Rough romantic relationship dynamics stand among the most unveiled themes which few modern films have treated in Blue Valentine.
In 2010 independent cinema showed the real love emotions through Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams’ performance in a dramatic story that showed romance alongside emotional pain.
Director Derek Cianfrance portrays the turbulent life of Dean and Cindy as the couple struggles through their relationship as their love reaches its inevitable end.
The film moves away from standard romantic narratives by showing an authentic depiction of falling apart marriage.
Through non-linear shifts the movie displays the romance from the beginning and the tragic state of the matured relationship between the couple.
The film project stood apart from all previous work Gosling had pursued thus far.
Speaking with The Guardian, he described the film as “anti-romance,” explaining that Cianfrance aimed to “celebrate people’s faults, demystify romance, and make something that felt real.”
Gosling and Williams succeeded in portraying authenticity when they dedicated themselves fully to bring their roles to life.
The actors shared a residence in the film and worked on a budget which mirrored their characters’ poor finances while performing ordinary tasks to create a genuine connection in the story.
Their passionate dedication led to authentic performances because it helped them create convincing portrayals of Dean and Cindy’s passionate love story.
One specific part of the film caused unexpected fallout with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) as it brought about serious difficulties for the project.
The filmmakers included intensely sincere intimate sequences to show real-life romance instead of usual cinematic glamorized portrayals in Blue Valentine.
Gosling noted that the s*x scenes “felt real,” emphasizing that they were not designed to be provocative but rather to serve the film’s commitment to authenticity.
The action where Dean performs oral s*x on Cindy turned out to be a primary point of contention during the public discussion.
The MPA gave the film its NC-17 rating at first because it is known for its explicit content so the film would not be marketable.
Gosling openly showed his dismay about the rating decision by arguing that there existed a discriminatory system which rated s*xual content differently between genders.
The ratings review system treated male oral s*x scenes with less severity than female oral s*x scenes which were deemed too explicit for public display.
Upon this incident the issue of gender bias in media ratings exposed reasons behind Hollywood’s censorship policy and regulation.
A powerful appeal from The Weinstein Company prompted the rating board to shift the film from NC-17 to R which expanded the market for viewers to watch it.
Critical appreciation of Blue Valentine matched with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress during the period of rating controversy centered around the film.
Credit: (Instagram/ryangoslingdouble)
The film achieved lucrative success at the box office by earning over $16 million worldwide while operating on a restrained budget of $1 million.
When MPA board members reviewed Ryan Gosling’s work they demonstrated the hurdles filmmakers encounter when striving for authentic representations.
The controversial nature of Blue Valentine stands as a marker for how truthful films often collide with commercial standards to become prominent issues about artistic liberty in motion pictures.
Feature Image Credit: (Instagram/ryangoslingdouble) (WireImage) and (Youtube/The Weinstein Company)