Instead of an argument, however, what Moss has produced is a testimony on the effects of time. This testimony is written on the faces and the bodies of the characters; the film is about time written in flesh.
There´s also the very obvious fact that the younger versions of the characters are almost always naked, while the present-day cast characters are comfortably clothed (though we can easily imagine, if we want to, Jim cavorting naked in the woods on a nightly basis.) Be warned, in case it´s important to you, "The Same River Twice" has more full frontal nudity than you´re likely to see in some pornographic films, though the nudity is presented as something completely natural and normal rather than anything prurient.
As the film progresses, its assymetrical nature becomes more apparent. The characters from the past are simply fixed in one point in time (Moss calls them a "singularity") never changing, only staring blankly into a future they can imagine but not see. The present day characters move ever onward. Barry loses his reelection bid and finds out he has cancer. Cathy gets engaged. In just 78 minutes of running time, this idyllic past recedes even further downstream from our modern-day characters. Time even sweeps Jim along; he begins to build a house though whether he ever actually finishes it, we never find out.
This movie had no readily apparent narrative, and the story depended heavily on the ability to find strong cuts between present and past footage. Editing played a crucial role (even more so than in most documentaries) so I think a few words are in order about editor Karen Schmeer. Schmeer (who apparently attended Boston University the same time I did) has quietly become a major behind-the-scenes player in the documentary world. She has edited or co-edited several of the major documentaries of the 1990s including three Erroll Morris films ("Fast Cheap and Out of Control," "Mr. Death," and ´The Fog of War") and Ross McElwee´s "Bright Leaves." Moss gives Schmeer ample credit on the commentary track, and it´s understandable considering some of the near-perfect matches she managed to find between the different time frames.
As a physical document on aging, "The Same River Twice" is both eloquent and powerful. As much a time-travel film as a documentary, it was one of the best movies of 2003. Consider it highly recommended.
Video:
The DVD is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The movie mixes 16mm film and digital video, and the transfer preserves the quality of both sources admirably. If the older film footage looks grainy, that´s because it´s supposed to. The highly saturated reds and oranges of the film stock contribute greatly to the look and feel of the movie; the Grand Canyon sure looks beautiful.
Audio:
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. The sound design is fairly simple and, once again, comes from two different sources (the older film stock and the new digital footage.) The dialogue is all clearly mixed. There are no subtitles or closed captions to support the audio.
Extras:
In addition to the informational features (Crew Biographies, Trailers), there is a Q&A session with director Robb Moss (about 18 minutes long) which is interesting if fairly standard material. The main feature on the disc is Moss´ commentary track which is both lucid and absorbing. I would have liked to hear him talk more about the technical aspects of the shoot, but that´s only a minor complaint.
Closing Thoughts:
"The Same River Twice" is unrated for obvious reasons. This gentle, thoughtful rumination on time and aging would doubtless receive an NC-17 just because of the (admittedly numerous) shots of full frontal nudity. Meanwhile, nasty, mean-spirited shoot-´em-ups that rack up double or triple digit body counts pass muster with a PG-13. I understand that viewers wouldn´t want to bring their kids to see a movie with this much nudity in it, but films like this cry out for a rating system based more on content than on an overall grade. "This film has been rated G but with full frontal nudity." That works, doesn´t it?
As the film progresses, its assymetrical nature becomes more apparent. The characters from the past are simply fixed in one point in time (Moss calls them a "singularity") never changing, only staring blankly into a future they can imagine but not see. The present day characters move ever onward. Barry loses his reelection bid and finds out he has cancer. Cathy gets engaged. In just 78 minutes of running time, this idyllic past recedes even further downstream from our modern-day characters. Time even sweeps Jim along; he begins to build a house though whether he ever actually finishes it, we never find out.
This movie had no readily apparent narrative, and the story depended heavily on the ability to find strong cuts between present and past footage. Editing played a crucial role (even more so than in most documentaries) so I think a few words are in order about editor Karen Schmeer. Schmeer (who apparently attended Boston University the same time I did) has quietly become a major behind-the-scenes player in the documentary world. She has edited or co-edited several of the major documentaries of the 1990s including three Erroll Morris films ("Fast Cheap and Out of Control," "Mr. Death," and ´The Fog of War") and Ross McElwee´s "Bright Leaves." Moss gives Schmeer ample credit on the commentary track, and it´s understandable considering some of the near-perfect matches she managed to find between the different time frames.
As a physical document on aging, "The Same River Twice" is both eloquent and powerful. As much a time-travel film as a documentary, it was one of the best movies of 2003. Consider it highly recommended.
Video:
The DVD is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The movie mixes 16mm film and digital video, and the transfer preserves the quality of both sources admirably. If the older film footage looks grainy, that´s because it´s supposed to. The highly saturated reds and oranges of the film stock contribute greatly to the look and feel of the movie; the Grand Canyon sure looks beautiful.
Audio:
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. The sound design is fairly simple and, once again, comes from two different sources (the older film stock and the new digital footage.) The dialogue is all clearly mixed. There are no subtitles or closed captions to support the audio.
Extras:
In addition to the informational features (Crew Biographies, Trailers), there is a Q&A session with director Robb Moss (about 18 minutes long) which is interesting if fairly standard material. The main feature on the disc is Moss´ commentary track which is both lucid and absorbing. I would have liked to hear him talk more about the technical aspects of the shoot, but that´s only a minor complaint.
Closing Thoughts:
"The Same River Twice" is unrated for obvious reasons. This gentle, thoughtful rumination on time and aging would doubtless receive an NC-17 just because of the (admittedly numerous) shots of full frontal nudity. Meanwhile, nasty, mean-spirited shoot-´em-ups that rack up double or triple digit body counts pass muster with a PG-13. I understand that viewers wouldn´t want to bring their kids to see a movie with this much nudity in it, but films like this cry out for a rating system based more on content than on an overall grade. "This film has been rated G but with full frontal nudity." That works, doesn´t it?
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