It’s the ideal time to hunt for a romantic film to watch since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Romance films typically carry an unjust connotation and are frequently despised as being inferior movies. This genre has endured a long list of unjustified criticism, including claims that romantic comedies are conventional and clichéd or that romances are overly sentimental.
However, there are many excellent romantic comedies. In fact, The American Film Institute (also known as AFI) released AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions in 2002, a list of the most sappy films ever filmed. The list concentrated on romantic dramas set in the United States whose love stories have influenced generations of filmmakers and viewers and are important to the art of cinema. It was ideal for anyone looking for some of the best romantic movies to watch to demonstrate how powerful the genre can be because it included over 100 movies. The top nine most romantic films on the list are shown below.
An Affair to Remember
An Affair to Remember, a 1957 motion picture starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, is a remake of the 1939 classic Love Affair. Nickie (Grant) and Terry (Kerr), who are both in relationships, fall in love while sailing from Europe to New York. They arrange to meet up again at the top of the Empire State Building in six months, but due to an unfortunate mishap, she is unable to attend. As a result, he worries that she has either married or has lost interest in him.
Although the film was not nominated for any of the four Academy Awards, its influence can still be felt today. Sleepless in Seattle was based on the concept of a meeting at the top of the Empire State Building. The final scene of Before Sunrise and a pivotal part of its sequel, Before Sunset, both feature two lovers who made plans to meet later but never did.
Casablanca
The AFI genuinely adores Casablanca, rating it first on the 100 Years…100 Passions list, second on the 100 Years…100 American Movies list (behind Citizen Kane), and the movie with the most quotes on the 100 Years…100 Movies Quotes list (six quotes). A love story that has inspired generations is the tale of American Rick Blane (Humprey Bogart), who during World War II must decide between his feelings for Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), and helping her husband Paul Henreid escape in order to fight for the French Resistance.
The most romantic movie ever made, Casablanca forces the audience to choose between what they think is right and what someone else desires; it transcends national boundaries, linguistic barriers, and even centuries. It’s a love story in which the hero must set aside his own demands and needs and realize that while letting go can occasionally be a sign of love, it doesn’t always imply the relationship was a waste of time. Casablanca is a timeless love story that is just as enjoyable today as it was in 1943.
Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago, an epic movie based on the same-named book, was released in 1965. The epic love affair between Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and Lara Antipova spans years in the film, which is set in Russia during World War I and the Russian Civil War.
Doctor Zhivago was a tremendous hit and, when adjusted for inflation, is the seventh highest-grossing film of all time. It is regarded as one of the greatest cinematic love stories of all time and was even mentioned in the most recent season of Stranger Things. The movie is still a lavishly fashionable, heartbreakingly gorgeous epic and received five of the most important Oscars for art direction and aesthetics.
It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s A Wonderful Life is regarded in popular culture as a Christmas film and has long been a favorite among families throughout the holiday season. Although the film was first released in January, the Yule Tide link is what is most frequently remembered about it. However, the film also features a strong romance between George Bailey (James Stewart) and his wife Mary Hatch Bailey.
Mary and George have been romantically involved for many years, and the movie demonstrates how their love has persisted despite George’s financial difficulties and ultimately saves him.
Gone with the Wind
One of the most iconic films of all time, if not the most iconic, is Gone with the Wind. The 1939 movie is still the most successful one of all time when adjusted for inflation. The movie follows Scarlett O’Hara (Vivian Leigh) and her relationships with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) and Rhett Butler during the American Civil War in the American South.
Gone With The Wind was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won 10 of them, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. The film was well anticipated when it was released and was based on a well-liked book. Even though Gone With The Wind has received a lot of criticism today—from a sexual assault scene that is strongly implied but is played as romantic to the racial politics of the time—it remains an iconic film with a complex legacy that has had an impact that can still be felt nearly 100 years after it was first released.
Love Story
Without a doubt, Love Story has had a significant impact on American popular culture. The movie is currently the 41st-highest-grossing movie of all time when adjusted for inflation, and star Ryan O’Neil even mentioned and parodied the famous saying “Love means never having to say your sorry” in his movie What’s Up Doc? One of the earliest instances of a Hollywood studio capitalizing on a developing teenage market that would pave the way for the exciting New Hollywood era of the 1970s was the rapid success of the film.
The story of the movie centers on rich legal student Oliver (Ryan O’Neil) and middle-class music major Jenny (Ali McGraw), who decide to get married in spite of Oliver’s family’s objections. However, when Ali is given a fatal disease, their relationship is put in jeopardy. The film is both a hopeful and tragic love story that resonated with viewers at the time and still does now, inspiring a flurry of “terminal illness” love stories.
Roman Holiday
One of the most famous love stories of all time, Roman Holiday is the movie that gave Audrey Hepburn the Best Actress Oscar. In the 1953 movie, Hepburn plays a princess who travels to Rome by herself and meets Gregory Peck’s reporter character.
Roman Holiday is a romance that honors one special moment between two people and accepts the obligations of being a real adult, even when the couple doesn’t end up together in the end. The film is a classic work of art that has captivated audiences for many years and will continue to do so.
The Way We Were
Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand starred in Sydney Pollack’s 1973 film The Way We Were, which was also written and directed by him. Hubbell Gardiner is a White Anglo-Saxton Protestant who has no interest in politics, while Katie Morosky (Streisand) is an active Jewish Marxist in politics. Despite the fact that the two have nothing in common, they start to fall in love, reconnect after graduation, and are married during World War II.
Katie’s political engagement jeopardizes Hubbell’s position and reputation as the Hollywood blacklist under the House Un-American Activities Committee intensifies when Hubbell starts to succeed as a writer and his book is being considered for adaptation as a picture. This is a tragic love story that separates the two characters, yet it is recounted as a lovely reminder of the bond that these two once shared.
The movie is a romantic classic, but its music may be what people remember it for on a cultural level. The movie’s theme song, “The Way We Were,” sung by Barbra Streisand, received the Academy Awards for Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Original Song. The Academy Award-winning song from the soundtrack even peaked at number one and was given a gold certification. The soundtrack reached the Billboard Top 20. The Simpsons, That 70s Show, Friends, and Sex and the City are just a few examples of pop culture references made to the film and its score.
West Side Story
One of the most renowned films of all time is West Side Story. The plot is based on the Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, which itself is a modernisation. Tony and Maria are this time located in the upper West Side of New York City against the backdrop of two warring gangs. West Side Story is still acknowledged as one of the best movies ever made despite only receiving 11 Academy Award nominations and winning 10. Many movies and television shows have made references to, parodied, or paid homage to the dances, music, and clothing from the movie.
Steven Spielberg, the director, took the risky risk of redoing the classic movie in 2021. Even though the film did poorly at the box office, it received a lot of positive reviews and is considered to be one of the best remakes ever. It simply goes to illustrate how potent this narrative is and how people can relate to it at any time.
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