I just finished watching this movie. For me, this isn’t a love story; rather, it’s about justifying cheating. Connie did something truly terrible to Clifford. The man had been to war, came back handicapped, and yet she betrayed him. Poor Clifford didn’t know how to express his emotions—he just wanted a child. But Connie used that as an excuse to have an affair and even tried to gaslight him into believing it was his idea.
The scene that stuck with me the most was at the beginning when Connie was saying her vows—'for richer or poorer, for better or worse.' She couldn’t even keep her vows. She’s just a selfish woman, and in fact, I don’t think she ever truly loved Clifford. And oh boy, her sister is on another level of madness, encouraging her actions. If she really wasn’t happy with Clifford, why not just divorce him? Why have a secret affair and then decide to leave him? I think it was all about sex that she wasn’t getting, and she just labeled it as love.
And look at the irony—the gamekeeper’s wife also cheated on him with another man, and now he’s doing the same with another man’s wife. Let that sink in.
Honestly, anyone who sees this as a love story seriously needs to reconsider their perspective. Only cheaters would justify this movie by calling it a love story.