This Post Is Brought To You By The Letter "?"
Posted on April 14th, 2008 | by Mirzha |I love romance movies. I don’t know why, but I always have. Even if they’re not really romantic, or even about the love story itself. And ESPECIALLY if it’s tragic, because that’s my shit right there. And the films of that variety also tend to be of a better nature. Like, if the main couple does experience a happy ending, it’s rarely ever a great movie, at least comparatively to the otherwise, right? It scarcely feels completely genuine or right, or anything but formulaic. So let’s discuss some of my favorite tragic romances, because I’m in a really fucking random mood. And there are some pretty big spoilers present. Yeah.
Arguably, my favorite would have to be, and probably really stupidly, Titanic. First off, I love that movie to death, despite my better logic. It’s just so… perfect, and there’s no better reason (or excuse, depending on your stance) for it than Jack and Rose, aka LEO AND KATE OMG. Ugh. So… much… aching… ROMANTICISM…
Princess Mononoke is one of the films closest to my heart, for I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be the same person without it. I think I first saw it when I was 8, and it opened about 5 billion doors at once, some of which I’m still realizing are open. Among them is the Ghibli/Miyazaki door, the Epics door, the War Movies door, the Proper Anime door, the Mature Films door, the Japanese door, the Joe Hisaishi Is The Master Of The Universe door (didn’t realize that was open till Tuesday), the Claire Danes door, etcetera, etcetera… the list goes on. It’s a huge milestone in my life, and it deserves nothing less than my utmost respect and familial worshiping. Despite some serious flaws in it’s U.S. parts (the writing, the casting, the Weinsteins — *shudders*), it makes those microscopic grievances implode with it’s awesome beauty (some of the most gorgeous images I’ve ever seen), excellent story and impeccable nobility.
But back on topic.
Sure, it’s not really much of a love story; it’s predominately about the war between mankind and nature. But it never really denies the deeper link between Ashitaka and San, but it never says it outright until very near the climax, and literally too. And absolutely it’s not a tragic ending for them, it would be incredibly pessimistic to think so — he going back to humanity to help rebuild Irontown, she back into the forest with her brothers because she is never able to forgive them for what they’ve done, even if they were apologetic about it — but of course it’s not that much of a happy ending either. But they’re still in love, and they know it, and they’ll still keep in touch. And if it weren’t for the fact they just saved the world, I’d say the quasi-bestiality was weird. But whatever, their lives are their lives.
One last mega-tragic love story I wanna talk about is probably a weird choice… but, like my thoughts on the film, it’s the point to think of it in a sadistically positivel light… Children of Men. I mean it! Think about it. Theo and Julian obviously love each other, even if they don’t wanna go back to those days — why would you? — and move through their separate nows as such… she’s the political activist and he’s a zombie. All works out. But then, through the miracle of Kee and the quest to save her from a world unready to handle something as formerly wondrous and mundane as her “condition” has become, she calls upon him once again to help them get transit papers for her through his cousin. He’s hesitant, and a little pissed, at this plea, mostly because his life sucks and the coffee shop he was just in exploded earlier in the week. Their meeting breeds one of my favorite pieces of dialogue ever:
Y’know that ringing in your ears? That ‘eeeeeeeeee’? That’s the sound of the ear cells dying, like their swan song. Once it’s gone you’ll never hear that frequency again. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Added with the poignancy of the words, the brilliance of the wandering wide-shot, and Moore’s effective and affected handling of Julian (in this scene and all), it makes the… um…
all the more shocking and disorienting, which is completely the point.
Back on topic.
What happened happened. The pain never went away, and any sort of rekindling they might have been feeling because of this all-too-short reunion was stung with the bitter remembrance of it. But they also remember who they were, and what they used to do together, and how much they loved each other. The ball scene proves this — the sentimentalism, the nostagia, the awesomeness that they could do that. They ended on a high note, the last hurrah to what made them both. And so, Theo was in way deeper than he wanted to be in this journey, leading to the deception, the horrors, the warfare, and the last one turning out the film’s light… all because of her and what she meant to him.
But seriously, that ball thing was awesome!
So, in short, I can write deep and meaningful things, but apparently only on the films I know and love the most. And also when I’m not trying to. I have no idea why I wanted to make this post… I just did.
