FAR FROM HEAVEN

US, 2002, 107 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis, James Rebhorn, Ryan Ward, Celia Weston.
Directed by Todd Haynes.

Far From Heaven was written and directed by Todd Haynes, not a prolific director, but a director of several interesting films, for example, in the 1990s Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine. He also made the 2007 study of Bob Dylan, I’m Not There, with a number of actors and actresses portraying facets of Dylan’s character.

This film was influenced by the melodramas in the 1950s of Douglas Sirk, especially All That Heaven Allows. Haynes recreates the kind of 1950s Technicolored film which starred people like Barbara Stanwyck or Jane Wyman. However, by presenting accurately the surface of the mid-1950s of the Eisenhower era, its suburban prettiness, everything in place and in order, it also highlights the darker tendencies under the surface which were to manifest themselves much more during the 1960s.

Julianne Moore won a number of awards and an Oscar nomination for her performance as the 1950s wife. She is a model housewife, doing everything properly, meeting with her friends. However, she is married to Dennis Quaid who has his own secrets, who drinks, deceives his wife, has relationships with other men. When the impact of this breaks on Julianne Moore, she is attracted to the gardener, played by Dennis Haysbert. This kind of interracial friendship and romance was not part of the films of the 1950s and is a retrospect interpretation of the times. (The Defiant Ones, with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as convicts chained together was made in 1957.)

The film is an interesting character study, re-creation of a period, a pastiche of the styles of film-making of fifty years earlier. It won a commendation from the Signis jury at Venice in 2002.

1. The work of Todd Haynes and his distinctive artistic style, visuals, sound, lavish colour?

2. Haynes and his themes, especially sexuality? As explored in the '50s, the present - via tolerance?

3. The film's visual style, colour, autumn leaves, the brightness? The costumes and décor of the '50s? Douglas Sirk's style, melodrama? The heroine with the beautiful life, discovering pain? Reticence about social issues? A film if Douglas Sirk were to have made a more knowing film in the '50s?

4. The title and the United States in 1957-58, the glimpse of President Eisenhower? The sedateness of the '50s? The advertisements for Mr and Mrs Megatech in Hartford, Connecticut? Success and prosperity? The interview with Cathleen and the photographs at home? The models from magazines? The nuclear family, everything nice, heaven on earth? The leading into the underside of the United States at the time?

5. Audience response to the '50s visual and dramatic style in 2002? Audience experience of cinema and knowledge of cinema, recognising what was being done by Haynes or not?

6. The focus on Cathleen Whittaker, WASP (but no indications of church)? Her nice house, clothes, hairstyles, make-up - the magazines of the period? Her children and their respectful saying of 'Mother and Father'? Good language in the home? School, sport, ballet classes? The social life, charities? The good life with the details of home, Cathleen with her friends (though some suggestiveness in their sexual conversation and gossip)?

7. Cathleen as a character, everything nice, theoretical liberal views, children and good behaviour, helping people, Sybil and the role of the maid, Raymond as the gardener? Eleanor and her confidences? Her women friends and their discussions? The annual party and the social style? The domestic scenes with Frank, love, meals, not wanting him to worry, the children not disturbing their father?

8. The contrast with Frank at home, the patriarchal role of the father at the time, distant from his children, going to work, the compliments to the workers, his office, pressures? The growing tension at home? Tension at work? The change of time plans and expectations of him? The movie theatre, Miracle in the Rain, The Three Faces of Eve - and the glimpse of Joanne Woodward being transformed? Going to the bar, the audience finally realising it was a gay bar, his being asked for identification? Glances at people? The man and the advances?

9. Cathleen and preparing the meal for Frank, making it nice, going to the office, opening the door, seeing the kiss, her reaction? The man hurrying out? Her waiting in the darkness at home? Denial or repression, or both? Being brave? The right thing to do? Frank and the story about his past, his feelings, hoping that they had been fixed, the agreement to go to Dr Bowman, the interview, Bowman's options about therapy, electric shock treatment? The start of the therapy, keeping it private from Cathleen? Its not being effective? Cathleen herself being secretive, especially from Eleanor?

10. Her seeing Raymond in the yard, her initial fears, the magazine old lady and the photographer (and their writing about her kindness to negroes in the article)? Going to talk to him, getting to know him? The attraction? Her scarf blowing away, his returning it, his politeness, widower, his little girl and the photo? His being at the art exhibition and his knowledge of the painter? People commenting and looking? His offering her to go out, Mona seeing them? The comment about being the only one of a kind in a room, Cathleen in the restaurant, the black people critical of her? Her dancing with Raymond? The growing tension, the talk? Frank and his hearing of the gossip, his intolerant outburst and his declaration about himself and his reputation at the office? Cathleen and her deciding not to see Raymond, her going to explain this to him? Her apology? Hearing the story of the stone hitting Sarah, going to see Raymond, talking outside, the reality of the future, Raymond and his loss of work, selling the shop? The appointment for the train? Her going to see him off? Ellie and her reaction to Cathleen's explanation of what had happened? A future with Raymond?

11. The party, the liberal views, the declaration that there were no negroes in Connecticut and yet they were there as the staff? The visit from the NAACP members, Cathleen and her phoning them, offering to volunteer?

12. The New Year's party, the trip, the happiness in the hotel? Frank seeing the blond man, going to the room? The man coming to the room? The return home, Frank telling Cathleen that he had fallen in love, that he was away from work for a month? Cathleen and her response about the divorce? The glimpse of Frank in the bedroom with the young man eating the chocolates? The future, the role of each parent for the children?

13. The people of the town, friendships, gossip, looking at Cathleen in the street, racial prejudice?

14. Issues of homosexuality, people not knowing much about them at the time, not understanding? The film's rather understated presentation of homosexuality compared with the race issue?

15. The portrait of the children, their relationship with their parents, the boy wanting to be liked by his father, Janice and her crying with upset about her father? The ballet and the other children being kept from her? The sport? The boys taunting Sarah and pursuing her, throwing the stones, their being expelled?

16. Raymond, the black man in Connecticut, a man of dignity, the black prejudice against his friendship with Cathleen the white prejudice? His having to move, a future?

17. Cathleen's moral journey, an image of America in the '50s and the need to change, the anticipation of the '6os and the transformation of American culture and challenge to prejudices and tolerance?