In Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road(2008), set in the America of early 1950s post WWII, the young and beautiful April(Kate Winslet) is swept off her feet by the young, charming and equally handsome Frank(Leonardo DiCaprio) at a party. So are formed the Wheelers. The respectable, enviable and ideal couple in the neighborhood.
Frank Wheeler and April Wheeler stay in the much envied Revolutionary Road in a nice big house, with manicured lush green lawn living the great American sub-urban dream which many aspire but only a few actually experience its bliss. But was there or is there any thing called the American dream? If there was one what was it? If there was one was it and can it be only in America? And do people really experience this? What do we call happiness and what do we need to be happy? The movie explores all this from the point of view of both Frank and April long after their early marital bliss and it is as relevant for our time may be even more than for those those times.
It starts off with a lousy local theater play in which April plays one of the parts. The play is an embarrassment to Frank, who overhears someone say in the audience - "thank God, that's over". It is that bad. April knows the play went bad. On their way home in the car, Frank starts over whether April's fantasy ambitions of becoming an actress after such a bad show which was not his fault is realistic considering they have 2 kids now. Both of them rip each other apart in the middle of the night with their brutal talk that cuts through them.
Its evident things have gone bad since marriage for these two. The romance, the passion has gone. Frank wakes up to a clerical job he detests from the look on his face. But resigned to fate and bereft of even an iota of emotion he attends to it like a dead man lost in the maddening crowd. He has to play husband, father and family man after all. His face speaks volumes about his current state. April, meanwhile does the house, helps the kids. Her anger is more visible and palpable. Day in and day out in the same bloody house having nothing to do all day. If Frank was in April's position, even he would have shown emotion. April thinks about their current state. While cleaning the house, she goes through old photos and sees a photo of Frank at Eiffel Tower. Something sparks in her.
Meanwhile Frank, left with making sick jokes on his job, beds his colleague in a seedy motel. He returns home only to find his wife and children have a surprise on his birthday. That's how lonely Frank has become. He can't even remember his birthday. Heart strung by his family gesture, Frank feels guilty. April then pops the question to him. She asks why not they go and live in Paris as this is what Frank always wanted. Frank laughs off the idea at first, tied down by job, career, kids future, society and peers. April convinces her that he does not have spend his life over a sick job in US. He could finally take time and find what is it that he actually wants to do. She says its their life and its their right to lead the way they want to without caring for outsiders.
Frank weighs up the options and finally agrees to move out. April is delighted. They actually start living dreaming of their move to Paris. They feel happy. They start planning and go about slowly informing their neighbors. As in one terrific scene when they both drop a bombshell on their friend Chep and his wife who can't quite understand. They both feel the magnitude of Frank and April's move only after they leave when they look at their own miserable life and console each other thinking they are still better than Wheelers. And so it continues. The Wheelers are visited by their friendly neighbor Helen, her husband and their son John, mentally ill eccentric maths genius living in asylum reeling under electric treatment. Frank tells them of his move. Helen is stunned. She looked upon them as role models for their locality. John is not and asks them why. Frank says there is nothing left in the hopeless emptiness in their lives here. John connects with them and is proud of them. Frank and April feel vindicated, overjoyed and make out passionately.
As the D-day nears, April hesitantly reveals to Frank that she is 2 weeks pregnant, but literally begs Frank to continue with their shifting plan. Franks remains quiet. He pulls up a bad joke in his office which as fate would want impresses his bosses and they offer him a pay hike and a new post. Frank starts to really think now and have second thoughts. April senses Frank's getting cold feet and confronts him. They have bitter very bitter argument. Frank finds out April's been trying to forcefully flush out their unborn child on her own for the sake of Paris. Mad over this, Frank questions April's motherhood and love for her children. April begs to him she will have the child if they can have it in Paris. She asks if he has the guts to get away from his job he hates so much and start afresh. At this point Frank says "it takes backbone not to run away from your responsibilities" to which April says those words. Frank does not relent and says they can't have the baby in Paris. April, devastated, tries hard to pick herself and move on, but cries over her life. Frank agrees to take the new post.
Slowly they reinform their neighbors about their cancellation. One day Helen arrives, with her husband and John as well. Frank informs them. John is confused and he can't take it as he had admired them for their principles. He starts a brutally honest argument with Frank, rips him apart and exposes his double standards and doesn't favor April either who he thinks is equally responsible for their miserable state. Frank almost smacks John only to be stopped by Helen. After they leave Frank and April continue to fight until she runs away to the nearby woods as he threatens her and returns very late in the night.
Next morning, Frank ready for his new job is surprised to see April neatly dressed preparing breakfast for him. He is all choked up to speak. April quietly serves him. Frank loves the food and leaves for work hesitantly. April washes all the dishes and then she breaks down crying. She tries to give herself an abortion. She is admitted and finally dies leaving Frank and their two children. Frank is even more sad as he knows she did this to hurt herself and him for not going to Paris. He now works at an even boring job, looks after his children and reflects over what he has lost.
Though the movie talks about marital problems, it moved me like no other. It showed why should we live like we please and what happens if we do not. I am exactly at that stage in my life where I have to make a choice which will decide how I am going to live. I do not want to make the wrong choice. I am faced with same question. Do I choose the easy option and live a settled life or do I take the hard pill and do what I really want? I would be exaggerating to say this movie exposed the flaws of taking the former decision but it definitely ticked off my mind. I wouldn't want to look after 20 years from now and say I should have done this. I will take the hard pill. It easier said then done but I am slowly trying. Its better to fail at what I want than succeed at what I don't want. I know everyone is faced with this moral dilemma of choices all the time in their lives. Our life is a reflection of all the choices we make over the course of it. I hope people get the courage, as they say, to always take the path less traveled.
Kate and Leo are so good in their parts that it feels like they are not acting. Leo is especially amazing as the slightly coward Frank. Kate takes the hysterical nature of April to new levels. Though in just two scenes, Michael Shannon stunningly plays the mentally ill John who is the mirror to their lives. He is the catalyst. The sets and camerawork reflect the Americana of the 50's. What sets this film apart from other marital dramas is the that the lead couple either have complete love or complete hatred for each other. The fights are unlike anything I have seen. They are so frank, brutal, edgy and tense that vindicates the maxim - words can break one's heart. Worse they try to speak the truth which is always bitter. The claustrophobic nature of their lives and fights in the house is really unsettling. May be that's what happens to people who are not happy with their lives. They get desperate and start losing their sense of calm. May be it is a reminder to take stock of our lives.
To quote Robin Williams doing a John Keating quoting Robert Frost -
"Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Till next time - movies, movies and movies...
Frank Wheeler and April Wheeler stay in the much envied Revolutionary Road in a nice big house, with manicured lush green lawn living the great American sub-urban dream which many aspire but only a few actually experience its bliss. But was there or is there any thing called the American dream? If there was one what was it? If there was one was it and can it be only in America? And do people really experience this? What do we call happiness and what do we need to be happy? The movie explores all this from the point of view of both Frank and April long after their early marital bliss and it is as relevant for our time may be even more than for those those times.
It starts off with a lousy local theater play in which April plays one of the parts. The play is an embarrassment to Frank, who overhears someone say in the audience - "thank God, that's over". It is that bad. April knows the play went bad. On their way home in the car, Frank starts over whether April's fantasy ambitions of becoming an actress after such a bad show which was not his fault is realistic considering they have 2 kids now. Both of them rip each other apart in the middle of the night with their brutal talk that cuts through them.
Its evident things have gone bad since marriage for these two. The romance, the passion has gone. Frank wakes up to a clerical job he detests from the look on his face. But resigned to fate and bereft of even an iota of emotion he attends to it like a dead man lost in the maddening crowd. He has to play husband, father and family man after all. His face speaks volumes about his current state. April, meanwhile does the house, helps the kids. Her anger is more visible and palpable. Day in and day out in the same bloody house having nothing to do all day. If Frank was in April's position, even he would have shown emotion. April thinks about their current state. While cleaning the house, she goes through old photos and sees a photo of Frank at Eiffel Tower. Something sparks in her.
Meanwhile Frank, left with making sick jokes on his job, beds his colleague in a seedy motel. He returns home only to find his wife and children have a surprise on his birthday. That's how lonely Frank has become. He can't even remember his birthday. Heart strung by his family gesture, Frank feels guilty. April then pops the question to him. She asks why not they go and live in Paris as this is what Frank always wanted. Frank laughs off the idea at first, tied down by job, career, kids future, society and peers. April convinces her that he does not have spend his life over a sick job in US. He could finally take time and find what is it that he actually wants to do. She says its their life and its their right to lead the way they want to without caring for outsiders.
Frank weighs up the options and finally agrees to move out. April is delighted. They actually start living dreaming of their move to Paris. They feel happy. They start planning and go about slowly informing their neighbors. As in one terrific scene when they both drop a bombshell on their friend Chep and his wife who can't quite understand. They both feel the magnitude of Frank and April's move only after they leave when they look at their own miserable life and console each other thinking they are still better than Wheelers. And so it continues. The Wheelers are visited by their friendly neighbor Helen, her husband and their son John, mentally ill eccentric maths genius living in asylum reeling under electric treatment. Frank tells them of his move. Helen is stunned. She looked upon them as role models for their locality. John is not and asks them why. Frank says there is nothing left in the hopeless emptiness in their lives here. John connects with them and is proud of them. Frank and April feel vindicated, overjoyed and make out passionately.
As the D-day nears, April hesitantly reveals to Frank that she is 2 weeks pregnant, but literally begs Frank to continue with their shifting plan. Franks remains quiet. He pulls up a bad joke in his office which as fate would want impresses his bosses and they offer him a pay hike and a new post. Frank starts to really think now and have second thoughts. April senses Frank's getting cold feet and confronts him. They have bitter very bitter argument. Frank finds out April's been trying to forcefully flush out their unborn child on her own for the sake of Paris. Mad over this, Frank questions April's motherhood and love for her children. April begs to him she will have the child if they can have it in Paris. She asks if he has the guts to get away from his job he hates so much and start afresh. At this point Frank says "it takes backbone not to run away from your responsibilities" to which April says those words. Frank does not relent and says they can't have the baby in Paris. April, devastated, tries hard to pick herself and move on, but cries over her life. Frank agrees to take the new post.
Slowly they reinform their neighbors about their cancellation. One day Helen arrives, with her husband and John as well. Frank informs them. John is confused and he can't take it as he had admired them for their principles. He starts a brutally honest argument with Frank, rips him apart and exposes his double standards and doesn't favor April either who he thinks is equally responsible for their miserable state. Frank almost smacks John only to be stopped by Helen. After they leave Frank and April continue to fight until she runs away to the nearby woods as he threatens her and returns very late in the night.
Next morning, Frank ready for his new job is surprised to see April neatly dressed preparing breakfast for him. He is all choked up to speak. April quietly serves him. Frank loves the food and leaves for work hesitantly. April washes all the dishes and then she breaks down crying. She tries to give herself an abortion. She is admitted and finally dies leaving Frank and their two children. Frank is even more sad as he knows she did this to hurt herself and him for not going to Paris. He now works at an even boring job, looks after his children and reflects over what he has lost.
Though the movie talks about marital problems, it moved me like no other. It showed why should we live like we please and what happens if we do not. I am exactly at that stage in my life where I have to make a choice which will decide how I am going to live. I do not want to make the wrong choice. I am faced with same question. Do I choose the easy option and live a settled life or do I take the hard pill and do what I really want? I would be exaggerating to say this movie exposed the flaws of taking the former decision but it definitely ticked off my mind. I wouldn't want to look after 20 years from now and say I should have done this. I will take the hard pill. It easier said then done but I am slowly trying. Its better to fail at what I want than succeed at what I don't want. I know everyone is faced with this moral dilemma of choices all the time in their lives. Our life is a reflection of all the choices we make over the course of it. I hope people get the courage, as they say, to always take the path less traveled.
Kate and Leo are so good in their parts that it feels like they are not acting. Leo is especially amazing as the slightly coward Frank. Kate takes the hysterical nature of April to new levels. Though in just two scenes, Michael Shannon stunningly plays the mentally ill John who is the mirror to their lives. He is the catalyst. The sets and camerawork reflect the Americana of the 50's. What sets this film apart from other marital dramas is the that the lead couple either have complete love or complete hatred for each other. The fights are unlike anything I have seen. They are so frank, brutal, edgy and tense that vindicates the maxim - words can break one's heart. Worse they try to speak the truth which is always bitter. The claustrophobic nature of their lives and fights in the house is really unsettling. May be that's what happens to people who are not happy with their lives. They get desperate and start losing their sense of calm. May be it is a reminder to take stock of our lives.
To quote Robin Williams doing a John Keating quoting Robert Frost -
"Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Till next time - movies, movies and movies...
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