Movie Review of Revolutionary Road

王颖 Gloria

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A08英语（2）班

Movie Review of Revolutionary Road

“Our whole existence here is based on this great promise that we are special, superior to the whole thing. But we are not. We are just like everyone else. ” when this sentence appeared from April’s mouth, I think I lost myself in this movie. This scene stayed in my mind all the time. Last evening, Frank and April had a fierce argument, so when Frank comes home, he is surprised for his wife’s enthusiasm to him. Frank sits down the bed and April is in front of her. April speaks out her plan and hope to Frank. At this time, there are full expectation and exciting on her face. Then she says the sentences above. She wants to make her dream come true. She wants to go to Paris with Frank and her children. Frank is surprised and confused. He feels that is ridiculous but is persuaded by April at last. So his express has a great change in this period. I think in this process or say, in this few minutes, they show the thirst of changing their lives and pursuing their dreams.

Since 1997, Titanic fans have been yearning for a re-teaming of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Revolutionary Road becomes the second time for them to cooperate. Revolutionary Road is directed by Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes, and faithfully adapted by Justin Haythe from the novel by Richard Yates, this is the dissection of an imploding marriage and a contemplation about life in surburbia. It's a sad, grim movie that asks pointed questions about the compromises we make and the lies we tell in an effort to maintain a sense of equilibrium. And is it more courageous to face up to one's responsibilities or to follow a dream, no matter how impossible it may seem?

John Lennon said “life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” The plot of this movie right suggests this sentence. 'Revolutionary Road" shows the American Dream awakened by a nightmare. It takes place in the 1950s, the decade not only of Elvis but of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. It shows a young couple who meet at a party, get married and create a suburban life with a nice house, a manicured lawn, "modern" furniture, two kids, a job in the city for him, housework for her, and martinis, cigarettes, boredom and desperation for both of them. April is a woman who is unsatisfied with present life and in her eyes, life is boring and dim. She wants to go to further place and live in a new place. However, her husband, Frank goes to work early and come home late with hardly changing. It seems that he doesn’t care about everything outside and even don’t care his wife more. These things make April depressed. When they are lover rather couple, Frank swore to April that he would take she to the fantastic France. This promise let April want to begin her new life there. Frank agrees at the beginning but he gets a good opportunity of promote. Then Frank’s hesitation delay her plan, and people around shock with their decision and show contempt and despise。What worst, April is pregnant again. These all things make the dream of going to Paris become nothing. Finally, after great argument, two of them realize that the life can’t go on like this. On morning, April cooks the breakfast with smile and she killed the baby who hasn’t born by herself, for which she lost her life because of blooding excessively. Then Revolutionary road ends in a sunny morning.

In this movie, there are some characters I want to say. First is Frank who is acted by Leonardo. He stay without change all the time. Although he feels a little bored for present life, but he doesn’t fights and refuses to it. He just does what he “should” to do. In fact, he is contradictory in his mind, so when he listens to his wife’s plan he becomes hesitated. He agrees to go to Paris with his wife but he refuses as he face the chance of promoting. So he has contradiction with April and leads to a tragedy. For one person like this, Leonardo plays rather successfully and vividly. His expression and behavior decorate the role very well. The second one is April acted by Winslet. She is a new female who expects to break through the locks of life and wants to change the boring life. We know, after the world war two, many American can’t accept the uncertain future of new life. In their eyes, they can have a steady work and have enough money to sustain their family in US. Most people can’t accept the views of April about going to the strange Paris. April has her own idea. She didn’t that life is right and she feel present life is short of some life sense. Person should insist their dreams and escape from the “prison”. So she does something that seems extremely crazy things, including kills her baby and died at last. We don’t know its right or wrong, maybe it is a way of keeping away the boring life. Thirdly, I want to say something about John, the son of the Ginbings. In ordinary people’s eyes, he is a mathematic doctor, but he is neuropathic。When he talks with the Franks about their new plan, he is rather quiet. When he knows Frank gives up going to Paris, he is very angry and speaks out the inner thoughts of April. The conversation between him and the Franks shows that he is really a thoughtful man. Although he is marked the label of “psychopaths”, his words is the points to show the spirits of the movie. Last is the Milly and Shep, this couple is the represent of common people in real life. Hardly all the people like them are working quietly and hiding the dream in the hearts. Having dream is one thing, having the courage to face and achieve it is another thing.

Except the characters above, I also want to talk about the movie image processing for film theme and fundamental key of regulatory role. First, the fundamental key is bright in this film’s overall picture. The light is abundant. Only several scenes show out of darkness, first is in April and Frank highway for a period of quarrel, because I noticed this scene only appeared car lamp and road lamp. Another clear scene is April alone smoking scenes in the tree after a big fight. But as a whole it is bright light, appear warm. The whole movie’s pictures are warm, which forms the contrast in the film conflict. Behind the bright picture, it is a revolutionary attempt. Constant contradiction and constant alienating, finally lead to the only result.

In my opinion, the revolutionary road is a quite straightforward movie. We can read it from love, marriage, or middle class’s living conditions. We can also say that love and marriage is the film’s coat, the kernel, it tells personal survival dreams and disillusioned. I and my classmates, we all are approaching a certain age, and we began to really understand the big gap between the ideal and the reality. This became the heaviest part of our growing. We are going to be taken from countless illusion and see the true appearance of the world. We always think ourselves are not mediocre until someday when we begin to start to do something to deny this. Just like April wants to go to Paris. She can’t stand proudly life and hates numbness of mediocrity. She lives in her visionary. In fact, dreams are undisputable. They are more or less existence in our heart bottom. But most of us will comprise those safe boring days.

I recommend this movie because it is very stereo, without stiffly inclusive topics. Men, women, love, marriage, there are many angles to read it. From the angle of individual survival dream, I think that is the most straight into the core. I haven’t research that age, but I am going to there. At that time, whether we would like April to struggle for dreams completely for her specialness.

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