Winter Films - 13

We’ve been having fun looking at a few rom-coms that were set in winter, but now it’s time to really ice up because we’re going to look at The Ice Storm [1997]. Brrrrr.

This film is a straight drama—I’m not sure I remember anyone even smiling in the course of the film. Not in a meaningful way, anyway.

The ice storm is a metaphor for the dramatic action in the film. Director Ang Lee talks about why that’s the case in his preface to the published screenplay:

When I think of The Ice Storm, I think first of water and rain, of how it falls everywhere, seeps into everything, forms underground rivers, and helps to shape a landscape. And also, when calm, of how it forms a reflective surface, like glass, in which the world reappears. Then, as the temperature drops, what was only water freezes. Its structure can push iron away, it is so strong. Its pattern overthrows everything.

Deep, right? And a terrific example of how a film can be shaped by nature and how nature can reveal story. The Ice Storm may not be full of laughs and super fun, but it’s truly great drama and worth a look if you haven’t seen it. And if you’re thinking about writing drama, you really MUST watch this film with great care—and look carefully at how it’s structured and how its storylines intersect.

In many ways, this film is like a car wreck—only it’s not cars that will be wrecked but people. The characters and the underlying backstory and secrets of each character are the center of this film—and those secrets will become their downfall in many ways. This film is drama at its best.

And one of the things it does best is combine terrific plot twists with character complexity—not easy to do.

Infidelity, love and sex, substance abuse—this film has it all. And it’s all set against the backdrop of this frigid November in Connecticut. And we’re talking frigid. An ice storm is coming that is said to be the worst in the century. And everyone’s business is played out against that backdrop.

And it’s the perfect backdrop for this story, because there’s not one warm character in the bunch of folks that make up this family, this community. You could see this film in the middle of summer and I guarantee you will have goosebumps—it’s that compelling, and that cold.

The film is also quite clear at violating one of the tenets of moviemaking—there’s not a truly likable character in the bunch. There’s lots of deviance, lots of angst, and about zero humanity.

So why is it so appealing? Why is it the darling of the critics?

I think it’s because it’s real—the people, though not people you’d probably invite over for dinner—are complex, though scary, and they’re interesting. And for me, that’s the lesson of this film for writers—you don’t have to create likable characters all the time! If they’re interesting, that’s enough… and that might even make your drama more real.

Next week we end our look at winter films with one of the coldest ones EVER.

Copyright © Diane Lake

17Feb19

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