+2
If I'm going to put up with movies about romance, it has to be in a large context, where the term Star Crossed Lovers comes to mind. Having a crush on the cute guy across the hall and making waffles for breakfast just doesn't do it. To that end, for me, my choices in this genre, which is NOT a favorite would be -
Dr Zhivago - Star crossed lovers, snow and sex, the vast plains of Russia and the spurned ex-lover, revolutionary Strelnikov, one of the more toxic former lovers in movie history, who turns his unhappiness into Bolshevik zealotry. Zhivago is good looking, noble, non-political and looks good in a horse drawn sleigh with a big fur hat. Lara has a poem and their affair has a musical leitmotiv. Strelnikov not only didn't get Lara, but ends up committing suicide before he was purged.
Casablanca - Another great conflict, star-crossed lovers in the middle of it, Nazis, Sam playing As Time Goes By, and then there's Paris. In this case, the odd-man-out is the idealistic Victor Lazlo, the direct opposite of Strelnikov, fighting resistance against the Nazis. Rick, however, also has his moment fighting Nazis, but, being noble, sends Ilsa off with Lazlo. Thankfully we never hear what became of Rick or Ilsa. We leave all that in Casablanca.
Thankfully, there never was a sequel to either of these romantic epics.
Last edited by skizzerflake; 02-17-22 at 10:43 AM.