marți, 25 decembrie 2018

All That Heaven Allows by Edna Lee - Eight out of 10


All That Heaven Allows by Edna Lee
Eight out of 10


This remarkable film has been included on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:


The message seems to be clear, simple and almost universally known and accepted, in the modern age at least.
Nevertheless, even if it works in this romantic drama, there is something to say in favor of relationships between men and women, same sex bonds as well, that are based on similar backgrounds, education levels and interests.

Yes, it is evident that we must decide based on class and other such artificial labels, but psychological and other studies have indicated that we get along best with others who share the same penchant for reading, to give one example.
If one likes to read a lot, the likelihood of his or her getting along with someone who makes a point to avoid reading – like the American simpleton who incredibly leads the world – is slim, to be optimistic.

In All That Heaven Allows, Ron Kirby aka the refined, excellent Rock Hudson is a gardener, working for Cary Scott aka Jane Wyman.
However, he is not an uneducated, unsophisticated blue-collar worker – a situation that I maintain that in most cases would not favor a relationship with another who has studied much more to further his or her education.

The man who cuts branches in the garden of the widow who has two grown up children aspires to a better status.
Although it is somewhat strange to see him always dressed – perhaps with the exception of the night where he has to punch a rude, abusing guest at a party – in a red chequered coat.
The hero invites the widow to a water mill, to see and learn more about trees, gardening.

This is when and where they realize that they share an attraction for each other and decide to meet again.
Nonetheless, the fact that Cary Scott belongs to the “upper class”, a better off community is a block for their bonding.

She invites Ron Kirby to come with her to a party where the guests and host are pretentious, arrogant and relatively wealthy people.
They snub their noses at the intruder, who is only a gardener and therefore destined to remain “inferior” to them.

When one of them sees the audacious Cary and the man she has brought along, he thinks this is a signal of her libertine concepts and he is offended that she had refused his advances.
This loathsome man tries again to force himself on the woman who must accept him, since she had come with someone so obviously less significant than he thinks he is, pushing and trying to kiss her.

Ron storms into the room when he sees the scene and promptly knocks the abuser, who seems to be in serious danger.
The rest of the party, instead of perceiving the reality and condemning the real perpetrator, concentrates on the one who is different, an outsider and hence blame him.

Alas, apart from this stupid, preposterous society, the family of the heroine is also against her penchant.
Both her daughter and son are aghast at the perspective of being close to such a humble man.

People in the town who claim her mother had had an affair with Kirby, even before her late husband was dead insult the girl.
Cary Scott is sure she has to give up her happiness for that of her children and thus separate from the man she loves.

Again, the idea that love conquers all could be the mantra of this good film, perhaps one of the best 1,000 ever made.
Nevertheless, it has not convinced the under signed that this is true, especially if we consider another psychological, perhaps two effects:

The Honeymoon Effect and The Coolidge Effect

The first one purports that at the end of a period of about two years of relationship, most bonds would face a challenge and even if one is married to one extreme beauty – the example of Hale Berry has been given – a wonderful human being, there is still the attraction, the impulse to have an affair with someone else – The Coolidge Effect – even if that is not necessarily what would happen…people remain married and in love with each other for decades, while others divorce…

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