Revolutionary Road

Revulutionary Road is the story of the Wheeler couple, Frank and April (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), living in a Connecticut suburb during the 1950’s. Sam Mendes’ film based on Richard Yates cult, eponymous book, however, is also a story that goes beyond the specifications of time and place to unravel the disappointment and disillusionment of an entire generation in post war America, where under the sheen of happy marriages, lied failed dreams of love and fulfillment.

The Wheelers have believed they are special people, and so have others who know them. They rise above the social circle they inhabit as an ‘ideal’ couple. But one look at an ordinary day in this couple’s life reveals the dreariness, frustration and the bitterness of misplaced expectations. Frank Wheeler spends his days toiling at the one job he had never wanted and April Wheeler pretends to be a working actress from brief appearance in ‘community plays’. This is when April Wheeler looks for clues in the past when they were happier. She remembers the idealism and confidence they had in not so distant past and a belief in the endless possibilities in life. It occurs to her that they abandoned those possibilities to settle for the safety and convenience of conventions. She convinces Frank to make a new start by moving to Paris. More than being a geographical location, Paris comes to symbolize the revolutionary and the idealistic.

As the couple announces its intention of relocating to Paris we see the interesting reactions from their friends – they vary from incredulous to envious. But one thing is clear, none of them will follow the Wheelers to “Paris”. The society fights its hopelessness by deifying the Wheelers, and avoid examining their own failures by looking up to the couple. However, a leap of this sort – a return to the idealism of youth – is not easy, and cracks in the Wheelers’ plan begin to show. Frank Wheeler loves the freedom the ‘move-to-Paris’ decision gives him but he has inhabited the present dreary world for too long. A raise in position and salary makes the present world immensely attractive to him. But his promotion will not erase his wife’s desolation. The interests of Frank and April Wheeler clash and the result is tragic, even baffling.

The director’s mouthpiece is a young Mathematician (Michael Shannon) who is ‘mad’ by society standards. Not only is he aware of the hopeless emptiness in his own life but he also appreciates the same awareness and the will to fight it in the Wheelers. He feels angry and frustrated at Frank’s chickening out and his (also probably the director’s) sympathy for April tilts the film in her favour leaving the common man’s struggle for ‘regular, safe’ life less sympathetic. But in the end it is not important as to who was right for both suffer equally.

The film’s tagline says ‘How do you break free without breaking apart?’ Every now and then people try taking the revolutionary road and the result is often disastrous. Failure is human predicament. People fail and are quickly erased from collective memories. The Wheelers become one such couple.

Revolutionary Road showcases Sam Mendes’ strength for dissecting complexities of family life (after American Beauty). Also noteworthy is that he opted for an intimate drama which was the call of the story than a mega-budget film that the stars, the author and he could have easily attracted. Kate Winslet proves that her nominations and wins for the numerous awards are well deserved. Leonardo di Caprio delivers a controlled performance and just about stands up to Winslet’s burning angst and raging histrionics.