Beloved
In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. But after her old friend moving in, a strange girl comes along by the name of 'Beloved'. Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen...
6 August 1974, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
28 September 1950, USA
25 March 1964, Los Angeles, California, USA
4 September 1978, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
2 September 1940, Amarillo, Texas, USA
29 August 1929, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
1947, Burlington, Vermont, USA
10 November 1937, Brighton, Alabama, USA
25 February 1968, Bamako, Mali
10 December 1923, Schenectady, New York, USA
October 11, 2002
Demme masterfully exhibits both the harsh realities of the time with the unexplainable mystical world that settles in and around them like a fog, even if he has trouble making the two elements mesh.August 21, 2002
Its spiritual messages, which are deep and true, redeem any structural flaws of this ambitious film.June 21, 2002
a demanding, unsettling picture full of savage violence and deep-seated misery. Even when Sethe finds comfort in the arms of old friend Paul D ...the sight of their broken, scarred bodies coming together is heartbreaking rather than erotic.February 03, 2004
Filled with some of the most extraordinary images of recent years, Beloved was apparently too powerful for audiences to handle back in 1998.May 11, 2001
A knot of fierce emotions that is left for the viewer to untangle. Make the effort.February 27, 2004
Okay, great performances, nice to look at -- but what this movie is missing is something to hold it together in the middle.February 14, 2001
Once this film gets its bearings, the unsentimental fierceness of its vision brushes obstacles and quibbles from its path.June 18, 2002
Something rare: a brave film about the emotional toll of slavery, the anguish of memory and the cruel divisions that still sear African American lives.October 15, 2002
It is sure to be studied, debated and cherished decades from now when Americans look to film for insights on who we are and where we have been.April 12, 2002
Demme's potent adaptation of Morrison's novel may be substantial, but it is also engrossing.January 01, 2000
An overlong misfire that has only flashes of staggering power.November 06, 2002
A movie that requires the viewer to meet it halfway. Those willing to make the effort will be rewarded with an exquisitely photographed and intricately layered drama.