Paradoxically, the greatest romantic movie of all time, is not about affirming love, but rather, surrendering love. “If we identify strongly with the characters in some movies,” wrote the brilliant American film critic Roger Ebert, “then it is no mystery that Casablanca is one of the most popular films ever made. It is about a man and a woman who are in love and who sacrifice love for a higher purpose.” Shot in black and white, with expressionist lighting, cinematographer Arthur Edeson, who had worked on John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon in 1941, shot a film that was both timeless and for all times. Ebert reflects on its enduring appeal: “Seeing the film over and over again, year after year, I find it never grows overfamiliar. It plays like a favorite musical album; the more I know it, the more I like it.” Unlike most comedy, sci-fi, or action films that are soon forgotten after the moviegoer leaves the theatre, the great cinematic love story is rarely forgotten — like a first kiss, or a first love. In 2002, the American Film Institute published its list of the”100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time,” a tribute to the films that have touched our hearts. Below are the top twenty films.
1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Gone With The Wind (1939)
3. West Side Story (1961)
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
5. An Affair To Remember (1957)
6. The Way We Were (1973)
7. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
8. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
9. Love Story (1970)
10. City Lights (1931)
11. Annie Hall (1977)
12. My Fair Lady (1964)
13. Out Of Africa (1985)
14. The African Queen (1951)
15. Wuthering Heights (1939)
16. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
17. Moonstruck (1987)
18. Vertigo (1958)
19. Ghost (1990)
20. From Here To Eternity (1953)
Read related posts: Famous Love Quotes from the Movies
The Best Love Stories
Best Academy Award Quotes
Best Books for Movie Lovers
The Paradox of Love
The Wisdom of Rainer Maria Rilke
For further reading: afi.com/100years/passions.aspx
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