Far from Heaven (2002)

Set against the lustrous colors of autumn in the 1950s, Far From Heaven tells the story of a troubled marriage and the society that inhibits the husband and wife's true desires. Written and directed by Todd Haynes, this emotional tale explores the unhappiness and misery that comes from succumbing to the pressures of society.

When housewife Cathy Walker discovers that her husband may be gay, they seek medical treatment to "absolve the problem." Meanwhile, she must maintain her pristine image as "Mrs. Magnatech," the model of what every housewife and mother should aspire to be. Cathy is a bit different from the rest of her friends; she has been known to be "kind to negroes" and "a friend to the homos," whereas other white housewives of this time could hardly be concerned with such issues. However, despite a subtle disregard for the societal norm, she still gets swept away with pleasing the public. She always says things like "I'm terribly sorry," or "What do you think, dear?" Even when her husband strikes her, she insists that she is alright and that it was an accident. Neither her or her husband are able to shake the pressure of being seen as perfect to others.

In the midst of all her personal drama, Cathy Walker seeks comfort and confides in her black gardener, Raymond Deagan, who ends up being someone she feels truly herself with. She goes dancing with him one night when a fellow housewife spots her entering the bar with him. The gossip spreads like wildfire, and even Cathy's closest friend shuns her for being romantically involved with a black man. Her children even become affected by the incident, so Cathy must end the relationship. The final scene is Cathy's farewell to Raymond, and in truth, her only hope of true happiness, because she cannot disregard the pressure that society has put on her.

This film deals with a multitude of issues, including race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. All of these contentions are perfectly portrayed into a tragic tale of a 1950s housewife who is essentially imprisoned in her own life. She is stuck in an unhappy and unreciprocated marriage, upheld to be perfect by her neighbors and friends. The only sense of true happiness she feels is with a man she is unable to be with. This film dealt with these issues almost flawlessly, and even though I wasn't alive in the 1950s, I have a strong feeling that this is very close to what life was like for many people; stuck in the "American dream."

The use of color in this film was very interesting to me. The vibrant uses of orange, red, yellow and green were hardly unnoticeable. The green was the most interesting, for it seemed to represent their suppressed desires. When we see Mr. Walker go into a gay bar for the first time, the bar is illuminated with green lights. Similarly, we see this same lighting when Cathy goes dancing with Raymond.

As for the autumn setting and fall tones, I'm not completely sure what they represent. Fall is right before winter, the cold and dead time of the year. Maybe the fall colors represent the preparation for this awful time. Like Cathy's life is about to hit an all-time low, but soon spring will come again to bring her back to life.

A truly remarkable film, Far From Heaven is a beautiful representation of a lesson we must all learn; do not let others dictate how your life should be lived. I definitely recommend this film.