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Todd Haynes’ first film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, seems a bit daft at first glance. Haynes chose to tell the story of the eponymous singer through the medium of Barbie dolls, a bizarre and possibly alienating decision, yet the film is compelling throughout. Moreover, Barbie Karen ends up becoming symbolic of the isolated women at the heart of Haynes’ best work. Both Safe and Far From Heaven, his two prior films, concern themselves with telling the stories of women trapped by restrictive social mores, deeply unhappy in their roles as middle-class housewives.
Carol continues Haynes’ efforts to tackle this theme, and the result is possibly his best work to date ― no small compliment. The story tracks the relationship between Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett), from their first meeting in a department store where Therese is employed. Therese is young and shy, with aspirations of becoming a photographer, and the vague possibility of getting married to her boyfriend, Richard (Jake Lacy). Carol, meanwhile, is older, rich, glamorous, and ― it was ever thus ― tremendously miserable. The pairing begin their affair tentatively, going for lunch and on visits to each others houses, before the film takes an abrupt turn when they depart on a road trip ― think Thelma and Louise but with more sexual tension and less Brad Pitt.
Carol is, obviously, the cause of a sexual awakening in Therese, who is forced to question herself, as well as the society that tells her what she feels is unnatural. “Have you ever been in love with another man?” she asks Richard. He has not. Carol is far more experienced, having had female lovers in the past, among them her best friend and confidante, Abby (Sarah Paulson). Her lesbianism is known to her husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), who uses it to try to prevent Carol from having visitation rights to their daughter after they divorce. Therese is, initially, something of a distraction for Carol, yet as their affection deepens, she becomes a liability ― someone for whom Carol becomes willing to risk everything.
It would be difficult to overstate just how good this film is. Mara and Blanchett, each among the premier actresses of their respective generations, give it everything they have, with electrifying results. The early scenes of their courtship, in which every syllable and gesture is layered with meaning, are among the best I’ve ever seen. If there is any dip in quality thereafter, it passed me by completely. The script, adapted from a novel by Patricia Highsmith (who was never afraid to address the subject of homosexual desire), is perfectly pitched somewhere near melodrama. In the hands of lesser actors, Carol could have been camp and overwrought, but obviously Mara and Blanchett ― and indeed, everyone else involved ― are not lesser actors.
Haynes, as ever, is full of empathy for the women who populate his universe, and this overflows to touch every character in some way. Even Harge is not simply “evil”, his actions somewhat mitigated by the confusion he feels about Carol’s homosexuality (which was, unfortunately, the norm at the time), and the desire to do what he feels is best for their daughter. Ultimately, Haynes’ goal is to criticise the values of the time, rather than to vilify individual people. The period detail is sumptuous, the music is lovely, and the cinematography is stunning. Haynes has given us his third masterpiece. This is the film of the year.
