ENDURING LOVE
UK, 2004, 100 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch.
Directed by Roger Michel.
Enduring Love is a strange and powerful film. It is based on a novel by celebrated author Ian Mc Ewan and adapted for the screen by playwright Joe Penhall (Some Voices, with Daniel Craig, and Blue/Orange). It was directed by Roger Michell who has a range of film credits from Notting Hill to Changing Lanes and Mother (also with Daniel Craig).
The film starts with a seeming idyllic situation, a couple reuniting in a field and having a picnic. However, tragedy ensues as a hot air balloon takes off with a boy and various men try to hold it down. One man is caught up – and the spectators watch him fall to his death. This has repercussions on the central character played by Daniel Craig and his relationship with his girlfriend, played by Samantha Morton.
However, the film moves into a variation of Fatal Attraction with Rhys Ifans (the scruffy roommate in Notting Hill). He is a loner, invites the central character to pray for the dead – and begins a stalking and psychological persecution process. This leads to dire consequences – and an ironic twist on the title, Enduring Love.
1.Ian McEwan’s? novel, the adaptation for the screen (by a prominent London playwright, Joe Penhall)? The bringing of a cerebral novel to the screen? Dramatising an interior world? Philosophy, madness, obsessions? The film as sufficiently filmic?
2.The title, the two meanings, putting up with unwanted love, everlasting love?
3.The discussions about love, love as instinct, as biological, for mating purposes, love as an illusion? Theory and practice? The sequences of academia, the classes, the questions and answers? Joe being theoretical pontificating in class, having to face unwanted reality?
4.The structure of the film: the opening in the field, the incident with the balloon, the consequent complexities, the stalking by Jed, Joe and his trying to handle the situation, the break from Claire? The end, the field, the resolution of what happened in the accident, love and simplicity? The ironic postscript during the final credits with Jed writing at the desk?
5.Joe and Claire, a beautiful day, the picnic, their love, the incident, Joe going to help, the others coming from the cars and in the fields, the boy and his panic, his grandfather trying to save him? The facts of the incident? The doctor, the others letting go, his holding on, his ultimate fall, his death, sitting with his leg destroyed?
6.The intercutting of the facts of the incident with the meal in the tent and the discussions? The style of the discussion, feeling, offhand? The discussions about strength and cowardice, of courage? Joe remembering Jed asking him to pray with him, his not wanting to, going on his knees, Jed quoting St Paul and love, a sense of God, a connection?
7.Joe and the aftermath of the incident, the tensions for his life with Claire? Her sculptures, her sculpting their friend – but only Joe’s hands and not his face, her saying she was too close to him, wanting a more objective look? The irony of her later sketches of him and the bust? A change in her attitudes towards him? Their discussions? Going out, the restaurant, the birthday dinner and the final exasperation? Claire and her finally not looking out the window when Joe asked her to look at Jed? Claire as character, devoted to Joe, her own skills, the article in the paper, the object of Jed’s jealousy? The breakdown of love? The dinner and the discussion about her brother and the au pair girl? The later meeting and Joe attacking her brother? Her giving up?
8.Joe, his sense of guilt, the question of who let go first? The puzzle about the events? The surprise of Jed’s phone call, his looking out the window, going to the park? The bewilderment (which the audience shared)? Joe and the mystery of what Joe was talking about, Jed wanting him to communicate, the growing exasperation? Jed and his turning up in the restaurant and Joe creating a scene? Interrupting the discussion about his possibly going on television? The book store, the photograph, Jed wanting his autograph – and Joe continually calling him Jez? The sharing with Joe, the growing mystery? Jed turning up in class and singing? Standing in the rain, Claire not going to the window to look? Joe, his going to the website, his explanation of Jed’s stalking and obsession, the signals with the curtains? Finding Jed’s flat, realising that he was a mad stalker, the photos and articles in his room? The confrontation, Jed’s declaration of love, Joe’s threatening to bash him?
9.Claire’s brother, the au pair girl, the discussions about love, the final outburst in the presence of their friends? The night that Joe intended to propose?
10.Joe and his moving out, going to his friend’s place, their child, his holding the child, appreciating the ordinariness of love? The phone call, going to Claire’s place, Jed’s presence, his declaration of love, talking of Claire as a manipulator, stabbing her? Claire bleeding on the floor? Joe and his cajoling Jed to let go of the knife, stabbing him?
11.Joe and his visit to the doctor, their discussions, the widow and her speculation about her husband’s sense of adventure or doing good? Showing off? The suspicions of a girl in the car, the scarf and the picnic food? Joe going back to the field, the professor and his girlfriend, the explanation of what had happened? The wife and her daughter there, her asking forgiveness of the professor? The reassurance about her husband? Claire coming to the field, her support of Joe, her understanding what had happened? Her living separately – a future with Joe or not?
12.A case study of psychological obsession and madness, the significance of stalkers, the effect for the stalker, the effect on the victim and the victim suffering more than the stalker?
