Why buy a car...
...and keep it in the garage?
(Referring to the 'wedding night'.)
It's remarkable how characters in films often seem to lack normal impulses and desires.
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MovieChat Forums > Rachel and the Stranger (1948) Discussion > Why buy a car...
They're not real people you know; just a figment of someone's imagination. Some writers are better than others in developing characters but not all traits need to be shown or backstories developed.
In this movie, the desires were most definitely there but the marriage was for practical reasons. Dave needed help around the house and especially raising little Davy so he went looking for help. He only married Rachel because the Parson said it would not be right to live together unmarried.
Davy didn't want to feel he was moving on too quickly from his beloved Susan who he hadn't been gone long. I'm sure he also didn't want to require more of Rachel so soon into the marriage. The Parson told him to let her move gradually into her chores and to be reasonable. He probably thought a relationship was included in that too. There was also little Davy to consider. If he got too close to Rachel too quickly little Davy would feel betrayed. Little Davy had to develop a relationship with Rachel too.
It's also clear Davy thought Rachel was a different kind of woman than she turned out to be. I'm not sure how one usually end up a bond servant but they don't have the greatest status. When he finds out how she landed into that life (her father's debt after death) he kind of started to soften towards her. She had been a normal girl in a normal family life at one time.
And, of course, he would have been a real pig to force himself on her just because they were legally married. They didn't know each other at all and had not made a connection yet. Jim's visit and his interest in Rachel helped push Dave's own feelings for her to the forefront.
I also think that big Davey felt some contempt for Rachael as she was a bondswoman and beneath him. He probably felt she deserved the situation she was in. He seemed surprised when she said she was in servitude due to her father's debts. Little Davey also spat out the words "You are a bondswoman"; and not in a good way.
shareI really love this movie for a number of reasons. I watched it because I like the actors but I discovered an interesting movie with many good messages.
Dave was heartbroken over the loss of his beloved wife. He was having a hard time adjusting and seeing a future as meaningful as the one he'd lost. He was trudging forward but mainly for the sake of his young son.
Rachel, too, was living a hopeless life. She had few options. She entered into a marriage with a complete stranger and tried to make the most of it. Her hope soon faded but she did not let it stop her from duty; she tried to make herself useful.
Adversity could have and almost did pull them apart but because they didn't let their situation affect their humanity, it brought them together. In the end this is a love story. It's the story of two people finding each other and themselves. We leave them knowing all will be well.
1. What brings two people together does not necessarily define their relationship or dictate the course it will take. Dave realized he needed help with his son but he needed Rachel too.
2. We should not judge each other the way Dave initially judged Rachel. She was more than she appeared to be or her circumstances would indicate.
3. We cannot give up hope. Dave loved his wife but he didn't lose his capacity to love after she died. Too often people live life looking backwards and wondering why they can't move forward. Dave and Rachel found love where they least expected it.
4. Sometimes it's hard to appreciate or even notice what we have until we've lost or come close to losing it. Never take anything for granted especially the people in our lives. Lost possessions can be rebuilt, purchased, or made again.
5. Children are a blessing. If for no other reason, we should do the right things and set a good example for their sake. Davy was Dave's motivation to get Rachel. He married her because it was the right thing to do but he allowed Davy to treat his disrespectfully. He soon realized that he needed to set the right example for his son. Otherwise, Rachel would not have been able to help or be of use to either of them.
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]