Hartismere School

Est. 1451. An outstanding coeducational secondary school & sixth form college and England's first academy

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The Brilliant Subversiveness of ‘Carol’s’ Conventional Ending


Spoiler alert: this piece is about the end of Carol. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you might want to hold off on reading this piece until you have and take a look at our review.

See also...

Cinematographer Ed Lachman, ASC, On Shooting “Carol”

Carol (2015) Cinematography Analysis

Cinematographer Edward Lachman on ‘Carol’ as a Stylistic Foil to ‘Far From Heaven’

Carol (Haynes, 2015)

Carol review: 'Cate Blanchett will slay you'

Surface Matters

Behind Carol: the photographers who influenced Todd Haynes’ award-winning film

Explore...

Buster Keaton - Silent Film Era

House of Flying Daggers - mise-en-scene

Under the Skin - The Alien Gaze

Searching for Fallen Angels' Lost Lens

Under the Skin - Sound

House of Flying Daggers - sound

Vertigo video essay - cinematic influence

Solving the Many Mysteries of What Became ‘Carol’

Realism

The importance of scene transitions

New...

Admissions and Application Forms :: Main School and Sixth Form

Photography Competition

Parents Evening :: Year 12

January 2026 Examinations

Our curriculum

E-Safety

November 2025 GCSE Examinations

December Mock Examinations

Discover...

Carol Aesthetics Examinations GCE ZEN Film Studies Revision Sixth Form House Of Flying Daggers Parent Information Knowledge Booklets Films Applications Clubs And Activities Policy Photography Yimou Forms Cinematography Assessment Week Safeguarding

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