MovieChat Forums > Two for the Road (1967) Discussion > Something I noticed after several viewin...

Something I noticed after several viewings (possible spoilers)

posted 12 years ago by elisedfr
2 replies | jump to latest

I knew TFR followed a non-chronological narration. Recently, I realized the plotline's order is in fact geographical, and very coherent in this aspect. The film begins with Joanna and Mark arriving to the airport, and the flashbacks are provoked by the sight of the ferryboat (first trip) and the french waterfront and customs (third trip with the MG). From then on, the heroes, at different stages of their lives, follow the same road through the countryside, heading for the South. For instance, the Chantilly hotel brings back memories of the carefree, eventful MG trip, confronted to a comfortable but dull present. The second trip, with the annoying couple and their daughter is interrupted near the middle of the movie and thus the storyline disappears; while the fourth trip with Caroline was clearly made by plane and not all the way through the country, and is presented mid-movie.

As the film advances, Joanna and Mark are getting closer and closer to the South. They go to the beach (first, third and last trip), visit Maurice's villa (third and last trip) and we see that although the scenery changes, the places are the same through the years: the deserted, idyllic beach of their youth becomes invaded with building works, then some time later with tourists and fancy restaurants.

At the very end, which covers only the last trip, the couple reaches the closest point to the South, as they cross the Italian border, heading to Rome. I loved the movie not paying much attention to the narratives' logic but it does make sense to me now that all these non-sequential flasbacks are in fact Joanna and Mark's reminicenses provoked by the landscapes and places that they saw at different points of their lives, and which make them recall the past, and compare it with nostalgy and bitterness to the present. It also makes the title even more revelant than I thought: Joanna and Mark are indeed on the road, a real road to the French Provence and a symbolic road through love and marriage.

The ending sequence is very poignant in that aspect. The customs agents allow them to go through the Italian border, and it seems like on another level, they are allowed to go on with their life together, to travel further away. Like their trip, their life together is not ended, for a while, anyway.

" You ain't running this place, Bert, WILLIAMS is!" Sgt Harris

[–] murph24 12 years ago

You're right about the geographical aspect of Two For The Road and how the film progressively takes the viewer south, no matter which time period is being covered. However, it's interesting to note that the opening MG sequence (with the first mention of the "donk"), while set in the northern French port of Dieppe, was actually shot in Nice.

But I'm not sure what you mean with "the fourth trip with Caroline was clearly made by plane." The only plane in the film is the one at the outset that takes Joanna, Mark & their Mercedes across the channel; there's also a brief sequence showing Joanna and David in a glider. But the only scenes in which Caroline appeared were in the "red Triumph" segment of the film, and she's clearly shown sitting next to them in the Triumph, eating ice cream and asking Albert Finney to imitate a duck. Caroline never appears in a plane, and unless you count the glider, neither does anyone else in that part of the movie.

[–] elisedfr 12 years ago

I think I expressed myself badly ! You're right, Caroline and her parents never appear together in a plane but I assumed they had made a flight direct from London to an airport or sth and neglected to take the ferryboat like they usually do, because their storyline "appears" when the movie is already set in the South. It would make sense, as the couple is now travelling with a young child and may find going through France all the way down is not a good idea with a kid, while they were happy to do it when they were younger and on their own. But it could very well be explained by the simple fact this storyline gets really interesting when Joanna meets David at the beach.
Thanks for the info ! It's true the waterfront looks very sunny to be set in the North ! :)

" You ain't running this place, Bert, WILLIAMS is!" Sgt Harris