfill its quota. He pleads with the holdouts to leave, including a man and
his wives living in an ark, while oblivious to earthshattering
dynamite blasts. A sickly orphan, Irwin (Farnes), is cared for by the platitude preaching
Father Harlan (Nolte) after being abandoned by his foster parents. The lonely boy
befriends a motley group of angels hiding in a house: the studious Happy, the supposedly
androgynous Hercules Flowers (Hannah) and the sonorous voiced Cup of Tea
(Sachs) - characters straight out of a children’s fairy tale who are searching for an
unknown angel last seen flying over the town. The evocative cinematography alternates
misty and faded interiors with scenes set against the expansive plains where mountains
and billowing clouds loom in the background. The soundtrack, including honky-tonk
songs of the 1955 time period, adds to the mournful atmosphere. Not for the literal
minded, Northfork is whimsical, sad, and oddly original. KT
Extras: Although the special
features are valuable for a comprehensive
understanding of the film, they are not, in themselves, particularly entertaining.
The commentary is descriptive and critical, focusing
especially on the use and explanation of symbolism in the film. Geared toward those interested in
film production, the Polish brothers note production details and various aesthetic decisions.
Each chapter of the special features opens intriguingly (in accordance with Northfork) with a literary quote, ranging from Wendell Berry to
Deuteronomy. Lisette Johnson
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