THIS ONE CRUSHED MY HEART OUT.

This is the most emotionally-charged scene in the movie The Bridges of Madison County; where Francesca (Meryl Streep) ultimately renounce her passion and happiness by not opening the door of her husband's truck. She was right there, on the very thin edge between staying with her family and live right or run to Robert (Clint Eastwood) and live her fantasy. Good Lord, observe how adept Meryl Streep is in handling this scene, even me could not breathed as I felt her heart squirmed almost to death. It is necessary for Francesca and Robert to part; otherwise, the story would not be the same as this one, so poignant and heart-wrenching. Had these two characters run away together and lived happily, then the book would not be as successful as it is and no movie could be made.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

is a gem. The film conveys a powerful and poignant story about two people who found the assurance of a perfect personal happiness but melancholically understand and accept that the most important things in life are not always towards making one’s self happy. This one is surprisingly deep and moving and glows delicately inside your heart. Analyzing the plot and mechanisms of this movie could have made this one fallen into pits of unbearable melodramatic genre of mushy and weepy films. However, this one gently seeps under your skin and underneath it will make you understand the situation that is so simple yet so profound. And by that, tears will fall. The technical aspect of this movie could be easily analyzed as the entire scenes depicting Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood find the right notes and shadings; from their sparking interest of knowing each other, to their restrained feelings of growing love, up to the renouncing of their own happiness. But the difficult one is explaining the enigmatic force that entwine around the two central characters. Their affair could be easily corrupted to something vulgar and tactless and reduce to the elements of seduction and sex and adultery and betrayal. But Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood weaved a spellbinding performance as Francesca and Robert. Based on the idea specific to their own love affair, the two actors deliver their pieces not with a grand act, but with immeasurable subtle feats of joy and sorrows of their unfinished love affair. And with that, the story of this film becomes universal and beautiful; pure and unfathomable.