I saw it accidentally on the plane, but I was surprised by the look of the male protagonist Alexander Skarsgard, and then I watched the screen licking (shy face) several times later. This is a good movie. It is very reasonable and real from the perspective of the emotions of the characters and the background of the times. I like it very much. Recommend~
Rachel and Lewis
At the beginning of the film, Lewis came to the train station to pick up his wife. The couple reunited after a long absence. They were a little cautious and wanted to hug or not. In contrast, Susan and Keith embraced and kissed each other.
On the first night after the reunion, the atmosphere was a little silent. To ease the embarrassment, Rachel lit a cigarette, but Lewis did not know that his wife had learned to smoke. Rachel revealed that it was to relieve anxiety, and Lewis did not continue and chose to divert the topic. Talking about the past, Rachel smiled, and then stopped abruptly... The next morning, when Rachel woke up, her husband had already gotten up and went out.
In the later plots, when the two are together, they are almost always accompanied by contradictions and conflicts. The focus seems to be because the two have different attitudes towards their enemies: Rachel hates the Germans because of the loss of their children, while Lewis gets sentiment and becomes kind. This kindness turned into hypocrisy and selfishness in Rachel's eyes. In fact, the biggest contradiction between the two is Lewis's avoidance and habitual ignorance of Rachel: avoiding communication, doing things seem to be discussed, in fact, a decision has already been made.
Compared with Lewis, Rachel took the initiative more, leaving her home to come to Hamburg to meet her husband, and repeatedly asked to keep Lewis to accompany her...but she did not get the desired response on her own initiative, which also paved the way for the subsequent derailment.
Rachel and Rupert
Rachel and Rupert’s extramarital affairs are actually inevitable from their personalities and environment: they are kind in nature and have a strong desire for a new life; just like this, they will not always live with hatred of. Rachel is emotionally active, and Rupert is the same, even more enthusiastic. What Rupert hopes most is to go back in time and live a family of three. Rachel hopes that someone will care to accompany her, think about what she thinks, and feel what she feels.
At first, the two hated each other because of the death of their relatives. Rachel's performance was obvious, Rupert had to hide because he was sent under the fence. However, despite the hostile identity, Rupert's self-cultivation, taste, affection, and bloody surviving under tolerance are attractive to Rachel.
Because of Frida, Rachel and Rupert had two direct contacts, and Rachel also learned about Rupert’s tragic experience: the war caused him to lose his job and his wife, his family was expropriated, and even his biological daughter was also disgusted. And alienating him, this situation of nothingness is so similar to myself, except that there is more empathy in sympathy. There are three things that really make the relationship between the two people ferment:
First, Rupert was humiliated by Keith outside, and Rachel questioned him as a Nazi when he returned home. After being furious, he provoked Rachel and kissed Rachel. This kiss made Rachel panic.
Second, Rupert arrived home after being injured by the demonstrators, and met the British who had a party at his home. Faced with Keith's provocation, he almost lost his temper. Rachel's nervousness and blurted out "Stephen" exposed emotions and made Rupert calm down. Rachel bandaged the wound for Rupert and took the initiative to confess. Rupert was surprised at first, and then accepted without hesitation. The fire almost burned his upper body.
During the process, there was a particularly interesting conversation. Rupert wanted to apologize to her for the forced kiss before, but Rachel's reply made people exclaimed a pair of "dog and man"! (Aunt laughs. GIF):
Rupert: I was going to apologize. (I was going to apologize to you)
Rachel: For what? (for what?)
Rachel: Don't. (No need)
Rupert: I was going to.
Rupert: But I won't.
After a few words, the two of them fully understood.
Although CP fans are very happy watching the two make each other, but objectively speaking, Rupert's feelings are complicated at this time. Rachel's beauty and kindness make people's heart moving, but it is hard to say that there is no use ingredient. The realistic environment made Rupert eager to get a white paper and start a new life, but Keith's attitude again believed that he was a Nazi, and it seemed that he could only use the relationship between Rachel and Keith. This also explains the snickering when being bandaged.
Third, Rachel played Debussy's "Moonlight" in the afterglow with despair of Lewis. This scene shocked Frida and Rupert, and Rachel looked like Claudia at this time. Rachel thought of her son who had died in the war and broke down and wept bitterly. Frida and Rupert realized that Rachel was like them. Rupert hugged the poor woman tightly, and their feelings really erupted.
In the next few days, Rupert, Rachel, and Frida were like a family, eating breakfast, doing hair, watching movies, and spending Christmas together... the people who were taken away by the war seemed to have returned to the happy lives of the past. Rupert took Rachel to the cabin and planned her future life to Rachel. Both hopes were fulfilled, and the dawn of a new life reappeared.
It's hard to say that this relationship is not love. Rupert plans to have Rachel in the future. But more often, the two injured people stayed together to warm each other and depended on each other.
The emotional ending of the three
Although I am a firm Rachel & Rupert CP fan, I have to admit that Rachel has a deeper affection for Lewis. Although there are misunderstandings and contradictions, the feelings have not really changed. The attack made Rachel truly feel: Although the war is over, the hatred is still not over, and Lewis's busyness is indeed helpless. At the same time, under the fright of the crisis, he also made himself aware of the surviving love for Lewis. And Lewis' tolerance and confession at the last moment resolved their contradictions and misunderstandings.
Rupert got the cleansing certificate and can start a new life from then on, and his daughter forgave him. In contrast, Lewis needs Rachel more, and Rachel also needs to reach a settlement with Lewis.
At the end of the film, Rupert watched Rachel leave with tears. He got on the train, bowed his head and closed the door (cp powder storm crying face. GIF). Lewis was in the snow, looking at Rachel coming back, trotting forward, hugging her tightly.
The war is over. Although the trauma is still painful, it will fade away, and a new day will always come.
Some final thoughts
1. It was a pity that Rachel didn't choose Rupert at the beginning. The good-looking people flirted with each other too seductively, and the aunt laughed across the screen. But Lewis's human glory before the big troubles can completely make people forget the mistakes he made. Only the best Lewis in the world can have Rachel's love.
2. Love is a flash of lightning at a certain moment based on a good impression. But between adults, mutual need is more real than love. Throughout the movie, the word "love you" never appeared between Rachel and Rupert, and Rachel and Lewis, but more "need you".
3. In addition to appearance, the acting is also top-notch. Rachel took a sneak peek at Rupert's appearance; the guilt towards Lewis after he calmed down after the first derailment; the shame and shame after being discovered by Lewis. . . Alexander Skarsgard is a good use of facial expressions and action details to show the character's psychology and situation, showing the upbringing and restraint when welcoming the new owner in front of his mansion; self-blaming when he is depressed and chopping wood after quarreling with his daughter , Frustrated, helpless; learned that she had obtained the white paper with the help of Rachel, and at the same time learned that Rachel was going to return to London when she was surprised, guilty, and disappointed; Rachel decided to return to Lewis and get on the train alone when she was lonely Back view. . . Excellent acting skills supported the whole show.
ps: Speaking of Keith and Susan, these two also lost their children in the war. But unlike Lewis, their hearts are full of hatred. Keith deliberately found fault with Rupert because he couldn't understand Lewis's kindness, in order to prove that Rupert was a Nazi, he came to give Lewis a blow. No one is spared under the war, and Keith and Susan are also poor people.
View more about The Aftermath reviews
