Respond to these rapid questions in our The Forgotten Carols quiz and we will tell you which The Forgotten Carols character you are. Play it now.
Patricia Highsmith wrote a novel in 1949 while waiting to hear back from a publisher about a manuscript (“Strangers on a Train,” perhaps you’ve heard of it) about a relationship between a shy shopgirl and an elderly housewife. A classic of LGBT studies for its portrayal of “the closet” and 1950s conformist America, “The Price of Salt,” written under a pseudonym and eventually published in 1952, has been a mainstay for decades. Throughout the book, there is a forbidden love story that culminates in an extended travelogue-criminal getaway across America in the vein of “Lolita.” Highsmith was obsessed with the concepts of duality, subversion, and obsession throughout all of her books. “The Price of Salt” is her most openly romantic novel, and it’s hard to believe it was written by the same woman who created the sociopath Tom Ripley and who once confessed to her journal: “One situation—perhaps one alone—could drive me to murder: family life, togetherness.” “The Price of Salt” is her most openly romantic novel, and it’s hard to believe it was written by the same woman who created the sociopath Tom Ripley and who also once confessed That, however, is Highsmith. There is always a duality.
Todd Haynes has made a career out of delving into themes of repression and conformity, with films such as “Safe,” “I’m Not There,” “Far from Heaven,” “Mildred Pierce,” and now “Carol,” which is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel (with adaptation by Phyllis Nagy). In “Carol,” Haynes focuses his attention on the “invisible” lesbian subculture of the 1950s closet, which he refers to as “the closet.” Carol is a lush emotional melodrama in the vein of Douglas Sirk’s films, who happens to be Haynes’ patron saint. The film is frequently about its surfaces, their beauty juxtaposed with the frightening duality of people and relationships. When one looks at “Carol,” the surfaces are so seductive that one can understand the longing to be a part of that world.
Therese (Rooney Mara) is a toy salesperson at a department store in New York City. She is married with two children. Her sort-of boyfriend (Jake Lacy, who was excellent in “Obvious Child”) and a merry band of friends (all men) surround her, but there is something about her demeanor behind the counter that suggests she is waiting… for something she doesn’t know. Afterwards, Carol, a beautiful blonde, makes her way across the store floor (the camera floats past Carol, and then reverses back quickly: the camera version of a double-take). Despite the fact that their first encounter appears to be businesslike, it is actually a flirtatious scene punctuated by the thrill of being in danger.
Therese is invited to visit Carol at her home in New Jersey by her friend Carol. Carol and her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) are divorcing and battling over custody of their young daughter, who lives with her mother. When Harge begins legal proceedings to obtain sole custody, Carol takes Therese on an impromptu road trip across America, which they return from. The road trip is a means of getting away from something and getting closer to a place where their relationship has a chance of surviving.
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Haynes captures every detail of this with his exquisite attention to detail. Various settings (crappy motel rooms, dark New York bars, Carol’s home, Therese’s apartment) are designed in a way that highlights the romance and treachery of the situation by production designers Judy Becker, Jesse Rosenthal, and Heather Loeffler. With pale tail-finned gas guzzlers roaring down empty roads, the color palette is a wash of light greens, deep pinks, and sparkling gold. They are frequently shown staring through windows that are green-smudged or rain-streaked, which serves as a visual reminder of their outsider status.
When the film is successful, it depicts the loneliness of people who are not allowed to be themselves, although the term “loneliness” does not adequately describe it. It’s more like a sense of loneliness that’s so intense that the characters are “flung out of space,” as Carol puts it about Therese. When intimacy does finally arrive, it is accompanied by a sense of loss. Although first loves are frequently like this, the intensity is increased in “Carol” due to the fact that their relationship must be kept secret.
The Forgotten Carols Quiz
“Carol” stumbles when it shifts its point of view back and forth. A large part of this can be attributed to the adaptation. Due to the fact that the story is told from Therese’s point of view, you are never quite sure what is going on with Carol. Therese is constantly on the verge of losing her mind: she’s “in” with Carol, then she’s “out.” A dizzying evocation of the swan-dive of love, it is absolutely stunning. There are several scenes in the film in which Therese is not present, including Carol with her husband, talking with Abby, and meetings with her lawyer, among others. These may provide context for Carol’s behavior, but they also serve to lessen the tension and cause confusion, as the majority of “Carol” is told so obviously from Therese’s point of view that the camera is literally Therese’s eye throughout the entire movie. Carol, in an ironic twist, is a more compelling character when viewed from a distance.
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“Dramatic” is not a word Blanchett uses to describe herself as an actress who comes naturally to the stage. As a result, she may appear out of place in a realistic setting at certain points. “Carol,” on the other hand, plays to her strengths. The way Carol gets through her days is by “performing,” so every gesture she makes is a “bit”: the way she lights her cigarette, the way she tosses her hair back, even the way she looks across the table at Therese. These are “acts,” brief intervals of time during which the situation is assessed to ensure that all is well. When Carol finally lets her guard down, it’s a sight to behold because her surface is executed so flawlessly.
Rooney Mara is given less material to work with, primarily due to the fact that Nagy’s adaptation has removed Therese’s prior history. Therese is a character in the film who comes from nowhere and has no family. But there is some complexity to Therese thanks to Mara: keep an eye out for the contrast between her persona with Carol and her persona with her merry band of male friends. This isn’t just the story of a shy girl who is finally able to come out of her shell. Therese is already living a life that she considers to be meaningful. Mara’s work is particularly moving when she depicts how Therese is intimidated by Carol, and how outranked Therese feels in the presence of this complex older woman.
About the quiz
When Therese is sitting in the back seat of a taxi, she notices a man and woman walking down the sidewalk with their hands clasped together. The following was written in Patricia Highsmith’s journal in 1964: “It was without a doubt a tragedy that I saw “Forbidden” written like a word in red paint, “Stop,” and was able to read it when I was six…”
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Having to swallow my precious stone was perhaps a tragedy on my part.
Observing careless boys and girls walking hand in hand down public streets, seemingly unconcerned about what others thought of them, I was sixteen years old.
In their own way, they were experiencing things…
As in love as that couple on the sidewalk, Therese is unable to hold hands with Carol in public and does not anticipate being able to do so again in the future. It is one of the most poignant moments in “Carol” because it is a telescope that looks into the infinite universe.
For more personality quizzes check this: 100 Wolf Quiz.
