Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a movie that was made in America in the year 1961. It is based on the highly popular narrative written by Truman Capote that has a similar title. Under movie director Blake Edwards, the movie was categorized under classic romantic comedy genre pooled with drama. The three main themes of the movie are; the hunt for individual liberty, the search for true identity and inner self, and finally women’s independence. Theatrical basics were applied to show this subject matter. For example, the cat personality was used as a representation which characterizes Holly Golightly in her quests for freedom. Her bare residence signifies her persona and traits. Representation of women’s autonomy was revealed in Holly’s talk and her nature.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a depiction of Holly Golightly, who was a gorgeous inexperienced young lady in pursuit of her self-identity. Her upbringing was unhinged as she married at the tender age of fourteen. She later fled from her matrimonial home, leaving her husband, and proceeded on to New York City in search of liberty. The only source of income she could garner up was conveying of coded missives to a certain imprisoned mafia kingpin, and meeting up with prosperous men, men of means. Lacking friends, she was lonely and frantic in her search for companionship. Paul Varjak was her neighbor who became her friend almost immediately they met. Paul, who had esteem issues with himself, was a fraught writer. This movie investigates a broad spectrum of aspects including Holly and Paul’s association and her extra personal affiliations with other people and the progress of the relationship she has with Paul as they get more mutually attached to one another. Holly has been caught up in several short term affairs that were virtually unrewarding to her life and Paul falls head over heels in love with her. Jose, a wealthy Brazilian, suddenly comes into the picture with the angle of marriage to Holly. Her intentions for the marriage are based on financial support. She even goes to the extent of readying herself to move to Brazil with Jose. Unfortunately for her, Jose changes his mind about marrying her after revelations abound regarding her association with the mafia boss. She gets arrested. In the final scene, she gets a concise lesson on life, finding out what makes her content. In the process, she also finds out her true inner self.
The focal theme in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the search for liberty/freedom. Her escapade to New York was with the initial belief that she would discover freedom. She felt that commitment in a relationship was a restraint on oneself to be able to do what they want. The unidentified cat represents the hunt for freedom and also how Holly belongs to no one in particular. The search for personal freedom is presented by the nameless cat that represents Holly herself and how she does not belong to a specific person or place. Lack of depiction in the movie of any sort of feeding or care taken of the cat, shows that Holly is scared of commitment. She believes her freedom will be depleted if she gets involved in a commitment. She declines to name the cat as an indication of her wider denial of stability.
The hunt for a person’s true self or identity is another focal point of the movie. The apprehension of being who you are is also addressed in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. By playing certain characters, people are at ease and believe what they acquire is what they require. The trouble with having to play several characters is that individuals don’t recall the moment a new character comes to play and when it reverts to back to the original character they were playing, they constantly need something to remind them who they were initially. Loss of one’s identity is depicted by Holly’s empty and unkempt residence. The bare dwellings demonstrate how Holly is not aware of who she is and also how she became an empty person. An indication of self-loss of which she finds herself, is demonstrated by her unkempt apartment. In contrast, her cue of her real personality is represented by Tiffany’s store. The finding of her cat is a good indication of Holly finally finding her true identity. This is at the end part of the movie.
Yet another main theme brought forth, is women’s independence. In the course of the pre-war period, women were obligated to go back to their original component of the society. This was the role of being housewives. Women had attained autonomy that they had not shared with men before which was depicted by Holly’s personality that characterized the societal changes after the Second World War. This elucidates how women got the right to discover their lives as well as live the way they want. Holly left her home so that she would live her own life and sustain herself and her brother. This shows the changes. Her independence and self-satisfactoriness is depicted when she described herself as wild.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s discusses significant topics such as the quest for individual freedom, as well as the hunt for one’s real identity and personality. Also illustrated are women liberation issues in the period of the late 1950’s and the start of the 1960’s.
The movie is among the most remarkable classic movies I have ever viewed. The whole cast was incredible. Audrey Hepburn’s acting does real justice to the movie and I figure she was the most excellent choice for the role. It is my view that she suits her part because she appears to be an uncomplicated town-girl who is striving to be another person which is the subject of the movie. What I really like in this movie is her acting. It is nothing like other classic movies, and magnetizes the audience. Whether Holly Golightly is depicted as a prostitute, a call girl or just a plain liar is not quite clear and seems to be the only part of the movie that I detested.