Salve Omni!
At last, Dear Reader...a new post! Last week was crazy hectic, and the weekend
was filled with lots of birthday fun (and craziness and lack of sleep), but now
things are crawling at-a-snail's-pace towards normalcy again...well, I hope!
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about love (awww!) and
relationships and the elements that attract and connect people to one
another. What makes a person willing to
declare that they would do anything for the other, or would do anything to be
with the other person? I have seen
countless romantic films and read countless novels where characters, despite enduring
hardships, separation (often intentional by the other party), and plenty of
emotional abuse and low self worth, will often risk everything to make their
love known because they feel so certain that their happiness is completely
dependent on being with the other individual.
Are they wrong to think so?
No. Because many times, it ends
in joy.
So many stories, novels, and films, have been written and
produced, that deal with the very subject of romance. Many become the go-to staples for womankind...many
become the ideal of what love should be like.
What bugs me with many romantic films is the fact that reality has been
far removed to create a fairy tale of sorts.
We get these cutesy films, in which everyone is most always smiling, and
it always ends in happily ever after. I immediately
think of a few romantic Disney
classics, such as, Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and many other sweet and hopeful romantic
stories and films and fairy tales with happy endings forever and ever and
ever. I'll admit...I love these films
and grew up watching them; planning to one day meet a prince of my own (yes, I
was dead serious), who would sweep me off of my feet, and whisk me away to his
kingdom. And I would never have to worry
about anything ever again; because we would be the perfect couple. And we would have singing pets who also were
handy around the castle during chore time.
But where does the reality begin? You know me...I like my love stories flawed
and full of human emotion, struggle...imperfect and a true reflection of human
nature. As a married woman, I can truly speak
from my own experiences when I say that every relationship requires work,
complete trust, understanding, patience, equal compromise, and most of all,
love. Yes, love! I am a hopeless romantic...been guilty of
that for years and years. In the past
especially, I was apt to follow my heart rather than to think clearly and
rationally...because I was a romantic, and love is all there is, and as long as
you have that, everything will be perfect.
I am a bit wiser now than my teenage version, and have come to the
understanding that no relationship is perfect.
When two individuals enter into a romantic relationship, you can
guarantee there will be times when they are going to clash regarding opinions
and the manner of going about specific things, etc. Then, there are the unfortunate, tortured
souls in tragic romances, where one or both must suffer terribly through
unrequited love, or emotional drama, before they get to their happy endings; if
there is one.
Troubled characters, unforeseen circumstances, a plethora
of hardships, brooding (I do love this word), and longing - lots of longing, in
my opinion, have more realistic qualities than the fairy tales and meet-cute
concoctions that are so darn happy; leaving us with false hopes and damn-near
impossible ideals. I'm not saying that
this is true for everyone in every relationship, but I find the
unpredictability and imperfectness of everyday life more convincing and
believable than a romantic relationship with no problems and rainbows and
sunshine every single minute of every day.
Now I do like my meet-cutes and I do admit, every now and
then I love when the happy ending in a film is easily attainable, but then, I
do love my flawed romance stories just as much.
I thought I would share a list of some of my personal favorite flawed
romance movies. These are truly great
films, with very strong characters, who often find their voice through
hardships and seek to overcome obstacles (sometimes tragically), in order find
true love and happiness. And, here they
are:
v Now,
Voyager - This 1942 film stars Bette Davis as a
spinster who, through therapy, finds her voice, blossoms and finds impossible
romance.
v Like
Water for Chocolate - This foreign film, set in Mexico in
1910, is about a girl who is forbidden to marry, despite falling in love, and
must instead be the caretaker of her aging mother.
v Jane
Eyre - I highly recommend the 1996 version,
directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William
Hurt. With a very young Anna Paquin as
the young Jane Eyre.
o
I also recommend the 2011 version starring
Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.
v Sense
and Sensibility - Okay, a little more light-hearted
than the above listed, but it also fits the description.
v Romeo
and Juliet - As a huge fan and avid reader of the works
of William Shakespeare, of course, I will highly-recommend the 1968 version
directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and starring Olivia Hussey as Juliet.
o
I also recommend the 1996 version directed by
Baz Luhrmann, and starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite the modern-day setting, the original
dialogue is still used.
v Wuthering
Heights - You must see the 1939 version.
v Atonement - Starring
Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
v The
Ghost and Mrs. Muir - Stars Rex Harrison of My
Fair Lady fame, as the ghost of a sea captain who begins a strange
relationship with a young widow who moves into his home.
v Rebecca -
One of Alfred Hitchcock's best! You must
see this film!
v Much
Ado About Nothing - Another great work of William
Shakespeare, this is a comedy that deals with darker themes such as deception shame,
infidelity and honor...and with very witty dialogue. I do recommend the 1993 version!
v Orlando - One
of my favorites! Based on the novel by
Virginia Woolf, this film begins with Queen Elizabeth I commanding the nobleman
Orlando to stay young forever. And young
he stays, right up to the 1990s, barely aging a day. The film follows the young nobleman through
British history, as he forms relationships, deals with love, and lives several different
lives - even changing his gender at one point!
A must see!
There you have it...a few of my absolute favorite flawed
romance films. Not exactly all hearts
and rainbows and castles, but great stories full of emotion that are definitely
worth watching.
What are some of your favorite romantic films? Don't be shy...send me a comment...I'd love
to hear from you!
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