The Wendice marriage isn't a love match: it's a union between a starstruck socialite and a gold-digging sociopath.
Margot falls in love with Tony because of his athleticism and celebrity, but what's attractive at the onset of a relationship can lose allure upon familiarity. Margot wants Tony to give it up because she wants him home with her. I always got the sense she wanted him to "settle down" and maybe "get a real job" as well, since an athlete's career can be an unstable one.
As for Tony, he makes it plain he only wanted Margot for her money (though her beauty probably sweetened the deal). Keeping Margot happy and therefore within their marriage is vital to retaining access to her wealth, hence why Tony gave up tennis and why he panics when Margot cheats on him. If she goes, the money goes.
If Margot had told Tony about the affair, I still think he would have wanted her dead. I think the moment he saw her with another man, he knew his charms could not hold Margot forever and that the threat of divorce would always be present.
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charlottebronn (3)
10 months ago
I think another thing people ignore with the Margot wanting Tony to retire side is that Tony was getting way too old for tennis; if you look it up, some players retire as young as 27. Yes, Milland was a bit older than the character is meant to be, but I'd assume he's meant to be approaching 40 by him saying the picture with Swann was over twenty years ago.
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ElizabethJoestar (943)
10 months ago
That's a common thing with athletes and dancers-- their careers often don't go on that long and an injury can cut it off even sooner than that. It's very likely Margot was being realistic, as you said here.
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