Vote up the romantic movies that define the genre and should be required viewing for beginners in an Intro to Romance Films class.
Ah, romantic movies! As sung in a song made famous by the quintessential romance film Casablanca, moonlight and love songs are never out of date. From generation to generation, romantic films are a consistent box office staple. True love, unrequited love, and star-crossed lovers can all be found in the essential romantic movies listed below.
If you're new to the genre, consider this romance movies for beginners. These are the films that helped establish the conventions of the genre, presenting romance in the way we wish it could truly be, but often isn't. Many of these stories are idealized portrayals of romantic love, dotted with grand romantic gestures that most of us will never actually experience in real life. While you may never get that dramatic kiss in the rain or mad dash to the airport, you can always live vicariously through the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Rachel McAdams. Even if you're a cynic, these are films everyone should watch at least once.
This list isn't going to throw anything too obvious your way. Everyone already knows the tragic tale of Romeo & Juliet, but that sort of play/film isn't appropriate given that its principal genre is tragedy, not romance. Here, you will find an intro to romance movies featuring some of the most popular and famous romance movies of all time. Give some of these must-see romance movies a watch and then vote your favorites to the top of the list!
In 1940s South Carolina, mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) are desperately in love. But her parents don't approve. When Noah goes off to serve in World War II, it seems to mark the end of their love affair. In the interim, Allie becomes involved with another man (James Marsden). But when Noah returns to their small town years later, on the cusp of Allie's marriage, it soon becomes clear that their romance is anything but over.
James Cameron's "Titanic" is an epic, action-packed romance set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic; the pride and joy of the White Star Line and, at the time, the largest moving object ever built. She was the most luxurious liner of her era -- the "ship of dreams" -- which ultimately carried over 1,500 people to their death in the ice cold waters of the North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912.
A man and a woman have a romance while on a cruise from Europe to New York. Despite being engaged to other people, both agree to reunite at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. However, an unfortunate accident keeps her from the reunion, and he fears that she has married or does not love him anymore.
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country.
Presented as originally released in 1939. Includes themes and character depictions which may be offensive and problematic to contemporary audiences. Epic Civil War drama focuses on the life of petulant Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara. Starting with her idyllic life on a sprawling plantation, the film traces her survival through the tragic history of the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and her tangled love affairs with Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler.
In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher), attempt to stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them.
1141 VOTESIn 1940s South Carolina, mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) are desperately in love. But her parents don't approve. When Noah goes off to serve in World War II, it seems to mark the end of their love affair. In the interim, Allie becomes involved with another man (James Marsden). But when Noah returns to their small town years later, on the cusp of Allie's marriage, it soon becomes clear that their romance is anything but over.
