Unique and divine, Unfaithful finds a way to tell a simple story, perhaps the simplest story of all. Unfaithful appears to be today's translation of Paradise Lost. Edward and Connie have a picture perfect marriage. But when Connie's chance encounter with an attractive stranger, Paul, turns into a full-blown affair, desire becomes obsession, and the true penalty of betrayal takes a devastating toll. In this movie, there are many subtle details and intriguing metaphors. Just as Eve falls from grace because she gave into her temptation of the tree of knowledge, Connie's marriage falls due to her temptation for Paul Martel.
The viewers are supposed to like all of the characters in Unfaithful, and yet in someway they can't like any of them. Paul Martel is a brilliant example of this. While Paul is ever so charming and seems almost untainted, he is the one who brings the fall upon Connie and her family.
English: Illustration to paradise lost, the Linell...
William Blake, The Temptation and Fall of Eve, 180...
Gustave Doré, The Heavenly Hosts, c. 1866, illust...Paul is a devil in disguise! In fact, Paul is much like the devil in Paradise Lost. Paul, never once, makes Connie deceive her husband, but instead lures her to do so. Connie is more often than not taken in my Paul's romancing ways.
When Connie first visit's Paul's apartment, he gives her a book, and has her read a passionate poem. The last line reads, "Enjoy this moment, for this moment is your life." After Connie reads this she has a look of innocence. A look that has the viewer assuming she has fallen for Paul.
Even though Connie shows up at Paul's apartment after their first encounter, she has good intentions to just be friends. Paul, on the other hand, seems to want more. He romances her by telling her that she has beautiful eyes. So beautiful that she should learn to...