Carol, By Todd Haynes And Starred Cate Blanchett And...

The film Carol, directed by Todd Haynes and starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, is a mid-century lesbian love story told unlike most others. Where the picture could have easily rejected femininity and the ideals of womanhood for a more dramatic transformation, Carol manages to achieve the same emotional and personal evolution whilst simultaneously focusing on themes of oppression of both women and lesbians to fit into societal norms. Carol and her love interest, Therese, are both in a constant battle between living the life where they will prosper socially or living the life where they can be happy with each other. As exemplified through various film techniques, the movie manages to portray the hardships of the strict rulebook a woman had to follow in the 1950s and how that could prohibit a budding lesbian couple from finding true happiness. There is a recurring motif in the costume design where Carol and Therese stand out in vibrant colors, trying to break the heterosexual mold that held women down so tightly in the 1950s, versus the bland browns and blacks of the rest of society that they should conform to. It was the first time Therese visited Carol’s house and the pair were thoroughly enjoying each others company. The mood is very light and youthful but there is an immediate change of tone with a shot of Carol looking startled after she hears the front door open. The camera scrambles along with her in a tracking shot as she rushes to get her shoes back on- a clear