Amour is a beautiful love story that focuses on aging, patience and responsibility.
The plot centers on a husband and wife, George and Anne Laurent (played
by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva), both in their mid-80s,
retired piano teachers who have been married for decades.
They enjoy a simple, comfortable life and are content to grow old
together. But when Anne suffers a stroke, the couple faces one challenge
after another. Yet through their entire ordeal, their bond remains
unbroken.
Not only is Amour a film about a long-lasting love affair over decades,
it also illustrates the stresses and difficulties of caregiving.
After Anne’s first stroke, George assumes responsibility for her
care-giving needs. Anne is paralyzed on one side and needs assistance
with her activities of daily life – bathing, toileting, dressing,
ambulation. The two soldier on with Anne coming to terms with her
growing dependence on her husband, and George shouldering the
responsibility of meeting his wife’s growing needs.
The two deal with their own depression, resentment and anxiety. Both try
to hold themselves together so the other doesn’t witness an emotional
breakdown from increasing stress. Anne loses her independence and her
ability to make music, while George becomes overwhelmed with the
responsibility of caring for his wife.
When Anne suffers a second stroke, she completely loses her ability to
communicate. She begins to suffer from aphasia and complete loss of
mobility. George still is her primary caretaker and her advocate, firing
an in-home nurse who is abusive and dealing with relatives who visit
occasionally demanding better care without a thorough understanding of
her condition.
As Anne declines rapidly, George is always nearby. Feeding her, stroking
her hand to calm her restlessness, telling her stories, singing to her
and patiently teaching her to sound out words.
The film mirrors what all caregivers experience. With an aging
population, there has been an increase in the numbers of individuals
performing unpaid caregiving. Spouses, children and friends are stepping
into the role once reserved by health-care professionals.
The results of family caregiving can be very rewarding as individuals
are able to act with the well-being of their loved one in mind and be
strong advocates for them. However, the emotional, physical and
financial costs associated with caregiving for individuals with chronic
and complex health issues can be overwhelming.
Informal caregivers can suffer emotional issues such as anxiety,
depression, guilt and resentment, and burn out from overwhelming
responsibility.
Stress, exhaustion and repetitive tasks such as bending, lifting and
carrying can result in long-term physical ailments. And financial costs
resulting from lost work time and out-of-pocket expenses can take a huge
toll on people trying to do the right thing.
According to the Canadian Caregiver Association,
there are approximately four to five million Canadians who provide care
for a family member with long-term health problems. As unpaid, informal
caregiving, this is equivalent to $5 billion of unpaid labour annually.
No matter the good intentions of family and friends in taking
responsibility of care, there will be conflicting emotions of resentment
and affection - feelings of helplessness, feelings of unworthiness and
feelings of loneliness. Like many others before him, this is the string of emotions that the film’s protagonist, George, is plagued by.
Amour is beautifully sad and tragic, but romantic and full of hope. It
shows that love is powerful and binds us to one another. It shows that
caring for the needs of another, while stressful and demanding, is also
one of the greatest gifts we can give to another.
Original link: http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/3845871-health-age-well-talks-about-the-sad-and-tragic-but-uplifting-movie-amour/
