by Jonathan Rose

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 21, 2009

Any good romantic movie must begin with an adventure. To be at the top of the romance movie genre the adventure must be big, the bigger the better. There must also be a great barrier or struggle preventing the romantic pusuit of the main characters and ultimately an incredible sacrifice must be made to prove the depth of love. The combination of these three elements in addition to some top shelf actors and a director can make a romantic movie into a great film.

'Casablanca' stands above all other movies in the romance movie genre. Morocco in the early years of World War II is the ideal setting for adventure and romance. The city of Casablanca is a hub for European refugees fleeing the war and Rick Blaine, played by Humphry Bogart, operates a popular "swanky" nightclub in the heart of the city. Cynical, heartbroken and politically indifferent Rick is the perfect person to straddle the extreme political divisiveness of his clientele. The conflict arises when Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, arrives at his club with her husband. Ilsa is the cause of Rick's heartbreak and her arrival in Casablanca challenges Rick's political indifference and threatens to topple Rick's precarious but profitable life. The movie 'Casablanca' is timeless and even though it was proced in 1942 it still sets the bar for all other romantic films.

A more recent romantic movie produced in 1997, 'Titanic', fits into a similar mold. The adventure is provided by the setting aboard the infamous White Star Line ocean liner Titanic on her tragic maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912. The initial conflict for Rose Dewitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet and Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is their social standing. Rose is a wealthy upper class passenger who meets Jack, travelling third class. Their whirlwind romance is put to the test as the ship sinks into the frigid Atlantic waters. The computer graphics in this movie are the first of its kind and very well integrated into the movie which helps to establish the grandure of the experience for the movie goer.

The movie 'Out of Africa' Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford was produced in 1985. Set in 1913 Kenya there is no end to the adventure or the beautiful scenery. Meryl Streep's character endures hardship and heartbreak in a time of war, in a period of cultural change and among lions.

Sources: www.imdb.com

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