Carol (2015)
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Drama
118 min
Carol is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, published under a pseudonym in 1952. Written before the women’s liberation movement or Stonewall riots took place in the US, at a time which wasn’t great for being a woman or being gay, the novel was remarkable in its positive portrayal of lesbian love. It tells the story of a young woman named Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), whose dull life working as a shop assistant in a New York department store is turned upside down when she meets an older, married woman Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) and their tentative relationship slowly blossoms into love despite the hostile environment. Carol is going through a difficult divorce and an affair with a woman puts her at risk of losing custody of her young daughter.
As far as adapting the novel for the big screen goes, there isn’t really a single complaint to be made. Visually, the film is stunning. 1950’s New York feels flawed and real, while the main characters are often viewed through mirrors and reflections, giving the whole experience a dream-like atmosphere. The costume and makeup design are aesthetic ‘#goals‘. The acting is subtle and skilful; Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara shine in their roles, balancing power and vulnerability between the characters and within them. Some have found Blanchett and Mara to be lacking in chemistry, but to me the spark is definitely there; it’s understated and subtextual like queer romance in the 50’s would have been, but every small touch and every meeting of eyes across the table carries more weight than any exposition shouted from the rooftops ever could.
Therese’s interest in photography highlights the female gaze – and lesbian gaze – prominent in the film. She sees Carol through the lens of her camera and we see Carol the same way Therese marvels at her carefully painted red nails and matching lipstick, the soft folds of her glamorous fur coat. This is one of the most striking things about the film: the strong presence of the female gaze in Carol makes you realise how rare it really is to experience a film through a female character’s point of view, and have that point of view be explicitly directed by her desire, especially for another woman.
Apart from the wonderfully refreshing perspective, there isn’t really anything groundbreaking about the film. The cast is snowblindness-inducingly white, and while happy endings for lesbians in cinema are still upsettingly rare, the simple fact that no one dies is not – and should not be – enough to make the film exciting. It is still a story of two conventionally good looking white people falling in love despite the obstacles in their way (which isn’t to say the obstacles aren’t substantial and the consequences heartbreaking, because they are). In 1952, it was enough to grant publication under a pseudonym so the author wouldn’t be found out. In 2016, we could do better.
Still, Carol is a beautiful, masterfully crafted piece of art and a beautiful love story that’s certainly worth a watch. And maybe the fact that the once absolutely scandalous story feels just a little bit dull today is a powerful thing in itself.
All images © Wilson Webb
Read about our reviews on other Oscar-nominated films such as The Revenant and The Danish Girl.