Layers of Armor

After some crazy shopping, Kelly and I retired for the night and decided to watch Unfaithful. I had originally watched it with Lynn and the second time was just as engrossing. It is such a well-made film. Not much happens and not much is said but there is so much subtext going on because of the great acting. It'd dare say it's one of my favorite movies because it speaks of ordinary people leading ordinary lives only to suddenly, massively collide into mutual- and self-destruction.

Based on a 1968 French film called “La Femme Infidèle," it is obviously a story of betrayal but more interestingly, it's about breaking points we all have and how little it takes for us to get there and destroy what we know. Lynn made a great point about how she loves that the husband and wife love each other, have a great marriage only to have something like this happen. How scary things like that can "just happen." Diane Lane, who plays Connie commented that one of the opening scenes where the bicycle is just easily blown over by the great gust of wind is a fitting metaphor for what subsequently happens to her.

Richard Gere, who I like more and more remarked:

“I’ve always been interested in the idea that we’re all unknowable to each other. In this case we’re dealing with a normal, recognizable American family that has somehow stopped growing. They’ve settled into something that is very nice and it works for them, but it’s not taking them anyplace forward. It’s not bringing more love; it’s not bringing more intimacy; it’s not bringing more truth. So in their separate ways, these people are discovering some kind of black-hole areas inside themselves. There are levels of intimacy that just aren’t being dealt with between them. We’re all closed up on many levels. We all have layers of armor around us, and I think that’s what we all liked about this story: If we look in the mirror of the movie, we can see ourselves.”

How right he is. We all have many layers and subconsciously choose what we show to the outside world and as well as those who we are close to. On some level, there may be layers that we, ourselves may not even know...these so called, "black-hole areas."

Diane Lane discusses why her character strays: "In a certain way, her relationship with Edward is taken for granted. But I think that what often happens with relationships in the long term is that you stay within the frame of the person that you knew; that you met. And suddenly you may feel that you’re not only that person all the time. We go through changes, and you don’t always realize that until something sparks you to see yourself in a different light. That’s what makes Connie vulnerable.”

This is what makes this movie so palatable and so real. Emotions and changes occur and what happens is that they are mired in doubt--submerged underneath, hidden in layers. I often feel like I am that person, that someone can get through to some layers but not reach others. Perhaps we all protect our innermost core with those "layers of armor" for a reason. Perhaps it's just instinct, whether it's well-reasoned or not.