Northfork
(Paramount Region One DVD)
(2003)
review by Head Cheeze

It takes a very skewed sensibility to make a film that is essentially a series of metaphors for death, woven into a lightly comic, touching, and uplifting tale of middle America. It takes a very skilled hand to make said film transcend the medium upon which it was made so that it is no longer merely a film as much as it is sequential frames of lovingly crafted art. Northfork is, quite simply, the most original, refreshing, and breathtaking film of 2003.

Set in the Montana plains of 1955, Northfork is a town that's run out of time. In 48 hours, a hydro-electric dam will re-route the town's namesake river through it's streets, submerging Northfork forever. A group of representatives from the Evacuation Committee descend upon the town in teams of two, each assigned to "depart" stubborn owners from their property. Walter (Woods) struggles with this particular assignment as his wife's body is buried in Northfork cemetary, and must be relocated along with the town's denizens. His son, and Evac Committee partner, Willis (Polish) is equally disgusted by their task, but their reward of 1.5 acres of prime waterfront property is at stake. Besides, who are they to get in the way of progress?

Meanwhile, a young couple leaving Northfork make the difficult decision to leave their terminally ill child, Irwin (Farnes), behind with the local priest from whom they adopted the boy, Father Harlan (Nolte). As Irwin succumbs to his illness, he begins to make short excursions "into" death, where he meets a group of odd characters who are searching for the last of their kin- The Unknown Angel. Irwin believes it is he they are seeking, and produces compelling evidence to support his claim.

Northfork is a very difficult film to sum up in two paragraphs. It's basically one of those films you really just have to see, as cliched as it sounds. The twin brother team of Mark and Michael Polish have explored their fascination with heartland America in their previous two outings, Jackpot and Twin Falls Idaho, but here one can truly sense their love of this world. The Montana landscape serves as a canvas upon which the brothers paint their tragic tale of transistion, with black suited messengers trudging about stark, washed out plains delivering a message of salvation to those who don't want to hear it. The film is a dreamy and complex meditation on death; the dying Irwin, the dying Northfork, the dying innocence of an America under the weight of it's own progress. The work of the Polish brothers has been compared to the Coen's and David Lynch, excellent company in anyone's book, but here, I feel, they make their own very unique statement that defies categorisation or similitude.

Paramount presents Northfork in a wonderful package, featuring a gorgeous widescreen anamorphic transfer that handles the film's intentionally washed out colours (look closely at the background in some scenes-they're desaturated completely) perfectly and bears not a hint of grain or artifact. Even though this is a new film, it's distinctive pallette of whites, greys, and blacks is one that could have made for a disasterous transfer, so it's important to note that this one is colour matched perfectly.

The DVD features a commentary track by the Polish brothers, as well as the "Brass-Knuckle Filmmaking: The Construction of Northfork" featurette, in which the production's financial problems (the filmmakers were promised $1.5 million to make the movie, but the money never arrived!) and the difficulty of filming in the harsh environs of Montana are explored. There's also a short segment from the Sundance Channel's "24 Frame News", the film's trailer, photo gallery, and previews for other Paramount releases. I would have loved to have seen a documentary showing the post-production process in which they gave the film it's dreamy look, but that's just the filmmaker in me nit-picking.

Northfork is a film that every cinephile out there has to make it their business to see. It's one of the most beautifully crafted movies I've ever seen, both visually and narratively, and it's one I will watch again and again.