Film Club: 3 Romance Movies That Made Me Feel Alive Again
This month I was on a mission to find my own spark again. Passion is something that comes in waves, so in order to reignite that feeling in myself again I decided to reference the best source: the world of romance. So, I picked 3 films and went on a messy journey of star-crossed lovers, betrayal and heartbreak to remind myself what it feels like to lose yourself in pure feeling. Not because I believe chaos is something we should recreate in our own lives, but because I wanted to understand why these stories feel so vibrantly alive.
Moulin Rouge (2001)
I can’t sing enough praises for this film. It is simply a five-course feast for the eyes and ears. Deep crimsons, purples, and star-studded Parisian night skies immerse you in a theatrical dream from start to finish. For anyone who appreciates the “more is more” philosophy of life, it will definitely satisfy your craving for maximalism. There is so much going on you hardly know where to look at times, and the attention given to the elaborate handmade sets and Bohemian Belle Époche style costuming alone will have you transported into a dark, seductive world far beyond our practical one. When you couple the artistic vision with a deeply tragic premise, a man who falls in love with a courtesan, and a musical score that electrifies the senses, you leave this film feeling very much alive and with a renewed passion for life.
Musicals may not be every person’s cup of tea, but I believe the songs in this one avoid the criticisms most people have: namely that they drag on or do not push the plot forward. Honestly, I would be very surprised if this score didn’t stick with you well after the film ends. In fact, “El Tango de Roxanne” is a song I remember first hearing while sitting in my friend’s bedroom on her old iPod Touch, well before I got around to actually seeing Moulin Rouge. Its powerful crescendo of longing gave me chills and told me this was a story I definitely needed to watch one day.
After I finally did however, many years later, the song that actually ended up stealing my heart was Christian’s heartfelt serenade to Satine at the beginning of the film. “Your Song” is a pure love song that defies the very heart of their predicament. Twirling in each other’s arms amongst soft blue clouds, floating next to the twinkling Eiffel Tower, you really do feel that maybe love is all we really need. That all the other complexities of life don’t matter as long as you have the right person by your side. It’s delusional, completely irresponsible, and oh so romantic.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
If there were a perfect summation of the true bittersweet heartache of love, this film would be the poetic backdrop for it. The helplessness of it all. The way it takes away your logic and forces you to become a victim of your feelings. I found it to be a refreshingly different take than other love stories I’ve seen. The premise is already heavy enough. The story centres around two spouses who discover their partners’ affairs and find comfort in each other’s company. It follows their struggle with the situation and the moral dilemma of eventually falling for one another. Despite such an intense concept, it was not overdramatized in any way. In fact, given what they were going through, at times I found myself wondering if it all felt too downplayed. But then I realized how true heartbreak is rarely shared honestly in cinema. The slowness of it all and the subtle clenched fist of betrayal.
For anyone who is a cinematography enthusiast, the film was a delight to watch simply for the highly stylized camera work. The framing and movement was very intentional in its storytelling. The characters were often framed as though we were peeking over doorframes, around street corners, and through windows. It felt as though the film wanted the viewer to feel almost voyeuristic, always just on the periphery and never quite able to get a full look into their lives or minds. This film is the opposite of Moulin Rouge. Understated. Forcing us to read between the lines and notice the power of a gaze or what is felt in moments of restraint. From the earnest eyes of the male lead to the soft rain in the background of sultry Hong Kong nights, I felt that this film made me reflect on just how much can be said with so little.
The Red Shoes (1948)
I am so glad I saved this film for last. I do believe that, for those who are lucky enough, they find their true love well before any partners come into the picture. A lifelong passion. An affair that requires no other person to complete your heart. Something that will be there for you regardless of anything or anyone else that comes into your life. Not everyone gets to experience a calling like that. The likes of which your heart is pulled to so strongly that you cannot ignore it for anything in the world. To me, that is one of the purest loves a person can experience. But when that competes with the irrational intensity of romantic love, The Red Shoes is born.
This film is a depiction of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale and tells the story of Victoria Page, a young woman torn between her lifelong obsessive dedication to dance and her love for composer Julian Craster. I really took to the main protagonist. I found her headstrong-yet humble, and willing to put her heart into everything she did. Seeing her dedication to her craft and her transformation throughout her journey was a beautiful testament to how art can be as fulfilling as any traditional relationship. However, the story perfectly encapsulates the true mess that romantic love can wreak upon a person’s otherwise very straightforward life.
Without risking too many spoilers, I couldn’t help but completely resent the two male leads in the film. From an outside perspective, it seems easy to say there should be no difficulty in what ought to be the right choice for her life. But the problem with love is that it comes not from logic but from feelings, which are very hard to reason with.To me, the film perfectly encapsulates the mess that love pulls us into. It has us behaving outside of our rational selves and consequently makes us dependent on the very things we usually try to tame: our desires and whims. The theatrical performance sequence of The Red Shoes within the film stands out to me as the part I will be going back to rewatch. Maybe I just have a soft spot for the theatre, but it lends itself to one of the most ethereal forms of storytelling and I highly recommend watching it for that scene alone.
Overall, I loved the way in which it explored the psyche of a woman whose life is for once not centred around a man. Usually, romance films for women show them throwing away or sacrificing things in their lives for men. But for those who believe that your most important relationship is the one you have with yourself, I think this film will hit you the hardest.
Final Thoughts
In a world dominated by logic and optimization, I think we can learn something from messy romance. While I think we can all agree it is something that is really only fun to watch unfold on screen, I do believe we can take inspiration from the sheer intensity of it all.
Why do we love watching love? Because it shocks us out of our monotony. Suddenly, you are indulgent in feelings, the very things we try so deeply to harness. And while there is merit to being in control of your own emotions, there is a point where it begins to dull your life.
While this genre might still be something I choose to visit like a curious visitor at a zoo, I think I am walking away from it with a heart longing for that same intensity, just directed toward life instead.
