Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road (2008) 

After having to learn about art, should I say, in a somewhat proper and conceptual manner rather than my vague, poorly defined ambiguties before, I decided that I should experiment this knowledge and put it into practice. As I was recollecting my memories about the movies that I've watched, this singular movie strikes me to have some qualities that leaves me unsettled. 

It is not like, of all interesting movies that Ive watched, why should I choose this one over the other? I think it is rather because there is something in the movie, the content and some values that are not given directly to the audience, that need one to focus oneself, and think. This gives me the feeling that is still there, just like when I first time finished watching it. Unlike some other stories that fails neither to provoke you nor to stay for a little while longer in your head, even before you stepped out of the cinema.

Revolutionay Road (2008) is a film based on a novel written by Richard Yates, first published in 1961 and keeps under the same title and it is directed by Sam Mendes. It was starred by two enormous names that have been celebrated since their first collaboration, Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Pior to this writing, I've been reading on some critics and interpretations given by others, well, I agree to some and I shall here as well present my own thoughts.

This movie, I would say, is an anti-suburban malaise story, and it depicts the misery that inculcated in that style of living, but mind you that it is more than meets the eye. To someone who've watched it, he could tell how critical their mental state are and this is what makes this movie a more distinctive one, when all their pathopsychological and unchallenged subconscious are brought into professed words where they cannot hide from but to face the ugliness of it. 

It was not easy for me at first to grasp the hidden content and what it was trying to potray. Although every feelings and thoughts, well, most of them are confessed and thrown out to each other, yet it is deeper still, to know and understand the essence of each character in the story. So I made myself to read the original screenplay written by Justin Haythe in order to shed some insights towards the characters. Im judging the story solely on the movie and the screenplay as I haven't read the novel yet, but a movie is a movie and a novel is a novel. They are different piece of art that should be treated seperately. Also I will not be touching much about the cinematography and acting but focus more on the metaphysical account.

In Act 1,  we are already shown the bitterness in their relationship, when, after a disastrous play in a school audition, which April Wheeler was starring in it, they enganged in an intense rows at the shoulder of Route 12 outside their car. Well, everything started when April was pregnant for the first time. She was not ready to have a baby and took this event as a mistake, and later decided they should live in a suburban area in a somewhat decent house, have a family and settle down. This particular idea dreads April and it haunts her ever since. She didnt realize this until it was too late. 

Confused with what she wanted to be or should be, which is said eventually at the end of the screenplay,

"So maybe you're right. All I know is that I need to find out who I am."

together with an unsure and undecisive husband, Frank Wheeler, who is also a sweet-talker that always managed to convince in persuading April to believe otherwise, she resorts to surrender and performs self-induced abortion with a tube syringe and hot water on herself which eventually puts an end to her life.

I find it particularly challenging in discerning the essence of the characters as they are so complex and their inner conflicts are very complicated. This shows, however, how tremendous Leo and Kate in delivering their performances. I would say that April is much more superior in terms of valuing her life and trying to find a purpose for it, in contrast to his husband who is satisfied with that kind of life, the work he actually hates and content with idea of having family and kids and wanting no more of his life. Even after April's unrelenting attempts to wake him up from the delusion of a happy life, by suggesting them to move to Paris so that they could have time to find their purposes and set their life straight once again, away from the "hopeless emptiness", Frank personally thinks that every thing is quite all right with him. This is somewhat similar to the mentalities of most of our people at present. That comfy and secure feelings regardless they are happy or not with their life. Here, I admire April in having to think about what a man should be, instead of who they are, as she said in the movie,

" Look at us, we've bought into the same, ridiculous delusion, this idea that you have to resign from life, and settle down the moment you have children. And we've been punishing each other for it."

And later,

"Its what you are that has been stifled, its what you are that's been denied, in this kind of life."

"Whats that?"

"You're the most beautiful and wonderful thing in the world, you're a man."

But unfortunately, it was just April alone who think as such. And poor her, she was not strong enough to break this ridiculous conventionalities alone. 

While the story is at its peak, the appearance of John Givings, son of the Givings, starred by Christopher Fitzgerald is a fine touch from the writer. Although John was said to have mental problems and was sent to an insane asylum, his presence seems to justify the condition and the notions of the couple. John's role here, together with his "impersonal" character, speaks the yet still unspoken things that circulates between April and Frank. I have to say Christopher Fitzgerald did a great job in playing this extremely unique character. I love the dialogue of him with the Wheelers,

"Did you get cold feet? Decide you like it here in the hopeless emptiness after all?

Later,

"Big man you got here, April. But maybe you deserve each other. You must give him a hard time if making babies is the only way he feels like a man." 

"Yeah sorry, If anybody's got something to be sorry about, it's me. But I'll tell you one thing I'm not sorry about..."

"Im glad im not going to be that baby." 

Another point which is unique regarding this story is how deliberately well the writer suggests to us, of the conditions of every relationship presents in it. Take Shep and Milly, friends of the Wheeler. At various instances we could see on their faces how they are faking and hiding their true feelings for the sake of getting along with each other, pretending to be happy. We could see how Shep reacts every time in the presence of the Wheelers, how he looks at April as if he's the one who should be in Frank's position and later he confesses to April after they had sex in the car that he loves her and it is all that he ever wanted. 

The way the director ended up the story was marvelous. Tired of all-whining and twisting words of his old and corpulent wife, Mr Givings slowly turns the volume of his hearing device down letting her talk to herself dumbly. I guess after April's death, her dilemmas were felt by every person in the story and they knew theyre doomed by the fact that it's all to late for them to make a change.