2008年 アメリカイギリス作
キャスト: ケイトウィンスレット、 レオナルドディカプリオ 主演
1950年アメリカ、コネチカット州の閑静な住宅街を舞台に、現実と理想の狭間で葛藤する若夫婦の運命をつづる作品。 「タイタニック」以来、初めてレオナルドディカプリオとケイトウィンスレットが共演し、話題となる。 この作品でケイトウィンスレットは、ゴールデングローブ主演女優賞に輝いた。
Set in a peaceful suburban community in Connecticut in the 1950s, Leonard DiCaprico and Kate Winslet, who enchanted the world with their romantic love in “Titanic”, once again brilliantly perform a couple struggling to find a revolutionary road leading to fulfillment.
Frank (Leonard DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) move into a beautiful house on Revolutionary Road in the suburb with their two children. The Wheelers appear to be a perfect family that everybody admires. However, despite Frank’s stable job and their comfortable lifestyle, the couple’s relationship starts to deteriorate into constant arguments and bickering as they become acutely conscious of their abandoned dreams and faded hopes they sacrificed to be where they are. Defiant not to morph into a typical banal suburban family they detest, they are convinced that they are special and superior to their neighbors, and pledge never to conform to become one of them. The couple, haunted by this delusion of superiority, cannot find common ground, and remain bitter towards each other and ceaselessly continue to blame each other’s shortcomings for their failure to achieve the exciting life they once longed for. April, feeling suffocated with the banal lifestyle, successfully persuades Frank to give up his job, for them to pack up and move to Paris at all costs in search of adventure and excitement in life while Frank wishes to hold on to what they have and see what the future holds for them. Their life, however, is to take an unexpected turn when they find out April is pregnant with their third child.
Though this movie may not have been a big hit, it certainly makes us think hard about what it is to achieve our dreams, ideals and a happy marriage as an individual or a couple. I am certain some of the frustration and disappointment the characters go through faced with their faded ambitions are not unique but somewhat resonate with many people. The movie portrays some of the difficulties which may confront us at thresholds in our lives and also shows us that happiness is a state of mind not something we find externally. This is a deeply philosophical, yet disturbing movie, sure to challenge you in your conventional views of marriage, family and life.
映画は生きた英語表現を学ぶには最適な教材です。この映画の中で使われていた表現をいくつか紹介します。
- I think I can show you the ropes.
- コツを教えてやるよ。
- It will do him a world of good to meet a young couple like you.
- お宅のようなお若いご夫婦に会うのは彼のために なるのだけど。
- I must be off.
- もうおいとましなくては。
- Can you beat that?
- そんなことって聞いたことあるかい?
- I guess I better be cutting out.
- もう行かなきゃ。
- What’s all this about?
- 何のことだ?
- What’s the deal?
- 何があったんだ?
- I mean it.
- 本気よ。
- What’s up?
- 何だ?
- They are tickled to death.
- おお喜びしているよ。
- Do me a favor. Sleep on it.
- お願いだから、よく考えて。
- We’ll figure it out.
- よく考えよう。
- Don’t I get a say?
- 私の言い分はないわけ?
- What’s the point?
- 何のため?
- You get cold feet?
- おじけづいたか?