Development and casting
In 1961, following the publication of Richard Yates' novel, director John Frankenheimer considered making the film, but opted to make The Manchurian Candidate instead.[4] Samuel Goldwyn Jr. expressed an interest in the film adaptation, but others in his studio told him that it lacked commercial prospects.[5] Then in 1965, producer Albert S. Ruddy bought the rights but disliked the ending to the novel, and wanted to obscure April's death with "tricky camerawork".[5] He became involved in adapting The Godfather and, five years later, while a writer-in-residence at Wichita State University, Yates offered to adapt his work for the screen. Ruddy was occupied by other projects at the time and demurred, eventually selling the rights to actor Patrick O'Neal. The actor praised the book and spent the rest of his life trying to finish a workable screenplay.[5] Yates read O'Neal's treatment of his novel and found it "godawful", but O'Neal refused the writer's repeated offers to buy back the rights to the novel. Yates died in 1992, O'Neal two years later.[4]
The project remained in limbo until 2001 when actor Todd Field expressed interest in adapting it for the screen. However, when told by the O'Neal estate he would be required to shoot O'Neal's script as written, Field changed his mind and went on to direct Little Children instead.[6] Producer David Thompson eventually purchased the rights for BBC Films.[7] In March 2007, BBC Films established a partnership with DreamWorks, and the rights to the film's distribution were transferred to DreamWorks' owner, Paramount Pictures. On February 14, 2008, Paramount's other division, Paramount Vantage, announced that it was "taking over distribution duties on Revolutionary Road".[8] but the distribution rights were reverted back to Paramount Pictures once Paramount folded the production, distribution and marketing operations of Paramount Vantage into the main studio. The BBC hired Justin Haythe to write the screenplay because, according to the screenwriter, he was "hugely affordable".[5]
Kate Winslet received the screenplay from her agent, and then read the novel. She was impressed and even met with O'Neal's widow, Cynthia O'Neal, and discussed the film adaptation.[9] Winslet sent the script to producer Scott Rudin, who suggested that her then-husband Sam Mendes would be perfect as director.[5] Winslet gave Mendes Yates' novel and said, "I really want to play this part".[10] He read Haythe's script and then the book in quick succession. Haythe's first draft was very faithful to the novel, using large parts of Yates' own language, but Mendes told him to find ways to externalize what Frank and April do not say to each other.[5]
Winslet sent the script to friend Leonardo DiCaprio, and persuaded him to take the part of Frank.[5] DiCaprio was intrigued by the 1950s era and complexities of marriage; "The dynamic between Frank and April is so powerful and realistic, you feel like you're a fly on the wall watching an intimate relationship disintegrate," he said.[11] DiCaprio said that he saw his character as "unheroic" and "slightly cowardly", and that he was "willing to be just a product of his environment".[12] On April 24, 2007, it was announced that Kathy Bates had joined the cast, along with David Harbour, Michael Shannon and Zoe Kazan.[13] Kazan said she fought hard for the role of Maureen Grube, despite objections from casting director Debra Zane who thought she was too young.[14]
To prepare for the role, Winslet read The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan.[15] She said, "The hardest thing about playing April, honestly, was making a very specific choice to not have her being as mannered as she is in the book. In the book, she's very, very highly strung and sometimes hysterical. She feels like a string that's literally going to snap at any moment."[16] DiCaprio prepared for the role by watching several documentaries about the 1950s and the origin of suburbs. He and Winslet have been reluctant since Titanic to co-star in projects that show them in a romantic relationship.[12] DiCaprio said they "just knew it would be a fundamental mistake to try to repeat any of those themes".[17]
Filming
In mid-2007, the cast rehearsed for three and a half weeks before principal photography and shot mostly in sequence and on location in Darien, Connecticut.[18] Mendes wanted to create a claustrophobic dynamic on set, so he filmed the Wheeler home interiors in a real house. The property, including the neighbor's house, were very small but featured 1950s-style architecture.[11] The homeowners gave permission for DreamWorks to dismantle and remodel the interior and exterior.[19] Around 45 tradespeople were involved with the transformation, including carpenters, interior designers and landscapers.[19] Production designer Kristi Zea and her team had five weeks to renovate the homes. "We wanted to keep the sense of isolation that was described in the book", Zea said.[19] Debra Schutt served as a set decorator, and said, "We ruled out anything with bright colors and anything that hit you over the head with the period. The look is really quite plain".[20]
Cinematographer Roger Deakins was meticulous with the home's interior lighting.Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who previously worked on Mendes' Jarhead, shot with a combination of jib and handheld camera equipment. Deakins analyzed the use of every light fixture in the house; Schutt recalls "he's quite specific about what he wants. For instance, for the night scene by the side of the road, he wanted streetlights that would give a rectangular, tapered light, and for an argument in the Wheelers' front room, he wanted a ceiling fixture that would send light down and out in a fan shape with a hard edge".[20] Period streetlights and automobiles were also fitted with specific light bulbs by the art department.[21] Deakins found it difficult at times working in a small, shaded house with bulky camera equipment. Nevertheless, Winslet was impressed with his ability to "bounce light all over" using Arri Compact HMI lamps.[11][21] To gradually illustrate the home's neglect and Wheelers' collapsing marriage, the crew removed props in the house and Deakins transitioned to handheld cameras, respectively.[19][22] Mendes said, "I wanted a real rawness in Leo and Kate's performances in the last half-hour of the movie, and when we reached that point, I told Roger I didn't want to make any decisions [about shots]; I wanted it to be handheld, and I wanted to let the actors be explosive and unpredictable".[22]
Recalling the on-set atmosphere, Michael Shannon said that he did not feel that there were any "stars", but "a group of people united by a passion for the material and wanting to honor the book".[23] He said Winslet and DiCaprio could only make such a good performance as a couple because of their friendship since Titanic. For Shannon, it was more important to prepare for the moment when he walked on the set than being concerned about the actors he was working with.[23] In the fight scenes between DiCaprio and Winslet, DiCaprio said, "So much of what happens between Frank and April in this film is what's left unsaid. I actually found it a real joy to do those fight scenes because finally, these people were letting each other have it".[17] Winslet described her working relationship with DiCaprio as "challenging" and "physically comfortable", but she also felt "pressure" working with him, and working with her then-husband Mendes.[16] She added, "the on-set atmosphere was very fluid in that way in that we'd all share ideas [...] without treading on each other's toes".[16] DiCaprio found the filming process physically and emotionally exhausting, that he postponed his next film for two months.[18]
Once filming was complete, Deakins had the film negative (Kodak Vision2 200T 5217 and 500T 5218) processed at DuArt Film and Video in New York, one of his favorite laboratories in the area.[22] During post-production, handled by EFILM, Mendes deleted around 20 minutes of footage to keep it in the spirit of Yates' novel.[5]
Music
Thomas Newman composed the soundtrack for Revolutionary Road; it is his fourth film score collaboration with Mendes. Consisting of fifteen tracks, Newman uses a variety of piano, strings, metallic sound effects and basslines for a haunting minimalist sound.[24] The music was recorded at Newman Scoring Stage in Los Angeles and the album was released on December 23, 2008.[25]
