“Far From Heaven,” featuring a score by Elmer Bernstein, opened in the US November 8th. The film stars Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert and co-stars Patricia Clarkson. It is set in the 1950s and depicts the beautiful, yet oppressive surfaces of middle-class, mid-century America. The film is reminiscent of the films of Douglas Sirk, a popular director during that era, whose films were renowned for their rich look and empathetic characters, particularly women.

“More than anything, ‘Far From Heaven’ is a film about love,” states Bernstein. “It is a film about love within the conventional mores of the fifties. While it was Todd Haynes’ idea to treat this film to look like fifties film, he also took the opportunity to deal with issues that were taboo in the fifties. Issues like homosexuality and racism were always lurking just below the surface, but in this film those issues are met head on. The score is about love and frustration.”