The Movie

For those who have a love of traditional folk and bluegrass music, Songcatcher is your film. The film takes place in 1907, and musicologist and associate professor Dr. Lily Penleric has been passed over for yet another promotion at the college in which she teaches. Fed up with her limited career options and the apparent disrespect she suffers at the hands of her colleagues, Lily decides to visit her sister, a schoolteacher living in the Appalachian Mountains. Upon her arrival, she comes across a remarkable discovery: the local folk songs, heavily ingrained in the culture and heritage of the "mountain people", are direct linear descendents of traditional Irish and Scottish folk ballads. For a musicologist, this is akin to striking the proverbial goldmine. Energized by this discovery, Lily decides to travel throughout the local mountain village, interviewing the local populace and transcribing their songs to paper and recording some to wax cylinders. During her tenure as the "Songcatcher", Lily also witnesses various local dramas that unfurl throughout the duration of the movie. A coal company is attempted to lowball the population off their land so that they can strip-mine the mountain for its rich deposits. Meanwhile, Lily's sister Elna is involved in an illicit affair which might spell doom for the local schoolhouse. And a handsome local man named Tom Bledsoe -- a talented musician in his own right -- seems to feel that Lily is no better than any outsider who would exploit the mountain for their own personal gain.

Songcatcher is a good movie in search of a great movie, which seems like backhanded compliment (and most likely it is.) There is much to enjoy in this film. The acting is first rate, across the board. Janet McTeer grounds the film with her mannered yet passionate performance as Lily Penleric. As the wild but proud Tom Bledsoe, Aidan Quinn proves he is one of the finest actors of his generation. Emmy Rossum, as the young, wide-eyed, and adorable Deladis Slocumb, is an absolute find of the highest order, and Pat Carroll's performance as Viney Butler is absolutely Oscar-worthy. Maggie Greenwald, who directed the film from her own script, does a fine job delivering her story to the screen. And the music is absolutely wonderful from start to finish; if you enjoyed the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, you're going to love the music in Songcatcher.

Unfortunately, the story is mired down in melodrama. Greenwald herself admitted the film began as a way to explore traditional mountain folk music, with the story coming in afterwards. Some of the subplots seem contrived, and many feel anachronistic to the time period. Lily's story can be viewed as the ultimate feminist empowerment movie, which certainly is a noble intention but... in 1907? In the Appalachians?! Issues such as sexual identity, sexual liberation, gender role, religion, and fidelity come into play throughout various subplots in the film, but none of them are given any specific depth. Lily's story is the most interesting; as the "Songcatcher", her journey to discover the origins of these folk songs mirrors her own search for inner purpose, and Janet McTeer's strong performance bolsters this. She is completely believable when displaying her inner fire, determination, sense of wonder and discovery, and the depth of her spiritual transition.

I did enjoy the portrayal of life in the Appalachians in Songcatcher, and the film's overall earnestness and simplicity works heavily in its favor. While Songcatcher had the potential to have been great, it remains a really good movie and a fascinating look into the world of mountain life, music, and culture.

The DVD

Video:
The video is presented in a widescreen transfer that retains the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and has been anamorphically enhanced for your widescreen viewing bliss. The quality of the transfer is extremely clean, with fine image detail that presents a remarkably sharp picture. Colors are extremely well-rendered, looking vibrant and lush throughout the picture. The film predominantly takes place among the lush green foliage of the mountains, all of which look fantastic on this disc. There was some noticeable bleeding, especially during the film's opening credits, but the color levels seemed to remain stable throughout the rest of the movie. The film does look muted at times, with some low contrast levels, but this is due to the film's aesthetics rather than the being a fault of the transfer. Some edge-enhancement was visible at times, especially during the brighter outdoor scenes, but ghosting and other haloing are not evident. Overall, this is a fine transfer that really shows off Songcatcher's remarkable cinematography.

Audio:
The original soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, with an optional Dolby Digital 2.0 music-only track. The six-channel presentation is finely rendered, with a clear and strong reproduction of the dialog. The extensive music performed throughout the film sounds rich and robust. The soundstage is somewhat spacious but not overly expansive. LFE activity is fairly minimal, while surrounds are used effectively to slightly expand the audial experience beyond the front stage without seeming overly aggressive. The "panther in the forest" scene uses surrounds to great (and surprising!) effect; I jumped right off of my couch upon hearing those howls.

Extras:
Writer/director Maggie Greenwald and composer David Mansfield provide a feature length Audio Commentary. The pair provides a wealth of information throughout the track, going over pretty much every aspect of the production. They discuss the extensive history of the music, the region, the cast, the making of the film, and remain fairly lively and informative during the commentary. This is a fine addition to the film, and definitely aided in my appreciation of the subject matter.

Rounding out the supplements are three Extended Scenes that provide longer, alternate versions of existing scenes and a series of Interviews with stars Aidan Quinn and Janet McTeer, writer/director Maggie Greenwald, composer/hubby David Mansfield, and recording artist Dolly Parton.

Final Thoughts

Songcatcher is a fine film which has its flaws, but it remains a fascinating look into another time and place. Music and traditional folk songs represent an oral tradition that goes flows all the way back into antiquity, and in that vein Dr. Lily Penleric's story is a compelling tale. The DVD is a real treat for fans, with a strong audio/video presentation of the film and some fine supplemental material for the bonus-junkies among us. This DVD comes recommended, even more so if you are fan of this great music!