Review of Water for Elephants (2011) by Spangle — 22 Apr 2017

A stylish period piece that doubles as a mushy and sweet forbidden love affair, Water for Elephants is mostly set on a train. Holding the Benzini Bros Circus as run by a man named August Rosenbluth (Christoph Waltz), this train is also where veterinarian Jacob (Robert Pattinson) meets August's beautiful wife and star attraction Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Using a set-up similar to The Notebook with the story of this love affair book-ended with scenes of Jacob telling the story as an old man (Hal Holbrook), Water for Elephants is a visually splendid tale of forbidden love that blends both affair film tropes with male savior tropes and, finally, with soul mate tropes. The final blending of this comes together into a film that may be quite stereotypical and predictable in the end, but is a charmer nonetheless and puts on quite the show.

In recent times, I have come to find a lot of films fall into this "Dual-Risk Love Affair" trope in which two people meet and begin some type of scandalous relationship in which they risk not just being caught, but losing their place in society. These love affairs are short lived and they are broken apart by circumstances and rejected by the communities in which the lovers reside. Yet, during their time together, one location or a series of locations wind up defining their love. That said, the most definitive elements of this are films that have that "dual-risk". This forbidden affair must be hidden due to spouses or society knowing, but also fear of blowback that seems them lose their spots in the world. Water for Elephants' central romance certainly falls into this group of films with an affair taking center stage that is risky due to August finding out. Violently rejecting the love thanks to his goons, August finding out would see Jacob tossed out of the train and out of the only world he really knows after the death of his parents. As such, for Jacob, he risks life and limb to be with Marlena, with their love being defined by the circus and their love of animals. As with other films in this "subgenre" of sorts, Water for Elephants derives romantic tension not just from the forbidden nature of their love, but what it would mean if they were discovered and how it would impact their livelihoods. However, the key is undoubtedly the series of "brief encounters" they share with one another. A momentary dance, bonding over their love of animals, running away from the cops and sharing a kiss, or celebrating Jacob joining the circus, Water for Elephants' love is defined in a series of moments where the two lovers are allowed to embrace their love. Dripping with romantic chemistry between Pattinson and Witherspoon, these moments where they can throw caution into the wind and share a passionate kiss are the real highlight of this romance. The scenes radiate and, for anyone around them, there is no question as to their love for one another. It is a love that is built out of small moments together that grows into something so much more.

While the inherent soul mate nature to that love is gloriously defined and as swoon-inducing as one comes to expect from a romantic film, one hitch in the film is definitely the male savior element. With August being abusive, animal hating, and money hungry, he meets all of the requirements to being a man that has a woman who needs to be "saved". Telling Marlena that she is beautiful and deserves a beautiful life, Jacob embarks on a journey to save her from a "bad boy" and show her what a "nice guy" can do for her. In essence, he is a white knight and she is his damsel in distress. The film's full embrace of this narrative is certainly disappointing to see unfold and really adds an unnecessary "male savior" element to the film that somewhat undermines the beautiful romance is develops in other scenes. It adds tension, sure, but this tension is always a bit silly and leads to coaxing an elephant into an unlikely murder of a man. The climax is mostly maligned with this, leaving the film ending a very sour note in terms of practicality and how cliche its tension had become.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto is admittedly the star here though. The man behind the camera for 21 Grams, Brokeback Mountain, Babel, Silence, and Passengers, Prieto is a man who knows how to create striking images. Water for Elephants is no exception with a classic-appearing film that is consistently beautifully lit with vibrant colors that really explode onto the screen. This style not only complements the romance on display, but paints a vivid picture of this 1930s lifestyle on the train. From the drab sequences when they are all poor and struggling to eat to the scenes of joy and celebration that are popping with color when they are on top, Prieto has a keen eye for how to create a shot that both embodies the mood and augments that mood to create an image that really invokes feeling and style.