This sapphic period drama begins with a flashback as Therese begins her shift at Frankenberg’s Department Store, where she staffs a doll counter. Here we meet Carol, a dazzlingly glamourous older woman who, I can’t deny, is a huge factor in my undying love for this film. Therese recommends a train set for Carol’s daughter and the pair’s tentative romance begins, catalysed by a sensual sub-plot involving lost gloves.
In this coming-of-age story, neither authenticity nor glamour is sacrificed in what is a beautiful exploration of the pain and joy of queer love.
From this point on, we follow a series of meetings between the women, who assume a comfortable intimacy with one another almost immediately. Blanchett and Mara’s onscreen chemistry is undeniable as we follow Carol and Therese shopping for a Christmas tree and driving through snow-covered landscapes while listening to the radio.
Tender moments between the pair contrast their wintery surroundings, imbuing Carol and Therese’s romance with a Christmassy feel free of cliché. The pair’s flirtation begins subtly, however, and the women remain relatively emotionally alienated from one another, despite their closeness.
In Carol, contemporary social pressures are inextricable from the relationship unfolding onscreen. Under the ever-present watchful eye of 1950s American society, tension builds, giving way to the perfect unexpected crescendo when the protagonists’ feelings for one another are finally revealed.
This is not to say that the social context of the era is idealised; rather, it is Carol’s clever combination of realism and romance that draws me in. Grainy shots reflect this balance of nostalgia and naturalism, while a soundtrack combining a classical score, a sprinkling of Christmas songs and music from the era perfectly matches the emotional highs and lows of the film.
In this coming-of-age story, neither authenticity nor glamour is sacrificed in what is a beautiful exploration of the pain and joy of queer love.
