Blue Valentine

Film: Blue Valentine
Written and Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams
Year: 2010

Tonight officially marks the night I watched the most depressing movie I have ever seen. Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine is a tale of the progression of a relationship- from young love to the dissolution of marriage. The method of storytelling is an alternation between the fighting and pain of the present intercut with the happiness and pure joy of the characters falling in love with one another in the past. It is a realistic look into contemporary marriage that, unfortunately, many people do experience. I must say that I hope this never ever happens to me with a loved one. The juxtaposition of extremely happy moments with painfully sad moments creates a back and forth pulling of emotions, much like Dean and Cindy’s relationship in the film. It is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions with an unavoidable and intensely sad ending. Ryan Gosling plays Dean, a high school drop out who works with a packaging company. Young Dean believes in love at first sight and carries around his ukulele as he meets Cindy in a nursing home. Older Dean is an alcoholic who has lost all the passion in his life except for his daughter and an under-the-surface love for his wife. Michelle Williams plays Cindy. Young Cindy is a beautiful girl making her way through med school while dealing with a clearly abusive boyfriend (not Dean) who impregnates her when he does not feel like pulling out in time. Older Cindy is an unhappy nurse, dealing with propositions from men and a husband who lacks the fire-y compassion he once burned with. The story follows the couple as they try to reconcile an unreconcilable marriage and it is just so depressing. A couple once so perfect for each other becomes a couple with a deep love for each other that is piled on with sadness and depression so heavily that the love becomes lost.

The film would not contain the powerful emotions it has without perfectly executed performances. The love between Dean and Cindy when they are younger is a type of love that every person hopes to sometime have. Their relationship as older individuals is one that every individual dreads and fears having. Seeing the scenes of them as a younger couple are some of the happiest cinematic moments ever, specifically when Dean serenades Cindy with his guitar playing as she goofily tap dances to the melody as they fall in love with each other. Another beautiful scene is when she and Dean listen to their song for the first time together and the real joy and love in both their faces. That is countered by the terribly sad scenes of burying the dog, symbolic of their dead relationship, and that final excruciatingly painful scene. The characters are deep with very real characteristics, which is what makes it so hard to watch because the viewer can relate so much to them. Despite its pure sadness, it would be wrong to call Blue Valentine anything but a beautiful and extremely well-done film. It features strong characters, strong story, strong cinematography, strong storytelling, etc. It’s just so depressing, but I guess there needs to be films like that. Films are a medium where people can work through real life problems and situations. So, perhaps having seen this film and the realistic outcomes of a dying relationship, I will now be able to take steps to avoid becoming part of a relationship like the older Dean and Cindy and rather continue to maintain a relationship like in their younger years. One of the best films I have ever seen, but be prepared to shed some tears and do not expect a happy ending.

– Waddy