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[ink_splotch]

I have a truly stupid amount of love for Shadowlands. On one hand, it does deal with many of my favourite themes: English literature, Oxford, repressed longing, Anthony Hopkins being English and repressed1 - it even deals with religion. On the other hand, I don't even like C.S. Lewis that much (okay, lies, I don't want to like C.S.Lewis that much, because of the Susan issue and because, well, I want to think that he and Oxford and Anthony Hopkins are overrated) and it's a Richard Attenborough film2. Also, it seems to imply that to truly love someone, you or they have to die, a theme I normally resent.

And yet, it doesn't even matter what all my other issues are, because that scene where Jack realizes that he loves her and cries in the church makes me cry. I just - I can't even tell you why that scene is so important to me, why it still makes me cry even though I've seen it at least five times now, but it's beautiful. Paired with the marriage scene (oh, my!), it pretty much is all I need in a love story. That, and apparently, middle-aged people.

Which, incidentally, brings me to a question: do you have a preference for a certain age group in your love stories? I'm kind of curious.

[Poll #1391000]

In other news, as of today, I'm 411/7000, and I have a massive friend!crush on Sarah Vowell, and you should too:

1. See also: Remains of the Day (also, read the book!) and 84 Charing Cross (see previous aside)
2. Look, I realize his Oh! What a Lovely War is a good film, but it kind of broke the point of the play (see also: the film version of Regeneration).

Comments

[arrowwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Whoops. I accidentally clicked "I don't like love stories" when I meant to put "It doesn't matter!" I like love stories of any age, basically, though I do like the young adults thing going on :)

I can't really choose my favorite love story. I guess in terms of a "normal" love story, I do like Garden State, and Stranger Than Fiction. Before Sunrise is good too, but it's almost too cliché...
But the more I think about it, the more I realize that my favorite love stories are ones that have something else outshining or getting in the way of the romance aspect--like Y Tu Mamá También (affairs, love triangle sort of thing), Far From Heaven (interracial during the 1950s), Harold and Maude (HUGE age difference), A Home at the End of the World (queer polyamory triangle)

I guess that's what I like in love stories, then. :P Character conflicts as a result of taboo love, and the issues that come with it. Age doesn't particularly matter at all.

[eska-rina.livejournal.com]

you can edit your answer if you first click "View Answers" and then "Fill out Poll" :)

Garden State is one of the few love stories, that I like, but that's mainly because it also deals with other things (growing up, etc); It's the same with for example Amélie (french) and House of Flying Daggers (chinese), that both are love stories, but are also about other things :D

[vampirespider.livejournal.com]

No matter!

Oh god, Far From Heaven is possibly the best thing ever. The repression! The hand on her cheek at the end, I just. *handwaves* I am so there with you, is what I mean. And there is something about a love story that also has a social commentary aspect and an aspect of impossibility.

Is Harold and Maude good?

[arrowwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Haha, Harold and Maude is one of my favorites ^^ It's so wacky, and vaguely light-hearted...but if you actually look at the interactions between the characters it has a whole lot of weird psychological stuff going on, particularly on Harold's part. I could ramble about it for ages but I won't so that you can see it. :P It's pretty fabulous...if you like kind of strange movies you should absolutely love it.<3

[lattara.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes, I agree with the other comments: I find love stories *boring* if all they have to say is "here are two people! they're in love! look!". I want them to be interesting characters and I want them to have lives - lives that intersect and matter to each other, of course, but no I-will-die-without-you shenanigans. Boooring.

It seems to me that I especially like love stories where the people involved are smart, have integrity and are unusual in some way. Quirky, perhaps, like Amelie, or maybe like the non-resolved love between two people with a large age discrepancy like Lost in Translation.

[vampirespider.livejournal.com]

I don't really think there are any love stories like that. Not without added - "but they can't be together because of X, Y and Z", at least ;-) (though this is one of my problems with gay films - there always these two people who should fall in love...they both happen to be gay? There are good variations on the theme (Hallo, Bubble, Fried Green Tomatoes and Fingersmith/Tipping the Velvet).

You know, I really can't tell if Shadowlands is this. I mean. On one hand - there is a sense of 'this is more than anything' and there is death. On the other hand, I just. I love all the characters so, so much. Even though it is conventional. ARGH, why am I so easily won over by repression? Why is repression even a kink for me? Why, Sofie?!

Though, Amelie for great justice, always and always.

Now, to prove my depths, I use Sex and the City icon. For great justice!

[lattara.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, of course there are always conflict - because without it conflict it wouldn't be an interesting story - but I find that the typical forms of conflict are uninteresting and overdone. So, boring. *grins*

I want a love story to go somewhere unexpected and/or not just to subscribe to the typical and the expected to make me care, because it'll pretty much just ensure that I won't. :)

ARGH, why am I so easily won over by repression? Why is repression even a kink for me? Why, Sofie?!

Because you're weird, that's why. Also, it's sort of part of the whole 2WW/Oxford/poetry thing you've got going at the moment, and you've always been good at focusing. *grins*

Also? Because it's just so damn hot, when it's done right.

[vampirespider.livejournal.com]

I knew what you meant, and to a certain extent I agree. I was just messin'. *grins at you*

I am indeed weird, and Freud would probably have decidedly interesting things to say about it. Hmmm.

Also, I have no Oxford/War thing. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT STOP LYING.

This is so true - which is why religion is also a shiny, shiny kink. (Why am I in this handbasket?)