A Review on Revolutionary Road i.e. Life.
Have you guys seen Revolutionary Road?
No it's not a Titanic rehash (though I'm probably the only one who wouldn't have minded?). It's a movie I completely forgot about (shock horror, how could I!! ... with my beloved Leo DiCaprio!!), rated heavily in Oscars but probably weak in box office, with its heavy sonorous theme of 1950s suburban life, revolving around the dissolution of the "American Dream".
That of marriage, a wife to come home to, children, a husband with a steady job, and a great house in the suburbs.
It's probably not the best time for me to watch these kind of movies, with my existing relationship problems, as it was much too painfully realistic. There is one particularly striking moment in the movie when, in the midst of another one of the many arguments between the couple (which arise as she never became the "great actress" and he's working in a job he hates), it suddenly seems as if April (Kate Winslet - how wonderful was she in this!), with every word spoken, has lost her sanity, and that is wholly WHY they are having chronic marital issues. It really showcases beautifully (or frighteningly) how situations twist and turn til you reach a point, making you seem and believe in something that isn't true. Strangely enough I have to say this is gratifying to the viewer, that as a third person we can see the light through the trees - that she's not insane, just alone, with no one who understands. If only we could help this poor couple through their issues.
Often you need someone else to be subjective and tell you what's what, outside of all that emotional bullshit. And suddenly, I feel like couples therapists are one of the most important careers ever invented.
As the setting is 1950s, unfortunately there is no such thing (or they couldn't afford it) and they highlight and contrast their issues through Michael Shannon's character - a certifiable clinically insane neighbour who occasionally stops by for tea - who only comes off as "crazy" because his IQ is probably through the roof, and with that comes quirks like having an EQ of -100 and hence, brutal unrepenting honesty, no matter who or what you are. Don't forget people, that this is a decade of repression, and he was truly a pivotal breath of fresh air to the couple, until he says things that are SO true, they don't want to and are uncomfortable to hear it - a notion which is not uncommon even today.
The movie strides the fine line between achieving what you dream about in youth, and appreciating what you have now with age, and plays strongly on which of these options are both most logical and realistic. So....
Are you currently living in the possibility that you could achieve
what you wanted, and is that enough for you?
What happens if you can't accept where you are in life,
while your significant other is happy to sit back and live it?
Thankfully conversations between couples and close friends today are less restrained by the boundaries of society, but that doesn't mean the underlying themes of this movie does not apply to our lives, our relationships, and our future.
I think it simply means you're just more likely to divorce, than to commit suicide.
"If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy." - Richard Yates, Author
No it's not a Titanic rehash (though I'm probably the only one who wouldn't have minded?). It's a movie I completely forgot about (shock horror, how could I!! ... with my beloved Leo DiCaprio!!), rated heavily in Oscars but probably weak in box office, with its heavy sonorous theme of 1950s suburban life, revolving around the dissolution of the "American Dream".
That of marriage, a wife to come home to, children, a husband with a steady job, and a great house in the suburbs.
It's probably not the best time for me to watch these kind of movies, with my existing relationship problems, as it was much too painfully realistic. There is one particularly striking moment in the movie when, in the midst of another one of the many arguments between the couple (which arise as she never became the "great actress" and he's working in a job he hates), it suddenly seems as if April (Kate Winslet - how wonderful was she in this!), with every word spoken, has lost her sanity, and that is wholly WHY they are having chronic marital issues. It really showcases beautifully (or frighteningly) how situations twist and turn til you reach a point, making you seem and believe in something that isn't true. Strangely enough I have to say this is gratifying to the viewer, that as a third person we can see the light through the trees - that she's not insane, just alone, with no one who understands. If only we could help this poor couple through their issues.
Often you need someone else to be subjective and tell you what's what, outside of all that emotional bullshit. And suddenly, I feel like couples therapists are one of the most important careers ever invented.
As the setting is 1950s, unfortunately there is no such thing (or they couldn't afford it) and they highlight and contrast their issues through Michael Shannon's character - a certifiable clinically insane neighbour who occasionally stops by for tea - who only comes off as "crazy" because his IQ is probably through the roof, and with that comes quirks like having an EQ of -100 and hence, brutal unrepenting honesty, no matter who or what you are. Don't forget people, that this is a decade of repression, and he was truly a pivotal breath of fresh air to the couple, until he says things that are SO true, they don't want to and are uncomfortable to hear it - a notion which is not uncommon even today.
The movie strides the fine line between achieving what you dream about in youth, and appreciating what you have now with age, and plays strongly on which of these options are both most logical and realistic. So....
Are you currently living in the possibility that you could achieve
what you wanted, and is that enough for you?
What happens if you can't accept where you are in life,
while your significant other is happy to sit back and live it?
Thankfully conversations between couples and close friends today are less restrained by the boundaries of society, but that doesn't mean the underlying themes of this movie does not apply to our lives, our relationships, and our future.
I think it simply means you're just more likely to divorce, than to commit suicide.
"If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy." - Richard Yates, Author