By Matthew Holota
Staff Writer

"Beloved," the new film based on Toni Morrison's novel of the same name, plays as more haunting and creepy than any teen slasher film this Halloween season and stands out as the year's most subtly affecting and original film so far.

The film stars Oprah Winfrey, who also produced "Beloved," as Sethe, a runaway slave trying to raise a family in the post-Civil War period. Such a situation would easily lend itself to bland melodrama, but director Jonathon Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") gives the film an unconventional and daring tone.

"Beloved" balances many different characteristics with ease. It's part ghost story, part period drama and part surreal art film. It also dares to take its time - a whopping 175 minutes - to fully develop the characters and allow them to change.

The characters easily dominate as the film's best quality. Sethe must endure the haunting of her house by a disturbed spirit from her past. The spirit and its reason for haunting Sethe provide the mysterious element to "Beloved."

The ghost, and its effect on Sethe, takes its toll on Sethe's other daughter, Denver, played by rising star Kimberly Elise in a movie-stealing role. Danny Glover, who plays Sethe's love interest, Paul D., delivers possibly the best performance of his long career.

The film takes a bizarre but interesting turn as a mysterious young woman, also named Beloved, suddenly appears at Sethe's house.

Beloved's arrival forces the family members to make uncomfortable choices where they must either grow as people or snap under the pressure of their lives. The film slowly reveals parts of the family mystery and its impact on its characters.

Despite Winfrey's high-profile appearance, the performance of Elise anchors the movie with a character so developed and realistic she becomes the centerpiece of the film.

The first hour of the film reveals little about the plot. Persistence by the viewer, however, proves rewarding as the film delivers a powerful climax that must be seen on the big screen with stereo sound to be properly enjoyed.

Demme may now place his name among the greats of film directing with his masterful work on "Beloved." Each shot's framing reveals all it needs to reveal, and the lighting uses shadow and a glowing effect to present images of ambiguity and oppression.

The oppression in "Beloved" refers mostly to the emotions of the characters in their home, with old memories constantly haunting them.

The film may easily be dismissed upon first glance by many filmgoers as a cheap melodrama about the horrors of slavery. It does face up to the violent reality of slavery, but mostly focuses on how slavery permeates every aspect of the lives of those who lived it.

"Beloved" takes chances by incorporating many different elements of drama and every bit of it pays off.

The running time and subject matter may prevent some moviegoers from giving it a chance. However, anyone who sat through the three hours of "Saving Private Ryan," with the most horrific violence ever portrayed in a movie, will be more than able to enjoy the powerful images and acting of "Beloved."

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