American artists often return to the same moment in their history to explain their society to themselves. The Coen brothers often explore this territory and so does Todd Haynes in his new film Far From Heaven, a gorgeous rendering of the underlying issues of late-fifties suburban America. Haynes has created a lush homage to the “women’s films” of the period while addressing topics that wouldn’t have made it past that era’s censorship laws.
Julianne Moore is brilliant as Cathy, the suburban housewife whose awakening social conscience puts her at odds first with her neighbourhood and then her society. Cathy is the envy of her affluent Connecticut community. She has a handsome and successful husband, Frank (Dennis Quaid), a beautiful home, two adorable and obedient children. But her alienation becomes clear when she learns her husband Frank is fighting a losing battle against what he calls the “sickness” of homosexuality. Dennis Quaid is excellent as Frank, who has no way of understanding his feelings without using words like “sickness” and “cures.” While Cathy channels everything into her homemaking, Frank’s repression produces explosive results.
When Cathy’s unhappiness is recognized by the black gardener Raymond (played with remarkable restraint by Dennis Haysbert) he assures her there is someone who understands her needs, even though it is impossible to fulfill them. While the ending is ambiguous, Cathy emerges triumphant, not because she is successful, but because she made the attempt.
Far From Heaven is a remarkable film. Its exquisiteness is found in every shot, and every detail. But its true beauty is in its attempt to reconcile the unresolved concerns of recent history while using the period’s filmic language. The result is that we can see how far we’ve all come, while recognizing how far we have yet to go.
