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Carol – 2015 Haynes
- It’s one of the more beautiful 16mm films (blown up to 35) I’ve seen. It has Haynes penchant and skill for gorgeous framing, lighting, and overall mise-en-scene
- From Patricia Highsmith’s “price of salt” as source material—the screenplay isn’t amazing-
- 95 on metacritic
- Gorgeous floating tacking shot opening
- Carter Burwell’s score—sounds a bit like Fargo and the scales like Philip Glass a little
- Haynes is a Queer Cinema giant—and this is a major achievement—he’s better when he’s telling a straight forward narrative, with a strong female lead (Julianne Moore, Blanchett here), and focusing his impact on the mise-en-scene and not a funky narrative – his three strongest are safe, far from heaven and this— and his weakest are poison, velvet goldmine and I’m not there—and wonderstruck which missed the archives completely—all complicated narrative creations without a strong female lead
- Floral use in several scenes
- Another nod to Sirk but not as much as Far From Heaven– the color palette is different here- a greener almost Soderbergh-like (though it’s green here not yellow) or a bit like Vertigo
- Dolls and miniatures in the store where Rooney Mara works
- Blanchett looks like a towering figure next to Mara- big presence- she feels larger than life- regal, elegant
- The gray gloves—fur coat
- The size of Blanchett’s performance reminds me of Bette Davis, Vivian Leigh—even a little Joan Crawford—it’s a major accomplishment for Blanchett and Mara
- The green hue is gorgeous- the tunnel when driving
- Lots of shots in the window – not being framed like Renoir—but reflecting in the car mainly—stunning formal and visual strength
- It’s a part of Christmas much like Far From Heaven and those Sirk films with the leaves are a part of Fall/Autumn
- Silent perfection in the ending
- HR/MS border
Drake2020-07-03T10:30:06+00:00
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My most recent viewing of Carol proves it to be a MS/MP and in time (& further introspection) I may call it a masterpiece. Carol is flawless. Everything about it is just perfect. I think it’s better than Safe. The reason what I think is that Safe moves to the desert after showing it’s dedication to it’s colors and production design. Leaving behind those beautiful shots of gardens, bedrooms and gym walls & locker rooms. Carol is dedicated to it’s color design and PD throughout. It has some really gasp worthy visual tricks. Breathtaking indeed. In the car scene there’s a shot Blanchett amidst harsh lighting when she turns back.
Shots through glasses. Street lights.
The score is the best of the year. Probably entire decade.
“From Patricia Highsmith’s “price of salt” as source material—the screenplay isn’t amazing”- I think you are praising Highsmith’s book and not criticising Carol’s screenplay as I venerate it.
I’m also convinced that this is Blanchett’s career best performance. Only one actress can surpass Blanchett in what she’s doing here and that’s Maggie Cheung in In The Mood For Love. On further study I may place Blanchett over Theron as the best of the year male or female (you know I hate The Revenant).
With the screen time of a lead, Mara feels supporting and that’s due to Blanchett’s screen presence. As Mara is exceptional as well.
You claim that you “hate The Revenant,” but you’ve claimed before “I think the revenant is great movie and leo more than deserved his oscar.”
Did you change your mind? I personally consider The Revenant a great film, but I haven’t seen Carol yet.
@Graham- the Revenant is objectively a technically immaculate movie. It literally takes your breath away. It needs to be commended. Leo is an easy winner in a less competitive year for men. And see I’m not a guy who dislikes a movie if doesn’t “say something” But the Revenant is annoyingly non-communicative and hollow. There’s nothing that’ll move you (just like gravity or avatar). So subjectively it’s just not my taste. But yk I have a blog and I just started a series where I correct Oscar nominees and winners (who should’ve been nominated or win) and I nominated the revenant in every category you’d expect and Leo and Hardy won. Even though I personally don’t like it, it’s overall brilliance can’t be denied.
Coming to Carol. It’s a better movie than the revenant. It’s soul-filling (***DONT READ IF YOU MIND SLIGHTEST OF SPOILERS***) Last shot is a poetic close up of Blanchett and there’s a smile on her face that becomes larger and larger. It’s engrossing. Alluringly subliminal and has an effulgent fragrance.
@M*A*S*H- This is a great share-thank you- I will say “soul-filling” (though great language and a great term) feels very subjective right? That’s fine- but if someone said The Revenant filled their soul and Carol did not- that would be tough to argue against as well as that would be their experience.
@Drake- Granted. But soul filling is term that I’ll use for a film with high emotional quotient. Soulful film yk. The revenant is not soulful. The revenant will leave you in awe but it will not move you. Carol may not leave you in awe but it will for sure move you.
I still feel this is a somewhat subjective area of film criticism – The Revenant does indeed move me. Awe is certainly part of that, though it isn’t just awe at the filmmaking on display, but also the sheer emotional power of those sweeping landscapes. Something I had forgotten about it between my first viewing in 2015 and my second viewing last year was just how powerful its surreal interludes are. There are feelings of deep peace in the quieter moments, and also visceral terror in the action. Of course, these are still all just subjective descriptions though.
Although Carol certainly worked its magic on me, it may not necessarily move others like it did for us. I find both to be very rich films in the filmmaking and emotional departments.
@M*A*S*H- Again, it is a great term- but it is personal to you- the “The Revenant is not soulful” and Carol is, is not really connected to the text. If someone argued the opposite, or said they had “My Best Friend’s Wedding” above “Citizen Kane” because it was “soulful” – it would be impossible to argue against.
@Drake- So clearly Carol and The Revenant are closer in quality than My best friend’s wedding and Citizen Cane are. If I’m not wrong tspdt has Carol at #2 of 2015 and the revenant as #27. I’m higher on the revenant than tspdt.
So choosing My best friend’s wedding over Citizen Cane would be stupidity. But choosing Carol over The Revenant is not stupidity. It would perfectly make sense,if someone does it.
@M*A*S*H- You’re taking other factors into this instead of sticking to the “soulful” comment and creating a straw man argument. It moved your soul- that’s your feeling- great. Carol fills your soul and The Revenant does not- but I’m with Declan here. So that’s two people that are “moved” by The Revenant. So if your “The Revenant is not soulful” is not outwardly wrong, it is, at least, subjective.
@Drake- I never wandered away from the fact that I was being subjective.
Also I was meaning to ask you this… That did you lament the loss of the setting in Haynes’ Safe. I for sure did. I didn’t like the desert setting. Maybe he should’ve brought in some colorful walls or immaculate production design but that was the whole point I guess. The desert setting, mostly white clothes and dull interiors were not coincidences, he was trying to say stuff with that but I missed the lushness of the first half of the movie.
@MASH- Yes- agree on the desert setting- http://thecinemaarchives.com/2018/07/02/safe-1995-haynes/ “The film slows a bit at the ranch with the reliance on dialogue—I prefer the opening with Haynes framing taking effect on Moore in the early onset”
Yeah it’s Todd Haynes at his peak in the first half but it’s not a Todd Haynes movie in the second half. It feels more like Cronenberg. You’re right!
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