Beloved touches many different emotional levels. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Toni Morrison, the story concerns Sethe, an escaped slave played brilliantly by Oprah Winfrey. But while the film concerns Sethe’s story, the telling of the tale is non-traditional and often unclear. In the opening scene we see her house shake, her children scream, and a dog fly across the room. Sethe watches the madness, then calmly puts back the pieces. Meanwhile, her two sons quickly gather their belongings and leave home. Sethe is now alone in the house with her daughter Denver, and the troubled spirit of her deceased child, Beloved.

It's not long until Danny Glover enters the scene. He's Paul D, a fellow slave of Sethe's from Sweet Home, Kentucky. Paul D. is vital to the story--he is our ticket to understanding the mayhem. With Paul D., Sethe traces back through her story, employing flashback, hallucinations, and painful narration. Paul D. is also the catalyst that brings Beloved from spirit to physical presence.

Beloved died when she was a toddler, so when she reappears she looks like a teenager but her mind and motor skills are exactly as they were the last time she used them--around age 2. Thandie Newton plays Beloved in an extraordinarily challenging role. But her character is only part of the difficulty of the movie, which deals with atrocities too huge to heal. And since the issues are so immense, the film does not attempt to offer glib solutions or explanations. So by the end of the movie, while there is some resolution, there is no release.

The result is emotionally devastating. I left the cinema completely overwhelmed. My grief for Sethe was real, but equally strong was the remorse I felt for the many atrocities humans can heap on each another. As I drove home weeping, I wanted to say "I'm sorry."