One of my favorite genres of movies to watch in my free time are romance movies. Whether it’s romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally, romantic tragedies like The Fault in our Stars or Titanic, or other great romance movies like The Notebook, these movies are loved by the American population and myself. However, are the portrayals of love in this media realistic? Are these movies painting an image of false love and false hope for our society to pursue? What is the goal of the producers of romantic movies, one of the most common genres of film?
Movies depict love in glamorized ways, showing a false expectation of what love is really like in our society today. Typical relationships in movies consist of the perfect man, the perfect woman, both from completely different worlds. Relationships in movies involve many ups and downs, conflicts and struggles, and the concept everyone loves to see--love at first sight. These characteristics of cinematic relationships are completely exaggerated--appealing to the audiences of these movies and experiencing a fantasy-like example of love not present in our everyday lives.
One example of a myth of love presented in romantic movies is the concept of passive love, where love and relationships just simply happen. For me, I think that love at first sight is commonly portrayed in cinematic media because it is convenient. If two people fall in love over the span of a movie, it has to be immediate for it to work--because movies are often only two hours long.
Another interesting characteristic of the media’s portrayal of love is the great divide between social class of two lovers. In Titanic, Jack is from a much poorer background, living in the third class cabins when he falls in love with Rose, who is from an extremely wealthy background, living in the first class cabins. In The Notebook, a mill worker and a rich girl fall in love. In romantic comedy movie Maid in Manhattan, a hotel maid and an affluent politician embark on a romantic journey. However, in real life, while two people from significantly different backgrounds can still fall in love, people with vastly different world views, styles, preferences, or day-to-day rituals are much less likely to be compatible. In movies, however, seeing these unlikely connections makes the movie far more interesting, far more appealing to everyday viewers who are experiencing the “impossible,” and much more original, not abiding by the common societal traditions of relationships.
In many romantic movies, the concept of Happily ever After occurs, with the movie cutting to the credits scene with the viewers believing that the couple’s fate is sealed for eternity. In reality, love is not so seamless--Tragedy happens and people move in different directions, which will inevitably lead to an end of love. Again, the media appeals to the emotions of viewers, since they know that this kind of love is exactly what we want, but not necessarily what will happen. It gives us hope, and a sense of emotional connection to the characters, while hoping for the same experiences in the movie in our own life.
Movie producers have created some of the most popular movies of our time through these concepts and movie-making techniques. Romantic movies allow us to believe in love (even if it’s just for a few hours), they allow us to laugh and cry, they have the most satisfying endings, almost always ending on a positive note despite the struggles that may come prior to the ending, and make you feel like anything is possible--even if it means climbing to the top of the Empire State Building.
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