Depiction of marriage in films

Marriage in Movies

Marriage in the Movies

In Jean Luc Godard's Contempt, marriage is depicted as a relationship in which all sense of meaning and purpose has been emptied out. Brigitte Bardot plays Camille, wife of Paul, a playwright. Though they still converse and live together, an estrangement has crept into their marriage. They no longer seem to know one another or really care for the other.

Meanwhile, Paul's producer Prokosch, played by Jack Palance, takes an interest in Camille and goes out of his way to be alone with her. When Paul does not try to assert his rights, Camille takes offense. She clearly wants to be fought for -- but Paul is so dejected by the environment in which he finds himself that it is impossible for him to really fight for anything, especially a wife who fails to inspire him.

The emotional vulnerabilities of marriage as depicted in the film are clear: husband and wife drift apart into meaninglessness; they have no higher vision; they are trapped in a menial existence in which sensuality and materialism are everything. The economic vulnerabilities are less clear but are hinted at: Paul must earn his wages somehow, and if he must write tedious work for the movies, then so be it: but the work does not truly stimulate him and his marriage may suffer for it as a result. The social vulnerabilities are evident in the fatalism which the film projects: any joy that the married couple may have had is never to return; the society around them is crippling force and they are speeding towards death on an unstoppable course.

Marriage in Contempt is not ridiculed. Far from it -- what is inspected is the state of married life in the modern world; there is little sense of its true meaning and purpose, and therefore little hope of marital success.

In Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine, marriage is depicted in a similar way. There is little sense in the film of any meaning or purpose. There is, instead, a clear longing on the part of the main characters, Dean (played by Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (played by Michelle Williams). Both characters long for love and support, but they rush into marriage because Cindy is pregnant and Dean wants to help support her.

However, Dean tends to drink and Cindy wants him to have more ambition. He is happy painting houses and doesn't want to do anything else. All he asks for is a little consideration. When he doesn't get it, he becomes angry -- to the point of causing a scene at her work, which causes her to lose her job.

The emotional vulnerabilities of the marriage in this film center on the unstable nature of the relationship. Neither Dean nor Cindy really connect with one another. They met at a time when both were in a state of emotional need. They fulfilled that need for a time, but once it was fulfilled they had little sense of what they could do for one another. Why stay together? Dean would like to stay for the child's sake, but he realizes that Cindy does not want him and that their dysfunctional relationship may actually harm the child.

The economic difficulties the couple faces are not so real as Cindy makes them seem. She wants security, but of a different kind than Dean provides. He is not going anywhere and makes a decent living -- but it is not enough for her.

The social vulnerabilities which they experience are evident in their respective outlooks on society and the world around them. Dean tends to be content with what he has, but when others (like Cindy's former boyfriend) appear and try to intrude, he becomes anxious and upset. Cindy feels the weight of society bearing down on her. One has the sense that if only these two could escape society, their marriage might have a chance.

The French film Amour focuses on an elderly couple named Anne and Georges. They have much in common and are peacefully happy as retired piano teachers. But one day Anne has a stroke. She is incapacitated and decides that she does not want to live any longer. Georges promises to take care of her, but her mental health declines. He sees that his old Anne is gone, so he smothers her to death.

It is not a very happy depiction of marriage, but rather a cold depiction of old age. There is great tenderness in the relationship. Both are an emotional support for the other -- but the vulnerabilities they face stem from the immanence of death. How to cope with death and dying? Should one try to stave off death or accept it? Again, there is no real higher vision, in which suffering plays a redemptive role. The marriage in the film is focused only on sentimentality and self-fulfillment. When Anne sees that she will have to live her life debilitated, she decides to reject life.