I’m dedicating this February to counting down the 100 greatest love stories of all time. I’ll be posting five films every day, Monday through Friday.
Disclaimer: Any film list is fairly subjective, but I think putting together one person’s idea of romances or love stories might be the most subjective list of all. What one person considers powerful, another considers depressing; what someone thinks is sigh-inducingly romantic, someone else thinks is tooth-decayingly sappy. Any interesting list is bound to create comment and controversy and that’s okay. This is my personal list of 100 films. I picked them from a larger list of 300 movies. Once I have completed the top 100, I’ll post the entire list of 300. Perhaps one of your favorites that didn’t make the final cut was there…or maybe not.
10. Brokeback Mountain (2005): Yes, I think Brokeback should have won Best Picture instead of Crash, but at least Ang Lee won Best Director. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his unnerving turn in The Dark Knight, but I think his work here is just as good, if not better. It’s a subtle, nuanced performance giving us a man who is extremely guarded with his entire life, including his words, but beneath the surface feels deeply. Jake Gyllanhaal is also excellent. These characters became live flesh and blood human beings for me and my heart hurt for all of their sorrows. Ang Lee specializes in stories with star-crossed lovers. His films are full of deeply felt but understated longing and this may be the saddest.
9. The Fountain (2006): This film notoriously split critics right down the center with 50% panning and 50% praising. It seems to be a love it or hate kind of movie. Obviously, I love it. The viewer is presented with three different storylines occurring at three different time periods with different characters, but the main characters in each are played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. I have my own theory(ies) about how to interpret the film, but part of the appeal is deciding for yourself what is going on. The middle story line involving a husband’s frantic search for a cure for his wife’s cancer is the emotional touchstone. This is Hugh Jackman’s finest performance so far. We understand that his deep love for his wife is driving his obsession, but also recognize that in choosing to pursue this path he is denying himself precious time with her. His grief is gut-wrenching. Rachel Weisz is absolutely transcendent. Her character has accepted that she is dying, and her spirit is at peace. Her only concern is the effect of her passing on her husband. This movie is not easy, but it is beautiful.
8. The Lady Eve (1941): Once again great character actors enhance the antics of the romantic couple at the center. This is not your typical romantic comedy, however. It possesses a bit of a dark side. The heroine, Barbara Stanwyck, is a con artist, but when she actually falls for her mark (Henry Fonda) only to have him reject her, she concocts the most hilarious revenge scheme. Who can forget her line, “I need him like the axe needs the turkey.” Yet, the movie manages to stay light-spirited. It never feels mean or depressing. It takes a writer/director like Preston Sturges to pull off that sleight of hand and stars like Stanwyck and Fonda. This might be Stanwyck’s best performance in a career full of astounding parts.
7. The Thin Man (1934): If you ever go looking for the coolest married couple in the movies, you wouldn’t have to look any farther than Nick and Nora Charles as portrayed by William Powell and Myrna Loy. Their repartee, their affection, and their respect for each other make them timeless. The way they make each other laugh is very sexy. Asta, the dog, tries to steal all of his scenes, but our attention always comes back to Nick and Nora.
6. Top Hat (1935): Although I love the dancing in Swing Time, I think Top Hat is, overall, the better movie. I show this film to my Introduction to Film class every year. Several of them groan at the beginning because they don’t think they’ll like a black and white musical. Most of them change their minds by the end. They are constantly surprised by how funny the movie is. It is a musical, but it is also a screwball comedy. The character actors are Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick and Erik Rhodes – the familiar crew for Astaire-Rogers films, although they weren’t in every one. Fred and Ginger’s chemistry is as potent as ever, and we have two of the best partnered dances on celluloid: “Isn’t It a Lovely Day to Be Caught in the Rain?” and “Cheek to Cheek.” “Cheek to Cheek” is the one most often remembered, and it is as lovely and unabashedly romantic as ever. “Isn’t It a Lovely Day” is a marvelous work: Astaire and Rogers work as true partners. From her riding outfit with its trousers to the two of them paralleling each other’s moves, even a throw, this is a dance of equals.
