Harrison's FLowers 
Jamie H. de la Fuente
Through the history of film, war and destruction has been seen in almost every part of
this world. In Harrison’s Flowers, Croatia (the former Yugoslavia), and its civil war
is dramatized with frightening reality. Throughout the movie the violence is depicted with
several graphic examples of ethnic cleansing could only be compared to the atrocities the
Nazi’s committed in WWII.
The story line is somewhat similar to that of Saving Private Ryan. The main character,
Sarah Lloyd (Andie MacDowell) goes to Croatia in search of her husband, Harrison (David
Strathairn), who has been reported dead. Upon arriving to this war torn country, the true
reality of how extensively the war has escaladed begins to unfold and become apparent to
Sarah. Technically, the movie does an excellent job showing the details of warfare, but
the story line demonstrates several shortcuts by the producer (Elie Chouraqui) and
writers. The main character, Sarah Lloyd, is portrayed with a very limited emotional
capacity. One example is when Sarah receives the report of Harrison’s presumed death;
the natural emotional impact was not conveyed to the audience. Instead of showing grief,
she turns into a modern day woman of war, assuming nothing could possibly happen to her in
a war zone.
Upon arriving in Croatia, the story gets even more far fetched. Without any true
understanding of the country, Sarah, a woman from New Jersey ventures out to find her
husband. Along the way she picks up a hitchhiker. Before too long a Russian made tank
attacks them. They survive with barely a scratch on her. As the story continues, the power
of coincidence switches into overdrive. Sarah continues to explore the country, meeting up
with all her friends as though she was Alice in wonderland 1500 miles away from home. In
one scene, Sarah’s ‘warfare training’ is displayed in her ability to avoid
a Croatian sniper just like a scene right out of Saving Private Ryan.
Kyle (Adrien Brody), a freelance photojournalists and friend to Harrison, meets up with
Sarah and helps strengthens the story throughout the remainder of the film. Andie
MacDowell failed to expand the capabilities of her character and did not give the human
emotional range expected throughout enduring a war or the loss of a husband.
One interesting observation was the ability to traverse war zones with just a camera
and never be questioned or even killed. I would like to think that if the director wanted
to show the risks and importance involved in being a photojournalist, he would of also
considered all the facts and not just those that seem convenient for a movie.
Harrison’s Flowers portrays war quite well but lacks the substance required to
maintain a story without cutting corners or is the reality that I can run though hot zones
with just a camera, a press pass and a car with press credential without ever being hurt.
Sarah represented the capabilities of a person determined to find the truth, but fails to
express the full reality that photojournalist provide a very important aspect to the news
as a chronicle of actual events, instead the seem to be army special forces commandos with
cameras. In the light of recent events, the film fails to show the full impact and dangers
reporters actually experience. While the movie works in a visual sense it left me needing
more in the way of emotional commitment.
