Todd Haynes’ Safe depicts the story of Carol (Julianne Moore), a housewife whose bourgeois lifestyle slowly begins to disintegrate around her. Beginning with typical ‘picket fence’ image, Haynes gradually begins to show the effects of Carol’s monotonous lifestyle on her health, attributing it to a medical condition known as the “twentieth century illness” or “chemical sensitivity.” Carol eventually seeks solace in the Wrenwood retreat but still feels out of place and isolated. Finding little peace at Wrenwood, Carol eventually moves into a secluded pod and is completely cut off from the world. The gradual meltdown of Carol’s lifestyle and the slow isolation of her existence is difficult to watch but Haynes captures this brilliantly.

One of the interesting features of Safe is that Haynes uses everyday objects to display Carol’s worsening condition and implies a lot through the surrounding environment. For example, Carol drinking milk (most of the time) can be seen as a sign of her pure and perfect lifestyle but it is also the “trigger” to her reactions. While letting go of her old surroundings, milk is one of the first things (of many) that Carol is advised to stay away from by her doctor. This slowly begins to cut Carol off from her suburban world and she eventually even fails to communicate with the people around her, “not knowing what language to speak in her own home”, as Janet Maslin puts it. The change in surroundings, from a beautiful house to an isolated retreat, conveys Carol’s final step in letting go of her previous identity, making her a completely different individual altogether. The multi-tasking and social Carol is transformed into a patient dependent on her oxygen tank, and is a mere shadow of what she once was.

One of the reasons why Safe works is because of its cinematography. Haynes uses different camera angles and slow takes to accurately capture Carol’s emotions and her reactions to the surrounding environment. Some of the shots captured of the city and Wrenwood are amazing, showing the striking contrast between the two places. Haynes effectively emphasizes Carol’s gradual detachment from her family and friends, showing her isolation in a world that she once belonged to. I felt that the best shot of the movie was when Carol watches a strange “wraithlike” figure at Wrenwood, moving awkwardly around his house. This is where Haynes shows the viewer what Carol could possibly turn into, and the very thought is disturbing.

There weren’t a lot of flaws in the movie except that it would appeal to only a certain section of the audience. Viewers who enjoy fast-paced action and short movies might be slightly bored by Safe, which is about two hours in length. However, the slow pacing of the movie was almost necessary given the storyline, and Haynes manages to successfully depict Carol’s transformation and eventual isolation.

What Haynes has captured in Safe is disturbing in a way because it represents the slow and painful decline of the human condition. By showing what happened to Carol, who had everything one could ask for, Haynes displays that no one is exempt from this process. Whether it was intended or not, Haynes’ movie carries an open social message about the flaw in what one would label a stereotypical ‘perfect’ life: there is no such thing.

References:

1. The Rough Guide To American Independent Film, By Jessica Winter

2. Safe Movie Review, by Janet Maslin (New York Times)

Tags: drama, eckerd college, Julianne Moore, Rajeev Rupani, Safe, sundance, Todd Haynes

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