...engaging and discerning culture, as a way of life...

November 23, 2005

Smilla's Sense of Snow - 7

There are many good things to like about this film. The characters in this film are very intricately developed. The plot is developed nicely as to make it a mystery/thriller film while not being manipulative at every twist and turn (the audience knows what the main character does). It is also an interesting story that crosses care with science fiction. The story follows Smilla's investigation into the death of a small boy who lives in her apartment complex. The film hinges on knowledge of Greenland and the native Inuit peoples and their ability to live in cold and snowy conditions. This film is set in Denmark, where an mining company has its headquarters, while hiring native Greenlanders to do dangerous work. In the end the truth is discovered and the mystery solved. This film also has a sweet cast: Julia Ormund, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Broadbent, and Tom Wilkinson. I would definitely recommend seeing this film.
Here is an interesting quote from the film: "The number system is like human life. First you have the natural numbers. The ones that are whole and positive. Like the numbers of a small child. But human consciousness expands. The child discovers longing. Do you know the mathematical expression for longing? The negative numbers. The formalization of the feeling that you're missing something."

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