Review of The Bridges of Madison County (1995) by Spangle — 10 Mar 2017

After watching David Lean's brilliant film Brief Encounter yesterday, it seems like fate that I would encounter Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County. Though it is possible that Eastwood did not take inspiration from Lean's film, the two are incredibly similar thematically and plot-wise. Portraying two people meeting for a fleeting few days in 1965, this film is a transcendent look at love and denial that is positively heart wrenching. Set in both 1965 and the present day, the film looks at the affair between Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) and Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) as it occurs and as it is viewed by Francesca's two children as they learn about it after their mother's death. Both a passionate and mournful look at love, the film is a brilliantly constructed look at relationships.

In 1965, Francesca is an unhappy housewife. With her husband and children out of town for a few days, she plans on just getting some time away from them and breathing. However, photographer Robert Kincaid comes to town to take pictures of the bridges of her Iowa hometown for a National Geographic spread. Quickly falling for him, their relationship is brief, just four days, but very much akin to the one in Brief Encounter. Robert is not married to a woman, but is married to his work. Taking him all over the world, he is devoted to the world to the detriment of his relationships with women. Francesca, meanwhile, ditched her dreams long ago to have children. The part of her that would jump and leave at the drop of a hat is long gone, for fear of instilling a bad message to her children. Thus, both know their relationship is doomed. It will end because there are forces beyond their control that pull them away from one another. Yet, as much as it hurts them both, neither wish to forget what they felt over the course of those four days as they, by their own admission, cram a lifetime of passion into just four days.

With the relationship defined in small moments - Robert picking her flowers, dancing in the kitchen, taking photos at the bridge, laying in the bathtub, and simply talking at the table - the romance is incredibly authentic. Yet, no moment really rips your heart out akin to the last chance they have to be together in spirit. With her husband Richard (Jim Haynie) home now, Francesca goes into town with him where she sees Robert. Staring at one another in the rain, the film refuses to go for the overly dramatic and unrealistic conclusion. They look at one another, Francesca leans over in the front seat to get a better look at him in the pouring rain, but they go their separate ways. Leaving town, Richard winds up behind Robert. In his truck, Robert can be seen hanging the crucifix Francesca gave him on his rearview mirror and waiting at a green light. He gives her one last chance to come with him. She clutches the door handle and waits. Her worries about Robert no longer wanting her are long gone. The connection is mutual. The experience unique. They are brief soulmates, but Francesca must choose: her family or Robert. In this tense and dramatic scene, the drama feels real. It is not manufactured and you can feel her dilemma. Regardless of what she chooses, she will never feel complete as her heart is guaranteed to be pulled in two separate directions. As is the case throughout, Streep beautifully portrays this complex character and the dilemmas before her. She acts out at Robert for making her feel this way, is set to leave, and is set to stay. She cannot make up her mind, but settles on hurting the least amount of people. Were it not for Streep's powerful performance, the film would still be good but not great. This is the perfect marriage between actor and material as she brings power and grace to the picture, as well as the dilemmas put before her character.

One of the film's greatest assets, however, is the portrayal of Francesca's husband. Often times in these films about affairs, the spouse is shown to be boring or abusive or any number of things. Robert, however, is not treated in such a way. He is a great husband and father. On his death bed, he expresses his regret that he never gave Francesca her dreams. His role in the film is moving and powerfully written. A large part of why Francesca stays is to not hurt Richard and it is easy to see why. He is a beautiful soul who never hurt anybody. Why would he deserve to be hurt in such a way by his wife, who he never wronged. Thus, by not portraying him negatively, The Bridges of Madison County brilliantly shows the pull her marriage has on her heart. Had he been portrayed negatively, it would be a mystery as to why she would stay when she was so unhappy. But, due to his characterization, it becomes clear that she stayed because she loved him. She could not hurt somebody she loved for the simple reason that he was not her soulmate. It is a truly selfless act and yet another example of her giving up her dreams for her family.