Is it just me or do others feel a pressure to appear ‘cultured’ these days – to watch that must- see film, go to the theatre a certain number of times each year, listen to that album everyone’s talking about, read that Booker Prize winning novel? This is why, when I keenly went through The Guardian’s 25 Best Romantic Films of All Time, I was appalled to note that I had seen only six. One of these was When Harry Met Sally (ranked 22), which barely counts since everyone in the world has seen it anyway. Of the remaining 19, there were quite a few that I hadn’t even heard of, and I don’t just mean the ones with French subtitles. So I challenged myself to watch everything on the list, partly to see what all the fuss was about, but mainly to stop me from feeling so culturally inadequate.
My immersion in this intensive cultural exercise over the past few months has proved to be highly instructive. I loved Brief Encounter (1) much more than Casablanca (2) although watching the latter helped me to contextualise Ingrid Bergman’s luminosity as well as the famous line, “play it again, Sam”. Predictable films on the list included Gone With the Wind (12) which I’d previously seen, and Dr Zhivago (20) which I hadn’t. While Dr Zhivago was heavy-going, the presence of Omar Sharif (what a dish!) certainly lightened the mood. There were other inspired discoveries too – the dashing David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death (25) and the rugged Rock Hudson in All That Heaven Allows (11).
Of course, there were a few French films here, of which my favourite was The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (14). What a joy! Much of the film is set in a shop in Cherbourg where the chicest mother and daughter sell the brightest umbrellas. And if that wasn’t enough, the entire script is sung! In French! As a fan of Bollywood, I suppose I was a little disheartened that no Indian classics made the grade, especially since they’re famously steeped in romance.
I’m still working out what happened in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (8), let alone what was romantic about it. It features Jim Carrey for heaven’s sake! I was also surprised to find Woody Allen on the list with Hannah and Her Sisters (7), and I’m still miffed about this choice now that I’ve seen the film. The oddest inclusion must be Harold and Maude (21), where a rather young Harold (we’re talking first love here!) falls for a very young-at-heart, 80-year-old Maude, after their shared interest in funerals brings them together. To its credit, the film wasn’t as unpalatable as you might imagine, but romantic? I’m not sure.
My favourite film from the entire selection has to be Before Sunrise (3), a new discovery for me. It tells the story of a young couple who meet on a train travelling through Europe. You might say it’s an unusual film, heavy on dialogue and short on action, but the unexpected ending left me breathless. When I realised there was a sequel, Before Sunset, I stopped in my tracks and went online to watch it. Made precisely nine years after the first part, the sequel also picks up the story nine years later. And when I tweeted about the film, having composed myself after another cliff hanger, fellow film buff @LittleF assured me that it’s now been nine years since part 2, and the star of the film, Ethan Hawke, has talked about a possible part 3. The very thought of getting an update on the couple’s compelling story had me in tears all over again!
Ultimately, I realised that it is the notion of unrequited love which this list celebrates as the ultimate signifier of romance. There was no sleaze here. All too often in fact, love wasn’t consummated at all. Rather, romance involved giving up a true love for a greater good. In Brief Encounter, the couple stop short of consummating their extra-marital affair, choosing instead to nobly return to their families. In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart hatches a plan to ensure his true love remains with her husband. In Roman Holiday (16), I fell in love with Gregory Peck as did Audrey Hepburn. Alas, they let each other go so Audrey could continue to rule the land of which she was Queen. But let me tell you, they would definitely have got married if this was Bollywood!
I’m now dying to know how many of the listed films you’ve seen and whether or not you agree with the rankings anyway. Are there other romantic classics that I should watch as part of my cultural education? Please let me know via the comments box below and I’ll make a point of watching your recommendations.
@irnaqureshi blogs about being British, Pakistani, Muslim and female in Bradford, against a backdrop of classic Indian films at www.bollywoodinbritain.wordpress.com
I bloody love film lists cos they always spark off a debate among anoraks like me.
I have to say Irna only scoring 7 is pretty poor as most of the these films you should have seen anyway – especially if you have Freeview as they are always on somewhere. But I admire her steely determination to plough through them all including crap like WALL-E.
My score was 15 but I am probably one of the few people to have actually seen The Fabulous Baker Brothers. I would say this hugely underrated story of love, lust and seething sibling hatred is not only a love story but incredibly sensual. One of my faves on the list and probably cheap to buy.
Let’s get the oldies out of the way. Casablanca still does it for me. Wonderful script – after numerous rewrites – and sublime acting from a cast at the top of their game. Still resonates and still moving. On the other hand Brief encounter is not only incredibly boring – and badly made – but also is so of its time to be utterly irrelevant to a modern audience. Yawn.
I also love A Matter of Life and Death which I think is only marginally a romance. Yeah, the device of the doomed pilot saved by the love of the WRAAF radio operator works but it is more of a mediation on much bigger issues.
I think it is typical Guardian wankery to include something as slight as WALL-E. It is just a substandard cartoon where everyone loves everyone else. Toy Story would be a better choice all round. I don’t think shagging robots says a huge amount about romance or love.
It is also typically perverse to include Hannah and her Sisters. That film is a high class soap opera not a romance. Annie Hall is so much wiser about the pitfalls/joys of love and certainly one of the funniest films ever made. It helps that the brilliant leads had been lovers too so it appears unforced.
I’m glad to see Lost in Translation in there. I’ve been in that situation – not in Toyko – and the pain/lust/love etched on Bill Murray’s face is spot on. How he got pipped for an Oscar by Sean Penn’s overacting is beyond me. Murray is pitch perfect on loving someone you can’t have – and due to her youth is oblivious to it – but passing your hard earned wisdom at he same time. I shed a tear at the end when he whispers in her ear in such an intimate way.
I disagree with Irna on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I normally hate both Jim Carrey and the tiresome one dimensional Kate Winslet. But here they both work at they tone it down and focus on the lengths people will go to hide their pain after it all goes horribly wrong.
The arthouse stuff is on the money and it is brave to choose Breathless as it is really the story of a fickle woman’s love for a sociopath. Mind you, we’re all been there.
This is a decent list, but where was Betty Blue which is the greatest European film about love and madness with plenty of sleaze thrown into the mix.
I must confess most of the Bollywood I’ve seen seems to be mindless crap and incredibly camp. So I would really welcome Irna’s suggestions on which Bollywood epics have both more to say for themselves on the subject of love and romance.
Of course, as it is the Guardian there isn’t place for the ultimate romantic film – Dirty Dancing. It may be as camp as tits but it is also a film that manages to be both cheesy and touching which is no mean feat. Go on admit it – you’re all had the time of your lives watching Swayze and Baby.
I salute Irna for taking up this daunting romantic challenge and I’m inspired to have a go with hopefully some decent Bollywood thrown in!
I don’t know what to say! Your comment is better than my blog! I haven’t seen Annie Hall or Betty Blue so have just added those to my list, based on your recommendation.
On the Bollywood front, Sholay is a good one to start with. It’s an absolute classic and one of those films that doesn’t require a prior knowledge of Bollywood film vocabulary.
I’ve seen all but two on the list, which doesn’t make me cultural – just a film addict/sofa slob. My all-time favourite romantic movie and the only one I can watch again, and again, and again, is Sleepless in Seattle. The list certainly seems a bit random. How is WALL-E a romantic movie? I don’t remember much about it, but romantic? For an animated love story I’d choose Up, which I have seen twice and bawled my eyes out both times.
Shall we crowd-create on Culture Vulture a list of best films of another genre for you, so that you don’t get bored?
Alison, I agree with you about Sleepless in Seattle. A very romantic movie, much more so than WALL-E, and yes I suppose the Guardian’s list is a bit random. I’m currently working my way through the BFI’s list of 50 films to watch before you’re 14. I’d seen hardly anything on that list, which again made me feel rather ashamed about my cultural credentials. It’s also a great excuse to involve my little girl in my film viewing pursuits!
I’ve only seen 11 of them and none of them comes close to Sleepless. It’s the only film where I start sobbing uncontrollably in anticipation because one of those MOMENTS is coming up – like when he sees her at the airport, when they say hello across the street and the end, of course. It’s like…magic.
Only film apart from The Dirty Dozen, that is. http://bit.ly/AejCV2
Really interesting blog post and really admirable project to set yourself. I regularly set myself a similar challenge with directors, at the moment I’m having a Hitchcock month. Few comments:
I largely agree with the Guardian’s list, some of the best romantic movies on there but there are a couple of glaring omissions for me. Firstly, Brokeback Mountain is ultimately tragic, granted but it is love story. As you remark above, unrequited love (and by extension, forbidden love) is a vital theme in romantic movies and one which runs throughout Brokeback.
I also don’t agree with the WALL-E hate in the comments above, it’s easy to dismiss an animation from the incredibly high standard of the films on this list but it is a great love story. The way it manages to make us (well, me at least) become so invested in these characters with the almost complete lack of dialogue is astounding. Furthermore, The flying through space scene can be compared to any great romantic dance scene in classic flicks.
Another film I’m surprised not to see on the list is The Notebook, whilst I harbour no great love for this film it is an incredibly popular romantic movie. I have no idea why the Guardian didn’t include it but I’m almost positive it would have broken the top 10 in the user vote.
If you fancy blogging for us about your Hitchcock month we would be most honoured…(ever hopeful)
Oh, and the pedantic twat that I am, I have to add the line “Play it again, Sam” doesn’t actually appear in Casablanca.
It’s often misquoted and what’s actually said is:
“Play it once, Sam, for old times’ sake.”
“Play it, Sam. Play”
Hmmm. Pedantic is good, and with the benefit of your wisdom, I might well have to revisit Casablanca and WALL-E a second time. Isn’t it incredible the way a film like WALL-E can divide opinion!
I do love a film about unrequited love so Brokeback Mountain is now on the list – actually, I can’t believe that wasn’t on my list already. And The Notebook was another one that passed me by. The story of someone reading from their diary, interspersed with flashbacks, reminds me of Benjamin Button (which didn’t move me at all), but hopefully The Notebook will.
Thanks for your recommendations Jamie, and by the way, I’d like to commend you on your Hitchcock month, which makes my viewing of mush seem positively low-brow!
That’s quite a quest, good luck Irna. Will follow your tip and watch Sholay.
Nice to see In the Mood For Love on the list – really a beautiful film, but no Amelie? I’d also add Out of Sight – George Cluny & Jennifer Lopez believably falling in love (and with a brilliantly edited sex scene). What about Mr & Mrs Smith? Escapist, funny, trashy and quite touchingly romantic in places thought it’s not a technically a romance…
Betty Blue – yes absolutely – up at the top of the list! Fabulous Baker Boys – under-rated and very romantic. And having just seen it at the flicks, The Artist ought to be on there somewhere…
Wall-E – I’m with the nays on that one. Swapping like for like, Tick Tock says much more about romance – a pixar animated short, about a toy snowman in one of those shake-it-up snowdome ornaments, who falls in love with an ornamental mermaid, and can’t, for obvious reasons, physically reach her.
Fran, I can’t believe you’re suggesting a Brangelina film should be included in this list, and Jennifer Lopez??? As you say, I’m sure the falling in love scenes are very believable – but then, how difficult can it be when you’re starring opposite George Clooney?!
I liked In The Mood for Love too. Took a while to get into but then it grabbed me. I enjoyed the Fabulous Baker Boys, which reminded me of The Blues Brothers – brotherly love, the band, the grit. That it wasn’t overly sentimental was refreshing too.
Thanks for the other suggestions. Betty Blue is already on my list of films to watch, and I’m feeling excited about seeing Tick Tock.
@Irna – ha, Brangelina and Ms Lopez, I know but – well both films took me by surprise. I expected nothing, and they were both good, funny, well shot, entertaining and smart. Out of Sight is Directed by Stephen Soderbergh – if that means anything to anyone – I like the cinematography of it – and it really isn’t the sort of schmaltzy rom you’d imagine JoLo doing. She’s gives a brilliant performance, even when George isn’t looking.
I make no apologies – I reckon in years to come, both films will be considered much more credible than they are now, simply because there’s too many preconceptions now about the celebrities involved – it’s marmite ain’t it?