Revolutionary Road

After leaving the cinema my first thought was: 'I just watched Titanic all over again, only this time without any water'. And the more I think about it, the more I feel i'm right. Just like Titanic it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as two young people in love. There is the same kind of tragedy, only the other way round (I hope I'm being cryptic enough). There's Kathy Bates again, there's romance and it goes on and on and on...which is not necesarilly a bad thing in case of Revolutionary Road (but it was in Titanic...come on, DIE...was my thought).

Those of us who thought we would see the life of a young bohemian couple going through the 7-year-itch with some famous events going on in the background (hence the title Revolutionary Road) were disappointed, as the Revolutionary Road refers only to the street the young couple lives on. Revolutionary, it ain't. Interesting? Well, the members of BeWelcome.org and Couchsurfing who chose this movie over "Frost/Nixon" were a bit divided about this one. If you are someone who loves Ingman Bergman's "Scenes from a Marriage", then you will love the scenes where all the hatred comes oozing to the surface. But if you (like me) have a natural problem with conflicts and fights, you will leave the cinema distraught. Maybe that is what director Sam Mendes really wanted.

It's 1955. Frank and April Wheeler, in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they're not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job - one where he places little effort - although he has never figured out what his passion in life is.


Quote from Revolutionary Road:

April Wheeler: So now I'm crazy because I don't love you, right? Is that the point?
Frank Wheeler: No! Wrong! You're not crazy, and you do love me. That's the point, April.
April Wheeler: But I don't. I hate you. You were just some boy who made me laugh at a party once, and now I loathe the sight of you. In fact, if you come any closer, if you touch me or anything, I think I'll scream.
Frank Wheeler: Frank: Oh, come on, stop this April.
[He touches her for an instant and she screams at the top of her lungs before walking away. He chases after her]
Frank Wheeler: Fuck you, April! Fuck you and all your hateful, goddamn -
[He breaks a chair against a wall]
April Wheeler: What are you going to do now? Are you going to hit me? To show me how much you love me?
Frank Wheeler: Don't worry, I can't be bothered! You're not worth the trouble it would take to hit you! You're not worth the powder it would take to blow you up. You are an empty, empty, hollow shell of a woman. I mean, what the hell are you doing in my house if you hate me so much? Why the hell are you married to me? What the hell are you doing carrying my child? I mean, why didn't you just get rid of it when you had the chance? Because listen to me, listen to me, I got news for you - I wish to God that you had!