45 Years is a contemplative romantic drama starring Charlotte Rampling in the central roles. It is an elegantly crafted addition to director Andrew Haigh's filmography, who recently helmed All of Us Strangers, featuring Andrew Scott. Much like the 2023 film, 45 Years is a brooding affair about a relationship strained by factors beyond what its characters can control.
Its official synopsis reads,
"A married couple preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary receives shattering news that promises to forever change the course of their lives."
The film presents Rampling as Kate Mercer, a woman in her twilight years, reflecting on the fate of her marriage after she learns a detail about her husband of nearly 45 years. So, it is essentially a tragic drama with flickers of conventional romance. It deals with the themes of grief, aging, and longing.
Rampling leads this British film, which also stars Tom Courtenay, Geraldine James, Dolly Wells, and David Sibley. Haigh wrote its script based on David Constantine's short story titled In Another Country. It debuted at the 2015 Berlinale, where Rampling won the Silver Bear award for her performance. It also earned her an Oscar nod.
What is the story behind 45 Years?
45 Years is a quiet film, filled with deliberate moments of reflection. It is shown through the eyes of Kate Mercer (Rampling) who learns about a woman that her husband once held dear. It happened after Kate had spent more than four decades, married to him.
The couple discovers the truth about Katya, Geoff's (Tom Courtenay) German lover, whose remains were discovered in a glacier in Switzerland. He gets pulled back into his memories of leaving her behind.
Besides a possible survivor's guilt, Geoff mulls over the prospect of his once-failed relationship. It affects his marriage with Kate, who looks forward to celebrating their 45th marriage anniversary. The couple couldn't celebrate it on their 40th due to Geoff's heart bypass surgery.
What is the root of Kate's despair?
The film begins by showing the couple's aforementioned discovery and leaves little room for viewers to learn about Kate and Geoff's married past. Were they always in a loving relationship? Did he often think about Katya's tragic loss? The film doesn't explicitly say anything.
Instead, it offers a few insights through their conversations. They reveal Geoff's recent behavioral changes and Kate's emotional attachment to him. The news unravels their marriage. Kate quietly grieves the loss of her husband even if he is physically present beside her.
Kate realizes that Geoff once had to lie about his marriage with Katya. She discovers his collection of memorabilia about Katya and realizes Katya was pregnant at the time of her death. Looking back at their marriage, she believes some decisions were likely influenced by Geoff's relationship with Katya. It breaks her heart and leads to her despair.
What happens to Kate and Geoff's marriage?
Kate and Geoff grow emotionally distant while inching closer to their anniversary ceremony. Geoff becomes increasingly moody and Kate, miserable, as they reflect on their past. Eventually, at the party, Geoff offers an impassioned speech, proclaiming his love for Kate.
The couple soon starts dancing to The Platters' Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, the first song they played during their wedding. Geoff appears happier than Kate, who rigidly moves around. It feels like she is dancing with a stranger despite having lived with him for many years.
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The lyrics of The Platters' song reflect Kate's conundrum as she tries to make sense of deep desire. Amid the celebratory mood of their guests, Kate stands miserably alone by herself. As they dance, she presumably wonders how she was blind to the signs of his past love.
The ending does not offer a definitive conclusion to Kate and Geoff's marriage. However, it offers a melancholic end to Kate's character. With Geoff, she will have to live with a painful realization. However, she won't be able to live without him either.
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