No. 43 - A Walk in the Clouds (1995) Zucker Brothers Productions, 20th Century-Fox A MAN in search. A WOMAN in need. A story of FATE.

A Walk in the Clouds (1981), DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

Director: Alfonso Arau; Screenplay: Robert Mark Kamen, Mark Miller, Harvey Weitzman; Rated: PG

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Giancarlo Giannini, Anthony Quinn, Angélica Aragón, Freddy Rodriguez, Debra Messing

Movie Introduction: When soldier Paul Sutton (Reeves) returns home after World War II, he learns that he barely knows his young wife, Betty (Messing). With the couple's relationship strained and Paul haunted by memories of the war, he decides it best to travel to the local countryside selling chocolates. On the bus, he meets a beautiful traveler, Victoria Aragon (Sánchez-Gijón). Circumstances dictate that Paul temporarily pose as Victoria's new husband so she will not disappoint her close-knit Mexican-American family, especially her gruff, tyrannical father, Alberto (Giannini). The situation becomes more complicated as Paul and Victoria develop feelings for each other. 

Defining Moment: crush those grapes

Though clearly attracted to one another, Paul and Victoria must keep their feelings in check. She's pregnant out of wedlock, and he's married. After the day's grape harvest, the evening holds the rich tradition of crushing the grapes. All harvested grapes are thrown into a large shallow vat, probably 20-feet across. As tradition holds, only married woman are permitted to remove their shoes and stomp the grapes with their bare feet. Victoria, whose ruse is that she is now married, is ceremoniously carried into the vat. The entire ceremony is about love and respect for the harvest and the family. Since they are newly-wedded, Paul is also lifted, his shoes removed, and he too stomps the grapes. It is a truly beautiful scene. (Watch is HERE on YouTube)    

Something subtle you might have missed:  Don Pedro

I am not so sure how "subtle" this is, but Anthony Quinn's supporting performance as the family patriarch is simply magic on screen. The veteran actor conveys strength, love, wisdom, passion, tradition, oh, and a whole lot of patience, especially toward his fiery, impatient son, Alberto. Quinn steals every scene. This reminds me what an under-recognized star Anthony Quinn was in Hollywood for decades. He was a treasure.

Memorable Quotes:

"Just because I talk with an accent doesn't mean I think with an accent.” – Alberto Aragon

"I know that she is good... and strong, and deserves all the love this world has to give. Can't you see that, how wonderful, how special she is?" - Paul Sutton

"Talking between men and women never solves anything. Where we think, they feel. They are creatures of the heart." - Don Pedro Aragon

Dad's Review:

My sister, Reba, bless her soul, loved this movie. It is the perfect love story for a lady who loved all things Latino. That was Reba. Mom said as a young girl, she'd stand at the fence, watching the Mexican men work the sheep at our pens on the old home place. After becoming a nurse, she moved to El Paso, and would often visit Juarez, Mexico, right across the Rio Grande River. There she met her husband, an attractive, suave Mexican man. I spent much of my younger life around Reba and her family. We both loved movies. She was a sweet, wonderful lady.   

I am not one for overly sappy movies. It is all I can take when the holidays roll around, and my wife dives head-first into the Hallmark channel’s Christmas movie marathon. However, every once in a while, I'll suffer through one, and it will just click with me. Perhaps it is this film's connect to my sister. Perhaps it's just a good film. I'm not sure, but A Walk in the Clouds is one that I can watch over and over again. It's pure magic.

The film stars a young Keanu Reeves. I love the way he plays the role. My son, Zach, agrees (sort of), "Dad, he’s so bad, he’s good!" I can see that, too. Reeves was on fire with mega-blockbusters such as Point Break (1991) and Speed (1994), so I thought this little art-house film was a bold choice for him.  Say what you want about his acting ability, however there is always an honesty that comes through with him. You see it in all of his films.

I also applaud the choice of Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Victoria. She was all but an unknown actress, however, her screen presence is captivating. Rounding out a great cast is Giancarlo Giannini as Victoria’s fiery father, and Anthony Quinn, as the Spanish family’s warm, romantic patriarch.

The final star of the show is the amazing cinematography. The filmmakers have created the idyllic landscape of California wine country in the 1940's. The shots in and around the vineyard are breathtaking.

There are two scenes worth noting. The first is the battle against the early morning frost. Frost could wipe out entire grape crops, and their efforts to save the grapes is a pleasure to behold (today they used high-powered fans and even helicopters). In our film, the Aragon family would light crude fuel heaters, then employ giant hand-made fans, resembling butterfly wings, to keep the warm air circulating around the vines. The whole process is elegant, and beautifully choreographed.

The second scene is the grape harvest. This frantic day is the culmination of all the year's work. Cluster by cluster, the grapes are cut. At then end of the day, the grapes are dumped into a giant ring. There is a wonderful ceremony where the young married women take off their shoes and crush the grapes. It is a wonderful, happy time.

There are two central themes in the film. The first is forbidden love. Victoria is pregnant to one of her professors. Paul is married. She is so afraid to admit the truth to her often irrational father. This is the reason she accepts Paul's help. It's better to lie to her parents, saying that Paul is the father, and the two have eloped. Their plan is that Paul will slip out during one night, leaving her, this saving her from blame and her father's wrath. Yet, in the face of all this, these two essentially good people cannot resist the powerful love that develops as they get to know each other. The attraction is almost immediate. How will their dilemma be resolved?

The second theme relates to a father so concerned with doing things for those he loves that he forgets to show actual love to them. He treats his family like he treats his workers, he drives them hard with cruelty and hostility. His children are afraid of him. His wife misses the dashing, handsome, happy man she married; the man who used to smile. His anger is burning him up. Can this man be redeemed?

I suggest you sit back, open a bottle of sweet red California vino and enjoy this wonderful story of wine, romance, and redemption.

Onto No. 44... The Doohickey