I had this film on my radar for quite a while as I heard nothing but great things about it. Having finally watched it, it lived up to my expectations as, from the first moment of the fluid camera work and the juxtaposition of Lancaster's burly demeanor and his gentle curiosity as he explored the woods, I was hooked. The subtle undercurrent of dread grabbed me right away and refused to let up. The first act, for instance, matched Ned's emotional journey very well. Though everything about it seemed serene at first glance, something felt off the more I thought about it. The opening credit music felt somewhat melancholy, the energetic swells of the soundtrack when Ned jumped into the first pool hinted that he had already reached his emotional climax, and the perplexed reaction Ned's friends had towards his plan suggested they knew troubling things about his past which Ned himself seemed to be in denial of. Since the various pools he frequented throughout the day provided us with more insight towards his prior mistakes, it's as if a dark cloud constantly loomed over him. Considering how every pool added to his disillusionment and that he had to descend to get to them (he started out at the top of the valley), the film became an allegory about the dark side of the American dream. The further he moved down the valley, the more his pristine dropped until he got to a point where he no longer fit into society. Like many other people of his social status, finding success means you may become absorbed in egotistical and material shallowness in the process. Though you may be living a dream at one point, it can quickly turn into a nightmare once you give into unethical and self-destructive urges. This became clearer for Ned the further he descended. Given the casting of Burt Lancaster (an actor who was famous for his looks), the film also doubles as a critique of masculinity. Ned's tough guy demeanor seems to represent masculinity or manliness (in addition to how he spends practically the entire film in his swim trunks), but the more you learn about his past, the more pathetic he seems and the clearer it becomes that his rough outer appearance is used as an attempt to mask his flaws. The final scene could be criticised as being too literal, but I think the culmination to the film was inevitable and the only true ending it could've had. Topped with some gorgeous nature photography and cross-dissolves, this film was right up my alley and I definitely look forward to revisiting it at some point.
Review of The Swimmer
