The plot: A veteran, fresh from the trauma of World War II, befriends a pregnant young woman on her way home from college. She has been abandoned by the man she thought loved her. And she now fears a harsh response from her father, the strong-willed master of their family vineyard ... and their family. The veteran agrees to temporarily pose as her husband; hopefully, this will blunt her father’s reaction.
The other critics, for the most part, were not all that kind. Even the positive reviews were mostly of the “faint praise” variety. Admittedly, the story is fairly simple, filled with sentiment and idealism. And those are the elements most criticized.
Ebert took a different tact, resetting the viewers’ expectations. He called the film “a glorious romantic fantasy, aflame with passion and bittersweet longing. One needs perhaps to have a little of these qualities in one's soul to respond fully to the film, which to a jaundiced eye might look like overworked melodrama, but that to me sang with innocence and trust.”
I agree with Ebert. You should set aside any cynicism and see this film. You will be enriched.
But don’t let any of this drama distract you: it’s really all about the vineyard. The family’s entire existence revolves around it. Each day is filled with what it takes to keep the vines healthy and producing the varietals needed for a great wine. The challenges are constant; and before the film is over, an existential crisis threatens the vineyard.
At the heart of it all is the original vine, the root. Without it, the vineyard would be lost.
Like the vineyard in this week’s scripture selections from Isaiah and Psalm 80, it cannot survive on its own. The vineyard God has planted represents His people. Sadly, all it will produce is wild grapes, useless for making wine. The people keep failing. And begging to be forgiven. It’s cyclic. Eventually, God says He has had enough, is giving up on His vineyard. Then, the animals, the other plants, and even the weather work to destroy it.
Is there any rescue? Yes, but centuries would pass before someone would appear to end that heartbreaking cycle. That cycle-breaker was Jesus, the promised Messiah. He is the root, the original vine. Without Him, the vineyard will be lost, cut off from God.
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.” (John 15:5-8 The Message)
Sentimental? Idealistic? Too simple for a cynic to believe? Perhaps. But it absolutely sings with innocence and trust. And nothing could be more true.
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Check out A Walk in the Clouds here: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0114887/?ref_=m_nv_sr_1
Check out Roger Ebert’s review here: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-walk-in-the-clouds-1995
PHOTO: Steve Orr (Grapes at Granville Island Market)
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 15 (20) (August 18, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=275
Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 82
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Luke 12:49-56
Friday mornings are a treat. DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets at 8:00 and includes an hour of scripture, discussion, food, prayer, and laughter. Join us at “Our Breakfast Place” (formerly the “Egg and I” restaurant), corner of New Road and Franklin, near Outback. We are usually in the function room (down the outside of the building, near the back).
Blessings,
Steve
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