Revolutionary Road: Relationship on Film
July 6, 2009 by Kelli DesRochers
Filed under Relationships
I finally watched the award-winning movie Revolutionary Road. The film stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as a young married couple living in a suburb of New York in the 1950’s. The two extremely talented actors portray a tense husband and wife who address the challenges that come when they find that their life decisions have traveled in a direction that they never really intended them to.
Image: Zuma Press
I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this movie, but I have to say that I was extremely impressed. The movie uses the art of conversation to expose insecurities and confusion that arise in a marriage. I felt that the film was almost Shakespearean in the way that the archetypal characters delivered heart-wrenching monologues expressing frustration and confused emotions. The characters and their interactions were truly brilliant. A mentally ill neighbor pops in at key moments and delivers lines of brutal honesty to the couple about the lack of truthfulness and happiness in their relationship.
Although the movie is depressing in its portrayal of married life, it does expose the real challenges that men and women face when they find themselves trapped in a life of mortages, child-rearing, monotonous work days, and household chores.
If you are in a serious relationship, I strongly recommend watching this movie with your significant other or spouse and having a conversation about it. Your reactions to the characters may bring ideas to the surface that would be worthwhile to discuss. The movie brings up issues about the difference between male and female roles in a family and the contrast between emotional detachment and complete expression of extreme emotions.
Just as the characters in Revolutionary Road struggle with communication in their relationship, I encourage movie-watchers to explore the best ways to communicate with their partner in order to understand and help one another when they are going through a difficult or transitional period. Successful communication is the key to a healthy and balanced relationship.
Revolutionary Road is now available on DVD.
