Blue Valentine

Film: Blue Valentine
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Producers: Doug Dey, Carrie Fix, Lynette Howell, Jack Lechner, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof, and Rena Ronson
Runtime: 120 Minutes
Company: Hyde Park International
Cast: Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling, and Mike Vogel

Blue Valentine paints a dramatic and honest picture of what today’s society can see as an average relationship. Unfortunately, what some may see as true love may or may not turn out to last in the covet that is “marriage.” The film is executed beautifully, with a myriad of shots and techniques that allow the story to flow in a way that is both creative and appealing to the audience. I say this because of the use of both the past and present state of the couple’s relationship and the dynamic intertwining of the time periods. The presentation of the story of how the two met after you see them as a current couple provides a strikingly emotional image of the changes that have taken place.
Interestingly, there are many scenes in which I feel the characters of Dean and Cynthia, played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, are type cast. There is a scene in which Cynthia is afraid to tell Dean that she is pregnant and in order for her to tell him, Dean has to threaten to throw himself from a bridge. At this point, all I can think of is Ryan Gosling’s character in The Notebook that threatens to drop from the top of a Ferris wheel to get Rachel McAdams’ character to ask him on a date. He seems to always play the reckless and childish romantic. Williams’ character Cynthia even makes several comments about how foolish Dean acts. I think of Williams as a scolding, motherly type and Gosling is the irrational, impulsive character.
Michelle Williams is cast as a colder, more stubborn force in the relationship that is similar to her role as Alma in Brokeback Mountain. She seems to have given up on the relationship a long time ago, while Dean is still trying his hardest, yet depending far too much on alcohol for an outlet. Sad but true, it is a reality faced by many couples today.
The filmmakers do a wonderful job in conveying the growth of tension between the couple, specifically sexually. The young love shared between the two is playful and consistent, but as they grow older, it becomes difficult to watch. The chemistry is missing and the passion appears obligatory. The acting on both sides in these situations is spot on. Luckily, both Williams and Gosling can effectively play younger, college aged people. The past is vibrant and full of color and shot using a not-so-steady hand held camera that makes the time seem very physical and intimate. Later on, the present is shot in dimmer light, with lack of sentiment and expression, using still shots in more wide frames that distance the characters. All the tactics that were considered in the contrast of the past and present serve as effective factors in the storyline. In the exploration of their younger years, the issue of promiscuity arises when Williams claims that she doesn’t know who the father is of her unborn child. What follows is an intense scene that demonstrates the trauma behind an abortion. As Williams gets close to going through with the procedure, she decides against it. This evokes much emotion from the audience and it is as though we are there in the room with her.
One scene in particular that speaks to me is when Cynthia asks her grandmother about love, particularly how to tell when one is in love. Her grandmother states that she believes love is revealed to someone by “a feeling”. Then later, Dean is conversing with his co-workers. They are talking about love at first sight and whether or not they believe it is possible. He says to them, about Cynthia, “I just got a feeling.” I think that the subtle connection and eloquent dialogue of the characters fits perfectly in the love story. Both happening in the past, the audience is taken on a journey of the dim radiance of the couple’s love that slowly matures.
The story of Dean and Cynthia is displayed in a creative contrast between the younger, more passionate, exciting beginning of their relationship and the present state of the tribulations they are facing. I feel as though the story is an emotionally raw representation of the challenges that husband and wife face all the time. That is part of life and what makes the development of their relationship so full of tension. The audience wants to see the couple end up together in the long run, and seeing their genuine love for one another fall apart as times and people change will pull at the heart strings of any witness. But the ambiguity of it all makes the film that much more intriguing. There is no end and we don’t know how things will turn out, but no one ever does. All we can do is do what our heart tells us to do and hope that we are happy and able to withstand any curveballs that life throws in the way. That is exactly what is seen between Dean and Cynthia. No one can say that a single event was the cause of the trouble between the two, but the love slowly transformed itself and the film portrayed that wonderfully. With the help of Gosling and Williams ability to express themselves in ways that fit their changing attitudes towards one another, the audience can visualize how the couple has disintegrated and no longer really recognizes who they are.
Seeing a single relationship through many stages and the changes that take place in the actions and speech of the characters creates a canvas of ideas that the audience viewing Blue Valentine cannot ignore. The ignition of that first spark of passion and the scattered ashes of broken memories and fights all take part in the fire that is “love”. Thankfully, with Blue Valentine, we can see just how vague that term can be.