Review of Savannah (2013) by Cigs J — 03 Nov 2016

Its the true story of Ward Allen (Jim Caviezel) who back in early 20th century apparently turned his back on landed wealth in the form of refusing to inherit a Deep South plantation and also of making any practical use of his expensive Oxford education.

Instead he chose to matey up with a freed slave(Chiwetel Ejiofor) and spent his life on the river illegally shooting ducks for a living. The film is based on his biography, he was obviously a larger-than-life character that was deeply remembered in the area and with his education he wrote erudite articles in the local papers extolling the virtues of a free life with nature rather than a boring one as a lawyer.

The actors perform their roles with good heart but it jumps too suddenly from one part of his life to another. One minute he is deep in the reeds of the Mississippi and the next he is married to a beautiful feisty wife (Jaimie Alexander) who fails to tame his wandering ways.

One minute he is best mates with his friend and within a minute or two of a scene they break apart. We encounter pathos with a still-born child and the disintegration of his wife over a few scenes. The trouble is it just lacks any depth, and aside from the lovely views of the river in the gloaming, it is not particularly memorable.