Regionalism in the Film Snow Falling on Cedars

English Literature

Race, Regionalism, and Rights: in Snow Falling on Cedars

Literature is an art form, which can convey love, hate, beauty, and ugliness. Literature, in the form of novels, has the capacity to challenge and reflect upon cultural and societal dilemmas. The David Guterson novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, and the 1999 film adaptation, illuminate the issues that a young Japanese-American man faces when he is accused of the murder of a white fisherman in the state of Washington. On the surface, the story is a mystery, which focuses on whether or not the young man is guilty, but on a deeper level, the novel is a narrative that contrasts the stark ugliness of racial intolerance compared to the beauty of the Washington island. Taking place upon the fictional San Piedro Island, part of the Puget Sound area of Washington, racial tensions ran extremely high between the members of the Caucasian majority and the smaller population of Japanese-Americans, who cohabitated on the island. One of the principal characters, Kazuo Miyamoto, is on trial accused of murdering the son of a former colleague of his father's, as part of a greater plot or struggle for land rights for the Miyamoto family. While the film's rejection of white racism is unsurprising, its focus on the landscape of the island suggests a more interesting technique for advocating tolerance and diversity. In the film, the land itself becomes a site where the film can imagine universal acceptance. Natural settings are the places where a forbidden love grows and nature is an observer of the trial of Kazuo.

The legal procedures metaphorically represent the racially biased feelings of the people of Washington, who judge Miyamoto not so much for what he has done, but more so judge him for who he is. This will later be a line in the film uttered by Kazuo's elderly lawyer. Regionalism in the film is played out in an intriguing and somewhat paradoxical manner. On the one hand, it is very clear from the dialogue and flashbacks in the film that the people of San Piedro are very proud of their island and consider it somewhat of an isolated community with a distinct culture. On the other hand, one learns very little about the actual physical location of the island over the course of the book and film, and the information provided is scarce. In this way, the regionalism is at once quite present and specific, but at the same time, the regionalism is non-descript, and this island could be any coastal island in the United States that is high enough in latitude to receive snow. The novel and film want to alert consumers that while these actions take place on a specific island at a specific point in American history, this trial and the prejudicial sentiments could have occurred anywhere in the country. The regionalism in the narrative is prominent and strong, specific and non-specific at once.

Regionalism was an art movement, which grew from the Modernist movement. Starting in the 1930s, regionalism focused on realistic representations of the real world outside the artist's windows. Regionalist artworks gave images of the American heartland, which provided hope and inspiration that there was indeed a better future coming for them as long as they persevered. In literature, the regionalist movement is seen in works, which focus on rural locations, local characters, and small communities serving as microcosms of the larger world. Such a technique is employed within Snow Falling on Cedars. Author Josephine Donavan writes that regionalism "depict[s] authentic regional detail, including authentic dialect, authentic local characters, in real or realistic geographical settings" (50). The heart of the movement was a moving away from large city metropolises and a re-embracing of the rural community, which had gone out of favor during the time of the Industrial Revolution. This included depictions of landscapes and the placement of people within the locations in the natural world. Central to the relationship between Ishmael and Hatsue, is their exploration of and time spent in natural settings. Nature is an essential element to their passion and romance, both in their innocence and in their passion. The regionalist movement was based on understanding of outsider vs. insider, which is a central concept within traditional Japanese culture, and rural vs. urban, themes which are present in the narrative of Snow Falling on Cedars. It is a regionalist film based on this principle. Its location, the island off of Washington, is extremely rural and isolated. We can feel the remoteness and wilderness of the island through many scenes in the film. In the middle of the movie, for example, we can see a hundred of red wood trees, hearing bird hardly chirping. (1:49:53) Thus, the island is separated from the rest of the United States and the rest of the world, but is connected through the opinions of those who live there.

Another theme that is present in the text, which reflects the regionalist artistic perspective is the conflict between feminine and masculine identities. In regionalism, the conflict between accepted social groups is an extremely important factor. Snow Falling on Cedars shows this conflict in a multitude of ways; one of the most important is in the dichotomy between reporter Ishmael Chambers and the main female character of the film, Kazuo's wife Hatsue. Ishmael finds himself inextricably drawn to the young woman. He desires her both sexually and emotionally. They have a past, which is extremely intoxicating and verging on obsessive, at least on the part of Ishmael. There are many reasons for this attraction, not the least of which is that as a woman of Japanese heritage, Hatsue is the ideal example of the exotic and unobtainable object of affection. As children, part of what made Hatsue so appealing was her "otherness" and the fact that because she was othered by the community, they had to keep their relationship a secret (Hrezo). Focus on the trial by using the scene from the trial. He likes her because she is exotic and different. At the same time, he looks down/others on her. The structure of the courthouse where the white people have gives you a visual example.

The racial biases presented in the film are not just those of the majority culture directed towards minorities, but can be reciprocal as well. In Snow Falling on Cedars one of the subplots is the former romance between Ishmael and Hatsue. As a young woman, she and Ismael nurtured a childhood and a teenage romance, which was not allowed to flourish because of her family's attitudes against Caucasians and in favor of her fellow Japanese. It is also insinuated quite a few times that Ishmael's mother is displeased with his feelings toward Hatsue. The tradition of respectability and the culture that was brought to the United States from the parents' home country was given more value than the new culture into which the immigrants were trying to assimilate. The pain of her parents increased when the family was sent to the internment camp at Manzanar. At that point, the Asian identity was strengthened and the idea that the white culture would never fully embrace the Asian immigrants was reinforced. Therefore, her mother forced Hatsue to break up with Ishmael via a letter from the camp and encouraged her to forge a more proper relationship with a fellow Japanese-American, which she did. Michael Bayly writes of the film:

The film doesn't single out any particular race as being capable of narrow-mindedness and prejudice. Yet without question, it is the prejudice of the white citizens of San Piedro Island (and by extension, the United States) that is the film's primary focus. For the parents, as well as for the racially prejudiced people of the island, there is a clear delineation between white and Asian and the two groups are not allowed to intermingle. This concept is shown not to just be within this small community, but a reflection of the larger cultural majority. Internment taught Hatsue's family and Kazuo's as well that they would never be equal to the white people and so they keep themselves isolated as much as possible to protect themselves from the imposition of prejudices of their neighbor.

Racial relationships in the film are not a one way street; to some degree, they are reciprocal. Like the snow traps people in the courthouse together, both groups are stuck in an intense situation and they both react to it. Japanese people are put against the White people; White people do not welcome or consider the Japanese people. This land is fantastic. The whole movie is like a trial of who gets to live in this island. Both sides are pushing against each other and making claims.

In the United States during the 1950s, time during which the narrative takes place, white people from Western Europe were the majority. The film's account of post-WWII American race relations reflects a larger national structure, connecting the film to the historical background. Those who were not part of this racial group were subject to harsh prejudices, many of them ingrained into the very social structure of the communities. This bigotry was obvious in many aspects of human interaction, including in the legal system, particularly if a member of the minority culture was involved in or even suspected of an action against or with a member of the majority culture. According to sociologist Richard Brislan, there can be a danger when a stereotype becomes so ingrained that the population does not understand it as being a generality and instead accepts it as truth. He argues that:

[Stereotypes] become dangerous when people move beyond stereotyping and make decisions based on their stereotypes…In many cultures, stereotypes of certain groups are so negative, are so pervasive, and have existed for so many generations that they can be considered part of the culture into which children are socialized. In these cases, the stereotypes become part of people's prejudiced feelings about other groups. (Dypedahl 14)

In large communities, such as metropolitan cities, it is more likely than in rural areas that the possibility to confront and overcome prejudices exists. The smaller the community, the less likely it is to overcome these biases and the stronger the negative impact of the prejudices of the majority population. The separation of individuals within a community is a popular component of literary regionalism (Campbell). The social stratification in a given area is an important part of the community and is often reflected in fictional works representing the same region. For example, during and following World War II, both anti-German and anti-Japanese attitudes were extremely high. It is Kazuo's Japanese ancestry that creates the bulk of the antagonism against him, which leads him to be put on trial for the murder of Carl, Jr.

The divisive and segregationist attitudes that are prevalent on the island are reflected in the weather. A heavy snowstorm has fallen and continues as the trial progresses. The weather does not turn dangerous until the accusations have been made, the murder has occurred, and the trial begins. The weather is peaceful or at least less tense when race relations in the town are not high. In the film, the snow is portrayed as extremely thick, covering the entire island in a layer of white. Haytock states:

Like the snow, the issues surrounding Kazuo's trial blur the 'clean contours' of the truth, and its 'gentle implacability' reflects the quiet but ever-present racism of the island community, a hatred that cannot be faced or avoided. (24)

The snow sets the stage for the trial by providing a natural or regional representation of what is going on because it suggests that the very island itself is the part of the racism. As the story progresses and the likelihood of Kazuo's receiving a verdict of guilty becomes more likely, the storm outside the courtroom windows becomes harsher and more dangerous. The snow is blinding just as the prejudice of the white people in the town blind them to human virtues such as a sense of justice, despite cultural differences. While the trial goes on, the winds rattle the window panes, power lines go down all over the island, and even cars are blown into ditches by the force of the wind. Author Michael Bayly describes the film's weather as symbolic. He says:

The film re-presents the human condition as a condition that is multi-layered. It is a condition that is awash with ambiguity, with things in process of revelation. The film's very look and flow emphasizes this understanding of the human condition. Plot details, for instance, are layered -- with events revealed in a gradual, accumulative manner, like the falling and drifting snow of the film's blizzard. (Bayly)

In a similar way, everyone on the island is impacted by the storm, which is related to the fact that everyone is impacted by the racial biases and the trial of Kazuo. The people involved in the proceedings cannot even leave the courthouse after the judge orders a recess for the day because the weather is so perilous. In the movie, when people are trapped in the courthouse because of the snow, it is like they are trapped in a system that judges people not upon legally acquired evidence, but by judging people racially. The land/region keeps people stuck in the courtroom and metaphorically stuck in the system. Trapped isolation of the courthouse is like the trapped isolation of the island. In the island, people are stuck to and with each other in this racist situation. Even though there are tensions that are racially motivated, they are stuck. It shows that the impossibility of escaping. Thus the storm and all the other adverse weather conditions that are described in the book represent the real world difficulties in which individuals on the island must face in their lives and of which they have little if any control. What is possible is their ability to come together to face the storm and come together as a town.

As a town, race and ethnicity serve as divisive classifications in Snow Falling on Cedars. On the island, Kazuo Miyamoto is defended by Nels Gudmundsson, while being prosecuted by Alvin Hooks. Interestingly, the name Gudmundsson illustrates a German or Scandinavian heritage, notably, not a typical American name; it is a name of a foreigner. In this sense, the foreigners are on one side, and the Americans are on the other. Hooks, on the other hand, is a clearly Anglophone name. Hooks plays on the stereotypes of the Japanese and the innate prejudices of the jury by telling them to examine Kazuo and see him as "hard man to trust" (Snow). Those who are ethnically associated with the American enemies of the Second World War are put against those who have a heritage associated with the allies of the Americans. Carl Heine's mother, Etta, is a major witness for the prosecution. She believes wholeheartedly that Kazuo is guilty despite the fact that there is little evidence against him. His guilt is in being a man of Japanese heritage and having dared to go beyond his socially limited position and try to become a landowner and therefore symbolically equal to the white population (Dypedahl 15). It is ironic though, as she is fervently prejudiced against those who are not "American," yet it is clear that her accent is not American and that she may be a first or second generation immigrant with a Germanic or Slavic heritage. Germans were the primary enemy of WWII and the Japanese were also enemies of the Americans. The irony is that one person with heritage of the enemy is welcomed as American and another who has the heritage of another, lesser enemy is put on trial, almost irrationally. Anything Kazuo has done, including being a war hero who served for the United States in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, cannot make up for the fact that he is part of the minority group. It is assumed that Japanese-Americans are only loyal to themselves, just as it is assumed that the white people will be loyal to themselves. This assumption is reinforced by the dialogue of the white characters, except Kazuo's lawyer and Ishmael's father, who seem to be the only whites who are not preoccupied with prejudice. It is not just about where person comes from, the greater importance, as the prejudiced whites in the film content, is who a person is. The German population of the United States was never served with the same denigration as the Japanese and so Etta is not treated with the same disdain as the Japanese-American man who stands trial. The dialogue of the film illustrates just how divided the two communities are.

The attitudes of racial prejudice occur in the supposed motive for the murder, a desire over land. Kazuo and his family wanted to purchase some land from Carl Heine Sr., his former employer and had been giving the elder man money for a decade. Unfortunately, after years of prompt payment, the Second World War intervened and changed the fate of all the people of the world, including the fictional characters of this story. The payments stopped during the war when Kazuo and family, not to mention Hatsue's family, were forcibly removed because of the Japanese internment program, a legal ordinance which was forced on Japanese-Americans out of fear that they might somehow be connected to the Japanese government who were at war with the United States. Following the recommendation of Lieutenant General John L. Dewitt, then Commander of the Western Defense Command, Japanese first and second generation Americans were rounded up and placed into camps. According to Gen. Dewitt:

The Japanese race is an enemy race…racial affinities are not severed by migration…[The] very fact that no sabotage has taken place to date…[was a] disturbing and confirming indication that such action will be taken (Dypedhal 6-7).

Just as the Japanese were imprisoned without evidence of the desire to sabotage, so too was Kazuo put on trial for being Japanese and having the audacity to desire land belonging to white people. The land should have been Kazuo's, but Heine Sr. passed away and his widow sold the land to another white man, Ole Jurgensen, ignoring the verbal agreement between her husband and Miyamoto and making ten-year's worth of sacrificial payments without merit. Upon his having a stroke, Ole decided to sell the land and there was contention between Carl, Jr. And Kazuo about which man had the right to purchase the land. Why the land is important. They could have had a disagreement about anything, like car. Japanese-Americans, like many displaced groups in the country, wanted a place in the region. This is part of the American dream that is sold to the world: America is the land where hard work pays off and a person can own their own property, to do with as they see fit. The Japanese of San Piedro wanted nothing more than a modicum of fairness in treatment toward their acquisition of the American dream, which in this case, was the purchase of land they had worked for years. The white people on the island resisted this dream and perceived the Japanese as less than human, or more specifically less than white, which is the normative standard in the minds of white people.