All That Heaven Allows: Film Review

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All That Heaven Allows opens with a panoramic, establishing shot. This shows the scene of a small New England town in autumn. Cary Scott is one of the main protagonist. She is a widow. Due to the loss of her husband, she is looking for a change in her life. She has a friend visit and try to persuade her to use this widowhood in a conventional manner. However, Cary’s gardener, Ron Kirby, appears and she has a look of interest from the moment she lays eyes on him. Watching the mise-en-scene in this scene makes it obvious she would rather become romantically involved with her gardener than to socialize at the country club. Cary offers Ron some tea and they make small talk. The end of this scene wraps up with Ron handing Cary a small branch, which …show more content…

However, the mise-en-scene establishes that she is not looking to stay in the same class as the one her husband was in. The sequence of the Golden Rain Tree is shown when Cary is in her room. There is a match cut with the branch Ron gave to her. This is an example of continuity editing. This is able to reinforce the narrative. It is understood that this branch already has a place close to her heart. Now that we know who the protagonists are, Sirk goes on to show the contrast between nature and conservative, or in other words, between Ron and Cary. This is shown by the way Cary’s room is laid out. It is very grand and elevated. She also dresses in a higher-class style. Later, we see Ron at his cabin with his country clothing and the mountains around him to show off his natural and lower-class …show more content…

Her children are shown going from a bright, happy light in the hallway to the dark room where Cary is sitting. The lighting shows that her children seem to be quite happy with their lives and what they are currently doing. In contrast, Cary seems to be depressed. This would be in tune with a woman who has just become a widow. However, it would seem to be that her depression lies in the fact that she wants something and has no idea how to obtain it. She is falling for a man outside of her class and age and knows that if she does give in to her feelings, it could have some very negative consequences. The action of her children being introduced through her mirror shows that Cary is very observative of the people around her. It also gives off the feeling that Cary is stuck in her room, like she is imprisoned there. However, we can tell it is her feelings that are actually imprisoned within

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