Light On Dark Water

Request for Film Recommendations: Love

From Grumpy Ex-Pat:

I am teaching a 2nd year course next semester on 'Love' – a course for theology majors. What three movies should I show? I am thinking of Baran, Romeo and Juliet and Once, although I cannot think of any theological meaning to ascribe to the latter. I got very good suggestions last year for my Film and Theology course, which is why, scrounging on Maclin's goodwill, I am asking here again. Any suggestions, Paul, Janet, Rob Grano, Craig, Louise?

Offhand, I don't have any, but am not really free to think at the moment. I am taking an illicit break in a conference I'm attending–skipping the keynote address, which is just a big pep talk. I don't need any pep.

69 responses to “Request for Film Recommendations: Love”

  1. Janet

    Romantic love?
    AMDG

    Reply
  2. Daniel Nichols

    “…not really free to think at the moment”, which is why I love my job.
    And I would guess, AMDG, that by the films she mentioned, that it is romantic love.
    I’ll think about this at work tomorrow and get back to you. And yes you do need pep, Maclin.

    Reply
  3. Janet

    Have you ever seen Arranged? I hesitate to mention this movie because it’s not the world’s best movie or anything like that, but it’s such a perfect foil for Romeo and Juliet. It’s about two young teachers, one Muslim and one Orthodox Jew, who are waiting for their parents to arrange their marriages. It’s a bit facile, but you ought to check it out. It’s streaming on Netflix, or you can rent it on Amazon.
    AMDG

    Reply
  4. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Dan, I hope you do get back. You turned me on to Mijid Mijidii, starting with The Colour of Paradise (I think), then I went on to Baran. It’s not just romantic love – I want to cover all four (friendship, familial, erotic, charitas). But I would like to say something about romantic love. I doubt if rather daunting number of students who have signed up for this imagine we are going to spend 6 weeks on Augustine’s De Doctrina Christiana (I’m thinking of 3 weeks on Augustine…)

    Reply
  5. Janet

    I wonder if you have ever thought about using Joan of Arcadia in a class somehow.
    AMDG

    Reply
  6. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Janet, I really like Joan of Arcadia. Last year, when I was teaching the film course, I started watching it to find one scene to show, and re-viewed the whole two series. The problem with using Joan of A in a class is that every episode really takes the whole episode to make sense – it’s thought out very synthetically. It makes it a good TV show but difficult to use in 50 minute session classes. It’s really difficult to find a single scene which tells a whole story.
    Another thing is that every episode is self-contained. There are no ‘cliff hangers’. I wondered if that was something that led to the drop in audience numbers and the show’s cancellation. That makes no difference to using it in class, it was just something that occurred to me, re-viewing it.

    Reply
  7. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I have never heard of ‘Arranged’ but definitely will take the time to view it on amazon.
    On the subject of ‘loss of love’, ‘A Separation’ is another brilliant, tragic movie from the Middle East. It’s about a husband and wife in the process of getting divorced, and their 12 year old daughter torn between them. I don’t know if it will be out in DVD by the autumn.

    Reply
  8. Marianne

    For romantic love and family, Crossing Delancey; and for friendship and charitas, Broadway Danny Rose.

    Reply
  9. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Thanks Marianne, I’ll check them both out. I remember you gave useful suggestions last year. I saw Broadway Danny Rose ages ago, when it came out, but can’t remember anything much about it. Doesn’t it have a female who is always in hopeless romantic entanglements? Of Crossing Delancey – I have never heard.

    Reply
  10. Rob G

    One that comes right to mind is Zhang Yimou’s The Road Home. An elderly schoolteacher dies and his wife wants his funeral to be held in a traditional Chinese manner. Their son balks, thinking it old-fashioned and unnecessary, so his mother explains why she wants it that way by telling him the story of their meeting and courtship.
    Most of the film is this extended flashback, while the son and mother’s interactions serve as a sort of framing device. It’s beautifully filmed and acted and quite moving in places.

    Reply
  11. Paul

    I’ve just watched Gran Torino twice, after reading Janet’s blog post on it. There’s a quite astounding amount of bad language and ethnic insult in it, but it is very much a film that touches on all the forms of love you mention. It’s not at all as violent a film as I expected, except verbally.
    But what first sprang to mind was The Road Home.

    Reply
  12. Paul

    And what about Casablanca?

    Reply
  13. Paul

    Familial love and friendship: La Gloire de mon père? Erotic love: In the Mood for Love? Brief Encounter?

    Reply
  14. Mac

    Totally agree with The Road Home–beautiful in every way. However, it will be subtitled, which some people consider a big problem. Haven’t seen most of the others mentioned. I keep thinking of things that are unsuitable in one way or another, like The Tree of Life–too weird, too long.

    Reply
  15. Ryan C

    I was going to suggest [i]Casablanca[/i] too.
    For friendship I suggest “Au Revoir Les Enfants” or “Stand By Me.” But admittedly these films are only about male friendship.
    “Les Miserables” with Liam Neeson would work well, I think…
    Ha, for the topic of love I’m coming up with all these French stories–how typical.

    Reply
  16. Mac

    Duh! Why didn’t I think of the movie I was praising here not long ago: Islands in the Stream?! It has all the kinds of love, and treats them very powerfully. Might be a bit long and slow for college students, though it’s not without action. Grumpy, you should at least check it out. Even if you decide it’s not suitable I don’t think you’d regret the time spent watching it.

    Reply
  17. Craig

    Once is a fine, and attractively atypical, love story, but I can’t really think of a theological angle on it either. (I suppose that deep down all love is theological, but…)
    Like Mac, I thought of Tree of Life, which is about just about every kind of love: husband and wife, parents and children, brothers, man and nature, man and God, God and man. But, yes, maybe a bit much for your students. I also think of Malick’s earlier film The New World, which is also about how romantic love can bleed into, or be a prelude to, something more sweeping and grand — it would tie in nicely with Plato and Pieper, I would think. But, again, it’s Malick, so the syntax of the film is unusual and might be off-putting.
    If you would consider a literary adaptation, what about the Graham Greene End of the Affair with Julianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes? “A record of hate more than of love”, perhaps, but it also connects romantic love and love of God in an interesting way.

    Reply
  18. Ryan C

    ‘Gran Turino’ is a good movie too.

    Reply
  19. Marianne

    Grumpy, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen either Crossing Delancey or Broadway Danny Rose, but what’s stuck with me from the first one is the rock-solid, caring love the young man in the story has for the young woman in the story, who finally has the sense to see it. There’s also her devotion to her grandmother, lots of lovely scenes between the two of them. Broadway Danny Rose is maybe the best movie Woody Allen ever made, and the most unlike his others, I think. It does feature a ditzy female with guy problems, but the heart of the movie is the Danny Rose character, who encourages and cares for life’s “losers,”; he’s a joy.

    Reply
  20. Janet

    My first thought, and the reason I asked about romantic
    love, was Places in the Heart.

    Reply
  21. Janet

    My first thought, and the reason I asked about romantic
    love, was Places in the Heart.

    Reply
  22. Rob G

    The Road Home is subtitled, but it’s neither very long nor very wordy; the subtitles may therefore not be as much of a problem as they could be in a longer more complex film.

    Reply
  23. Janet

    I meant because Places in the Heart wasn’t about romantic love. Darn, I’m confusing myself.
    AMDG

    Reply
  24. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Thanks everyone, these are great suggestions.
    I have seen The Road Home, on Rob G’s recommendation, but never thought of that.
    Actually, I have seen nearly all of those mentioned, except Islands in the Stream and Les Miserables, and didn’t think of any of them. So muchos gracias, mes amigos!
    I am now going to spend 10 days watching a movie a day! Not a bad way to prepare for a course.

    Reply
  25. Daniel Nichols

    Well if it is not limited to romantic love how about Pan’s Labyrinth? Granted, this might be too “weird” as well, but it is a very beautiful, if brutal, film.

    Reply
  26. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I like Pan’s Lab, but is it about love?

    Reply
  27. Janet

    Just out of curiosity, has anyone seen The Fall?
    AMDG

    Reply
  28. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I don’t think so, no.

    Reply
  29. Rob G

    I started to watch it once, got about a half-hour in and lost interest — didn’t finish it.

    Reply
  30. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Spent the 3rd afternoon of the 3rd day giving up smoking watching Die Hard. It’s about Love, in a sense!

    Reply
  31. Mac

    Yes–in a sense, or to a degree, or something along those lines. Also about guns and explosives.
    My sympathy on the smoking effort. I have been struggling all day to resist the readily available coffee at this conference. Struggle was successful and I will soon have a beer as a reward.

    Reply
  32. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I’m about to have a nicotine gum as a reward. Great movie, helped me through the day – thanks for the recommendation. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to watch such an erm, commercial movie 🙂

    Reply
  33. Mac

    Glad you enjoyed it.
    There’s a certain kind of person who likes to make much of a movie like that in contrast to effete artsy probably foreign movies. But in this case he would have a point, or half of one.
    I didn’t know that “erm” is pronounced “um” until I heard an English actor read a Harry Potter book.

    Reply
  34. Beth

    Sophie’s Choice

    Reply
  35. Mac

    Knowing the rough outline of the plot of Sophie’s Choice, I’ve never wanted to see it. Seems like it would be one of those too-painful-to-watch things for me.

    Reply
  36. Daniel Nichols

    Yes, Pan’s Labyrinth is about the love the girl had for her half brother, whom she refused to harm, even to accomplish great good. A fine anti-consequentialist film as well!
    Also, Babe, Pig in the City, where the pig has mercy on a vicious dog who was just trying to kill him…

    Reply
  37. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I will watch Pan’s Lab again, Dan. I had forgotten what happens in it.

    Reply
  38. Mac

    I think there was a fair amount of discussion of PL on the Caelum et Terra blog when it came out. I’ll see if I can find it later. Can’t remember specifically what I said but I wasn’t wild about it.
    Speaking of cartoons, Up is very nice on romantic love, at least in the first half or so, before it turns into boring action stuff.

    Reply
  39. Grumpy Ex Pat

    The problem with Pan’s Lab, frankly, is that at least half the students will hate the movie because of what they will regard as the anti-Catholicism of the portrayal of the Spanish civil war. It’s like trying to get young children to eat fresh food! It has to look like something they would want to eat! Do you remember the movie Marianne recommended last year, called ‘The Miracle’? Half of them hated that because it had a scene with a bishop in sauna – not doing anything dirty, just having a facial.

    Reply
  40. Mac

    Ah, youth. I guess that’s better than the reaction the average young person would probably have: “oh yeah, those Catholic bishops, corrupt fascists.” I’m sort of impressed that they would have any sort of clue about the Spanish Civil War.

    Reply
  41. Art Deco

    Echoes of a Summer

    Reply
  42. Mac

    Haven’t heard of it.

    Reply
  43. Grumpy Ex Pat

    They wouldn’t have a clue about the Spanish civil War. They would just see Catholics being portrayed as bad guys in some mediaeval war

    Reply
  44. Grumpy Ex Pat

    Arty, I will check it out, I don’t know the movie.
    I watched Les Miserables last night. What a weird Gothic story! I don’t think the family theme is strong enough to make them watch the whole movie. I will at some point use the clip where Neeson tells the young radical, ‘Love is the only future God gives us’

    Reply
  45. Art Deco

    More appropriate: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Has Robert Preston in it.

    Reply
  46. Mac

    Haven’t seen that one either, though I have heard of it. Always liked the title.

    Reply
  47. janet

    I saw that when I was a girl and all I can remember about it is some anti-Catholicism. I was shocked because I’d never known that existed before.
    AMDG

    Reply
  48. Mac

    And you living in the South! Maybe your memory is faulty–everybody knows Southerners are vocally bigoted against everybody except white Protestants.

    Reply
  49. Art Deco

    The Dark at the Top of the Stairs concerns married couples heading into middle age and attempting to muddle through, some better than others. Echoes of a Summer has that, but the primary focus is a father-daughter relation. It is a lesser film and now that I think about it somewhat contrived and insufficient in layers.

    Reply
  50. Art Deco

    Summer of ’42 is a coming of age story, but you might be able to do something with the erotic/romantic angle.

    Reply
  51. Janet

    I lived in a little Catholic enclave.
    AMDG

    Reply
  52. Grumpy Ex Pat

    I’ll check them all out, thanks very much AD. Today, the 7th day of giving up smoking I think I will watch ‘In the Mood for Love’

    Reply
  53. Louise

    I just watched “Young Victoria” recently and while I have considerable doubts about its historical value, I rather liked it as a love story and indeed parts of it such as the marriage proposal I found very moving.
    Mind you, I’m uber-sentimental.
    the relationship of Victoria with her mother is quite interesting too.
    And of course the soundtrack and costumes are very good!

    Reply
  54. Louise

    My kids love “Kiss me, Kate” which we watch all the time here. If you don’t know the story line it’s about a divorced couple, whose love is restored and that makes it very interesting from my POV. Plus the women have real bodies! And I enjoy the music.

    Reply
  55. Louise

    And of course there’s always Pride and Prejudice, sense and Sensibility and Emma.

    Reply
  56. Louise

    Surely there must be lots of good movies about soldiers and the friendships men form in the armed forces.

    Reply
  57. Rob G

    “Surely there must be lots of good movies about soldiers and the friendships men form in the armed forces.”
    The Burmese Harp

    Reply
  58. grumpy

    I watched Islands in the Stream last night night and enjoyed it v. much.
    I will check out The Burmese Harp.

    Reply
  59. Mac

    Glad to hear you like Islands.

    Reply
  60. grumpy

    I am certainly thinking of using it. It is not a great movie, but it is a great 2 hour performance by George C Scott.
    Louise, I think I saw the movie about Queen Victoria. It’s not sufficiently on topic for the course, though it’s an enjoyable movie.

    Reply
  61. grumpy

    Mac, did you say you had written about Islands in the Stream on here recently? I put it in your search engine and didn’t come upon anything.

    Reply
  62. Mac

    TypePad’s search is really shaky. I’m wondering if I should just remove it, since I can’t trust it. But yes, I did:
    http://lightondarkwater.typepad.com/lodw/2012/04/sunday-night-journal-april-22-2012.html
    As you’ll see, I at least considered the possibility of calling it great. Really good, anyway.

    Reply
  63. grumpy

    Thanks! My life got very OTT at the end of April, so I’m not surprised I missed your review.
    I found the movie so touching that I watched down to the end of the scene when his wife comes to say their eldest son has died, last night, and then woke up very early this morning and watched the rest of it. It was not that it was not gripping, it was that it was too evocative for me to take it all in at once. I think it is a wonderful ‘guy’ film. It is about a father bonding with his sons, and about a husband still loving his wife despite being an unfaithful husband. I found even the scene where the middle boy tries and fails to catch that big fish immensely moving. I guess perhaps its not a ‘good film’ in the sense that the four parts don’t perfectly cohere – the final scene when he tries to leave the island and take those Jewish refugees to Cuba doesn’t seem to fit, not that it’s tacked on, but that it doesn’t wholly grow out of ‘the story so far’. That’s why I said it was not such a good movie but a great performance by George C Scott. Having said that, I would certainly recommend it to other people, and mean to show it next semester. Its a guy film, and we need some in a course on Love.

    Reply
  64. Mac

    I hadn’t thought of it as a guy film, but I suppose it is. I would have described it more as a movie about Relationships that could be enjoyed by guys.:-)
    You’ve got a point about that last segment, I guess, though to me it seems natural–a continuing of his opening out.
    This is a slightly spoilerish exchange. A little late for me to be pointing that out.

    Reply
  65. Janet

    Just so you will know this in the future, everything Hemingway every did was a guy-thing.
    I did like Island a lot more than I would have liked movies made from his other books except maybe Old Man and the Sea. I ought to read that.
    AMDG

    Reply
  66. Mac

    Heh. I guess you’re right. As I think I mentioned in the review, I have the impression that Islands, the novel, is Not Highly Regarded by critics, but I’m sort of curious about it, too. There is a movie of Old Man & the Sea which I don’t think I’ve ever seen…”don’t think” because I have images from it, but I sort of think they’re from seeing clips of it here and there. Or maybe I did see it a long time ago…?

    Reply
  67. grumpy

    Yes, in a way, George C Scott is simply playing Hemingway, which works because he looks like him

    Reply
  68. Rob G

    The Old Man and the Sea is the book that got me started on reading “serious” stuff for pleasure. I read it in 8th grade and loved it. I’ve read it only once since then — I’m probably due for a revisit.
    I’ve never seen the movie–Spencer Tracy, I think? Or was it Anthony Quinn?

    Reply
  69. Mac

    Tracy, I’m pretty sure. I’m willing to argue that OM&S is the best thing Hemingway ever wrote. At any rate it would be the read-this-one-if-you-don’t-read-anything-else choice, as it pretty much contains the best of him.
    Re Scott playing Hemingway: he probably did it better than Hemingway did.

    Reply

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