Revolutionary Road
January 8, 2009 (preview screening)
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Release Date: January 23, 2009
I wouldn’t call myself a Sam Mendes loyalist, but I’ve always enjoyed his movies–especially Road to Perdition (okay, so Road to Perdition is one of my favorite films). I found American Beauty thought-provoking and well acted, but I didn’t think it was the masterpiece that so many other people did. So, I wasn’t sure what would come out of Revolutionary Road.
First, I can honestly say that it’s one of the most depressing movies I’ve ever seen. Perhaps not on the level of Requiem for a Dream, but it’s up there. That being said, it’s also one of the most accurate in terms of tapping into the American psyche of what it means to be “happy” and “successful”. As the film progressed, I couldn’t help noticing that Frank Wheeler is strikingly similar to Biff Loman–in fact, if there was a Death of a Salesman: Part 2, I’d imagine that Miller would have it play out in this same fashion, with Biff (in this case, Frank) constantly reflecting on his father and whether or not he has become and identical man (something that both Biff and Frank, undoubtedly, dread more than anything else). And, at the end of all of it, would there be a somewhat numb, almost “I can’t fight it any longer” acceptance of this fate?
These are the questions that are tackled in Revolutionary Road, and it’s a film that’s handled with a skilled directorial eye and striking symbolism. 1950s America is presented as a somewhat washed out, almost pristine existence where people are like robots. There are several shots of Frank in New York that drive home this imagery, as crowds of men in dark suits shuffle past. There’s one scene in particular, where Frank and April have made a decision, that has Frank standing in a train station with an almost literal “stream” of passengers parting around him as if he’s a rock–he’s gone against the grain, and the rest of society is mindless, flowing water breaking upon his taboo violation of the rules. And he’s all smiles.
This, however, is really the only glimpse of any sort of hope in the film. There’s an especially poignant character named John Givings, who has been subjected to electro-shock treatments. He serves as one of the only clear voices of truth in the film (in fact, he’s even billed as being “insane,” which gives us all the more insight into the rules that anchored a society that has long since disappeared). Pursuing what makes you happy is ludicrous, but that’s the point Revolutionary Road is trying to refute. It’s a feature length visual argument that leaves you questioning your own motives for the life you’ve chosen, and that, in my opinion, makes it one of the best movies you’ll likely see in 2008/2009.
out of 5
–Chris Flowers
Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.
