Review of Golden Door (2006) by Paul C — 05 Jul 2007

This is a film of 2 halves. Unfortunately it's the second half that's superb. What really grated me was the lack of any music until one hour into the film, which was really noticable (especially during the silent opening credits on a black background, which lasted what felt like a tedious 5 minutes long and nearly set the tone for the rest of the film).

The second half is beautifully shot and a great piece of story telling. You really feel the claustrophobia and experience the journey with them.

You also never see New York (like the travellers), but you don't need to, as you believe they're stuck in the hell hole that is Ellis Island.

The lack of music may have been deliberate, but it only goes to show how important music is in films to create mood and narrative.