The Swimmer

The Swimmer, a drama film directed by Frank Perry and starring Burt Lancaster, made its debut in 1968, galvanizing audiences with its surrealistic exploration of suburban malaise, mid-life crises, and the importance of reputation and image in American culture. It was a film adaptation of a short story of the same title written by award-winning author John Cheever.

The movie plot centers around Ned Merrill, a middle-aged man robustly portrayed by Burt Lancaster, a dependable Hollywood icon noted for taking on complex and challenging roles. Lancaster's performance in The Swimmer is one of his most unusual, intriguing and commendable works.

Ned, the protagonist, lives in an affluent, upper-class neighborhood in Connecticut. On a seemingly normal, bright sunny day, he decides to take a peculiar journey. He chooses to "swim" home across the county by taking a dip in all the swimming pools he finds in the lush and polished backyards of his friends and neighbors. This eccentric quest forms the backbone of The Swimmer and through it, an array of diverse themes is explored.

The film is composed of a series of episodes, each revolving around a different pool owned by a different neighbour, shaping an anthology-like structure where each pool and the encounter associated with it reveal more about Ned, offering glimpses into his backstory, character, and true standing among his seemingly refined and posh suburban community. His interactions with various individuals – a former mistress, a teenager infatuated with him, old friends, and disconnected family members, reveal the fractures in his perfect façade as the movie progresses.

As the environment transitions visually and emotionally through different phases of the day, so does our understanding of Ned, who initially appears as a supremely confident, charismatic individual, the embodiment of a successful American man. However, little by little, the film peels back layers, showing what rests beneath the exterior, the superficial glamour, and the façade of success.

Your senses are particularly catered to by the movie’s relentless attention to cinematic details. The Swimmer enjoys a distinctive aesthetic approach. The cinematography lays heavy emphasis on portraying various degrees of atmospheric beauty, reflecting the changing mood of the narrative. Likewise, Marvin Hamlisch's composed soundtrack effectively mirrors Ned’s inner turmoil and the varied emotional states he experiences throughout his journey.

The Swimmer comes across as a parable about a man stuck in a paralysis of his self-perception - his fixation on the past - and his difficulty accepting the truth of his current situation. Burt Lancaster’s performance as Ned Merrill is captivating, robust, and alluring. His charisma steers the narrative forward, making you want to know more about him. His unwavering optimism, physical prowess, his alluring bravado, contrast sharply with the growing melancholia that surrounds him and gradually engulfs the story.

His onscreen partners, including Janet Landgard as the youthful Julie and Janice Rule as his scorned lover, ably contribute to the compiling portrait of Ned. Each character Ned interacts with is a puzzle piece that collectively paints a thought-provoking image of our protagonist.

By the end, The Swimmer forces viewers to question their own perceptions - not only about Ned Merrill and the seemingly dreamlike expedition he embarks upon - but also about broader themes like social conformity, the subjective version of success, and the often avoided conversation about the frailty of the American Dream. Above all, it makes you wonder about the role we all play in maintaining our own façades and how our insecurities and fears influence our actions, behaviors, and decisions.

The Swimmer is an eccentric, memorable film which serves as a significant highlight in the later stages of Burt Lancaster's career, as well as being a distinct cinematic representation of suburban disillusionment. The film stands tall in its ambitious endeavour, delivering an impactful narrative that continues to invite analysis and discussion.