Go see this movie, especially before you get married, or before you settle down to a real life! This movie not only shows the conformity of life in the '50s, but also depicts the hidden goals and dreams of two people in a marriage who really shouldn't be married together, let alone have kids.
Everything in this film is right on - the social pressures for a man (especially in the 50s) to succeed, take care of his family and to do something worthwhile in life. It shows how women were expected to stay home and take care of the kids - which was like a jail cell door closing on them. Ladies be thankful you don't live in the 50s. Dreams deferred to responsibilities. Although it is hard for me to relate to a horrible marriage, since my own is almost perfect, Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directs this rollercoaster of a marriage toward an unpredictable ending leaving you worn out!
The America of the 50s is depicted perfectly - the conformity and loss of individuality, the constant smoking cigarettes, I could almost smell them on my clothes at the end of the film, the heavy drinking, and the men with the fedora hats. You could always tell the 50s because JFK never approved of wearing a hat and they faded after his presidency. Kate Winslet is awesome in this film, she really matures in this - her character is soulful and longs for happiness, but she keeps on hitting the wall. Little Leonardo DiCaprio is good as her husband, despite his failings he is sympathetic in the end. Make sure you see this film in a good mood, because it will certainly take a lot out of you in the end!
Well said, Widdy. Though I have not seen the film, and I plan to remedy that soon, I have read the book. It taught me a great deal about life. RR teaches us that happiness is intrinsic. This is a difficult pill to swallow, as illustrated by the story's characters, because American culture leads us to believe that happiness is guaged by external stimuli, like fortune, fame, power, success, sex and consumption. Most other cultures, like the Hindus, Buddhists, and even many European Christians, believe otherwise. They see life as an exercise in simple pleasures -- art, food, companionship -- and reject the wild notions of American consumerism that was standardized in the 1950s. America teaches its habitants that happiness can and should be "pursued." This is a fallacy, and I believe, the major contributor to this country's stress-related death rates and depression. RR is a cautionary tale against the American dream. In RR, the characters yearn for something "more." On first glance, we see their tragedy as occuring because they fail to pursue their dreams -- a life in the arts or a life in Paris, for example -- but upon further examination, the truth is more complex. They are not happy, not because they have deferred their dreams, but because they fail to see the simpler joys in life. Dreams are wonderful, until they consume us and prevent us from creating a happy reality. RR is a bleak movie about maturation and the conventions of love and marriage, but the outcome can be easily avoided, not only by living out your dreams, but by realizing that dream fulfillment won't guarantee happiness. You must choose to find joy in what you have. PS: Kate Winselt is so hot!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of what your man once said, "Most people lead lives of quiet desperation"! And you really got it right when you stated, "dream fulfillment won't guarantee happiness". That is so true in life, many people are climbing ladders and find in the end that the ladder is on the wrong wall! Simplicity is the key
ReplyDeleteI am DYING to see this.
ReplyDeleteSeems like it'd be right up my alley.
widdy is my bff.
ReplyDeleteI've heard mixed things about it. Most of the people who've seen it tell me they loved it, while there's a group that has issues with it for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteIs it true that they use each others names too often in the film? I was told that the amount they call each other by their names in the movie is distracting and obnoxious.
Still think I'll see it sometime this week.
James: Yes the name issue is annoying, but so is the constant smoking too. These are secondary issues though.
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