Essay on Film Analysis Lantana directed by Ray Lawrence

In his 2001 film entitled Lantana, director Ray Lawrence provides a dramatic look into the consequences of jealousy and infidelity in relationships. The film focuses primarily on two couples, Leon and Sonja, and John and Valerie, whose relationships are both seemingly in the midst of their own downward spirals. As the story unfolds and the issues affecting each of these relationships are uncovered, the film paints a vivid picture of the different ways that such themes can quickly bring ruin to relationships, and, in the case of some of the film’s characters, lives. As the film opens, it quickly becomes apparent that Leon, a married law enforcement officer, is cheating on his wife Sonja with Jane, a woman from their dance class. Jane†¦show more content†¦Leon originally suspected John of doing away with Valerie due to their rocky relationship. John even goes as far as to admit to Leon that he was simply ignoring Valerie’s pleas for help the night that she d ied, as he was experiencing so much exhaustion over her distrust of him. However, Jane’s finding puts Leon on the trail of Jane’s neighbor. As it turns out, however, Jane’s neighbor had only tried to help Valerie, before she became frightened and ran from him, falling to her death. During the investigation, Leon finds his wife’s file in Valerie’s office. He listens to a recording of a therapy session between his wife and Valerie, in which Sonja admits that she still loves Leon, though she suspects infidelity. After seeing how fragile life is and how lucky he is to have a woman in his life who loves him despite his rather obvious flaws, Leon appears to experience an internal change, and the film ends on a note of forgiveness and reconciliation, as it appears that Leon and Sonja will be able to recover and move forward. The film focuses primarily on the negative ways in which the themes of infidelity and jealousy effect intimate relationships. Leon’s cheating causes Sonja to break, as she is unable to trust her husband and the father of her children. What I found interesting was what Sonja said in her therapy session, being that she isn’t as much worried about Leon sleeping with another woman as she is about him lying