It's 1950 on San Pedro Island in the American Pacific Northwest. Commercial fisher Carl Heine Jr.'s dead body is pulled out of the water in a fishing net by his crew, he who died of head trauma. Kazuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. Carl and Kazuo were once friends, had known each other since childhood, but WWII has placed a strain on any sort of relationship between the ethic Japanese and Caucasian populations of the area, the Japanese population which was and is still substantial on the island. Carl had motive regarding a land dispute between the two families, land which Carl's mother eventually sold from under the Miyamotos and which Carl had just repurchased. Evidence also points to Kazuo being on the water with Carl probably sometime during his last voyage, evidence which Kazuo knew would put him in a bad light, adding on top of being Japanese, and thus decided not to disclose to the investigating sheriff at the time he was questioned. Kazuo and his wife Hatsue's fear come to realization in that there are racist overtones to the questioning by the prosecutor, Alvin Hooks, in playing to existing anti-Japanese sentiment. Among the many locals following the proceedings is Ishmael Chambers, the owner/editor of the local newspaper, he who took it over following the passing of his father, the previous owner Arthur Chambers. Arthur was one of the few Caucasians on the island who came to the defense of the local Japanese during their internment because of the war. Ishmael, a veteran who lost his left arm in battle, has more personal than professional interest in the case as he has been in love with Hatsue since they were in their youth. Hatsue broke off their clandestine romance to marry Kazuo, Ishmael not knowing out of pressure from her mother to marry within their own culture. It is his feelings for Hatsue that Ishmael has his own motives for wanting to find out the truth of what happened to Carl. 情到冰雪纷飞时，爱在天地苍茫间。落在香杉树的雪花。《雪落香杉》爱在冰雪纷飞时；唯有“爱”。“命运可以改变一切，但无法改变人的心灵”。雪落。回忆总是潮湿的。。很好的一部影片。爱在冰雪纷飞时。给你一个世间最温暖的拥抱——评《落在香杉树的雪》。不为别的。 1950年，美国某岛上的一位当地居民卡尔夜间出海捕鱼时身亡，警长认为此事疑点诸多，颇有排日倾向的法医将日裔居民宫本一雄牵入此案，法院随即对宫本展开审判，岛报记者伊斯梅尔（Ethan Hawke 饰）因个人关系对审理十分在意，原来宫本之妻金田初枝（工藤夕贵 饰）是伊斯梅尔青梅竹马的恋人，后来美日宣战，岛上的日裔居民开始遭受排斥，金田一家也受到了不公对待，被遣往集中营看押劳动，伊斯梅尔仗义执言反被同胞威胁，这段恋情不得不随之终结。伊斯梅尔查询事发当夜岛上的天气记录，得到了比尔是死于意外的重要证据，但这就意味着他与初枝的复合再无可能。随着审判的进行，越来越多的证据指向宫本，同时平息不久的战争让当地人对日裔怀着有色眼镜看待，伊斯梅尔反复考虑做出了最后的决定…… 本片获2000年芝加哥电影评论协会奖最佳摄影奖等多项褒奖。
