THE REAL & THE ROMANTIC: Blending Genres and Shaping Stories
Romanticism: a movement encompassing ideas like the free play of the mind, and imagination above all else. It embraces how things might or even should be, leaving the viewer free to interpret, surmise, and surrender to what they have felt as well as seen.
Looking over these definitions, I started to think about how these ideas, movements, philosophies, classifications--whatever we wish to call them-- translate into film. Eventually, I realized they reminded me that it is always of value to effectively explore the enigma of human nature when considering artistic expression in any of its forms.
When some people go to look for inspiration, they flip open a magazine, click through Pinterest, or take to the streets for some old-fashioned people-watching. While I'll not likely turn down any of these worthwhile past times; when I am looking for the ultimate escape, I most often take headphones and an audiobook with me as I walk my dog Maggie, or I sit back with my softest blanket and turn on a film.
Therein lies the magic!
I like my films like I like my music: pretty, meaningful, and varied! But even though I can appreciate most walks and classifications of film, I have my favorite genres...hey, we all do! I think I am most intrigued, however, when elements of Romanticism bleed into the realistic. While genre classifications are useful in cataloging and framing our understanding of films and their purpose/intentions, its in the mad mixtures that we often find the most delightful and unexpected colors.
When done right, every detail of the film's aesthetic has been considered by the director: From the ingénue's lip color to the height of her ponytale; from the gait of the protagonist, to the color of his bicycle... and the curve in the road that he rides upon. The smallest details help masterfully execute the film's vision. While this can also be said about fashion spreads in Vogue or Elle, or even blogger outfits and influencer's Instagram feeds, the real wonder for me is seeing this kind of beauty in motion...all of it set to a fantastically fashioned score.
Film has long been synonymous with the greater, social, cinema experience. These gatherings have been great fodder for everything from family trips, friendly shared experiences, and dates for couples--old and new. As such, one of the earliest of the film genres was aimed at the shared enjoyment of couples looking to spark some romance. The early romance films' influence is so strong in cinema, one could argue that the fast majority of movie genres include many elements of these early romances. And, while the genres have all evolvoed over the years and hybridized again and again, the basic tenets of chance enounters, meet-cutes, heartfelt passion, starcrossed and complex love triangles remain strong.
Love is an inexhaustible and eternal topic for movie directors of all times and cultures. They manage to show perfect relationships in very different and difficult situations. When watching such movies, we want to take a deep breath and say, "I wish this were true!" They can also rip out our hearts and put them in a blender with stories of forbidden love or love in impossible situations or environments, such as those doomed romances that unfold against a backdrop of war and violence. They ultimately leave us reaching for our tissues and crying out to the heavens, "Why, why, why?"
While all movies may dip their celluloid toes into the lush waters of romance, they seek to do so in new and intriguing ways. Sometimes, they explore the idea of immortality: does love last forever? Will it really, as Celine Dion seems to suggest in her sweeping Titanic score, "go on and on" (even after Jack has slipped into the icy waters of the Atlantic?) The notion of immortality, in love relationships or in our protagonists, themselves; is a concept rife with dramatic possibilities both philosophical and emotional. Age of Adaline, like Tuck Everlasting and even the Twilight series, explores this notion of "what if?" What if you could stop aging? What happens to our potential to love another if "growing old together" becomes a merely one-sided experience? (Age of Adaline trailer link)
The second film on the docket for the Year 1 scholars, we have Chocolat. This film brings to mind the idea of the magical female. A woman comes into a new place, and with her colorful and lively spirit, changes the lives of all around her. You may find yourselves reminded of The Secret Garden, Sound of Music, or even Mary Poppins! I think there must be some collective unconsciousness that appeals to all of us in the stories that unfold in this way; the women act as generous mother figures who breeze in and fix what is wrong with the world around them through their love and clarity. What is nice about these stories is even as our beloved protagonist brings beauty to the people around her, these people, in the end, also have a profound effect on her. (Chocolat trailer link)
Mixing genres seems to be the norm for our films today. Art imitates life, to be sure, and life cannot be put into the box of just one genre. Even when a film carries us away to the enchanting worlds of the director's and screenwriter's imaginations, there is that comforting, grounding realism that makes us hope for just a moment; maybe, just maybe, this could happen! In every genre and/or philosophical mixture, we seem to find some element of love or the possibility of it, too. I think that tells us a little bit about who we are--as viewers and creators. We may go to the movies to escape our lives, but I also believe that we go to the movies to rediscover the very best of them, too.
After watching the films, answer the following questions...
1. What elements of Romanticism (as defined in this blog) do you see?
2. What elements of Realism do you notice?
3. How would you classify the film with respect to genre?
Remember: They don't call it "Hollywood magic" for nothing. Let yourself get swept away in the possibilities as you view these films; but don't forget to appreciate the attention to details and aesthetics as a film student, too!
Cheers, and happy viewing!
Romanticism: Vianne's chocolate shop is full of romanticism, as shown at the beginning of the movie were the daughter of the woman whom Vianne is renting from, shows the mystery and interpretations with the plate that Vianne and her daughter use to determine people's favorite chocolates. The "power" that the chocolates have is also somewhat romantic, leaving exactly how the chocolate work and change people as up to interpretation.
ReplyDeleteRealism: The whole town of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, the townspeople, their relationship and dynamics are all very realistic and accurate to those in real life.
I would classify Chocolat as a more romanticism film because of the freedom of interpretation and how it aid s the story.
LOVE your analysis, Carol! :)
DeleteRomanticism: The film has a tendency for events to turn out better than the proposed solutions. Examples can be see in both the boat fire and the attempted attack by Serge. Both scenes, which could suggest an unfortunate outcome otherwise, conclude with a much preferred ending for the characters. Vianne's power over others is also romanticized, mainly within the movie by Reynaud in his actions distorting the church to his ways. While it seems that her powers lie within her offerings, it much more lies within herself and the joy she is able to bring to others.
ReplyDeleteRealism: Many of the colors are muted, giving a less fantastical air to the movie as a whole. It also bears mention that the scenes have very little editing done to save time. Conversations are often drawn out, much like they would naturally flow in real life.
The movie as a whole is very romantic, in both the nature of the relations between townsfolk and Vianne, as well as the small romantic subplot with Roux close to the end. The film is also very dramatic in the ways it deals with these relationships, often creating doubt within them to fuel the story.
WOW! Love your ending analysis here! Did you enjoy the film? :)
DeleteThe Film Chocolat has elements of romanticism sprinkled throughout. It magnifies the want for human kindness. It also displays the Golden Rule at the end and inclusion. The magical aspect helps to display them in an intriguing way keeping the audience entertained but subconscious of the truths embedded within. Realism is present also. The way the characters reacted to situations and communicated is entirely possible in real life. The beliefs and morals of the characters are a common trait in people as well as in other films.
ReplyDeleteThe film is definitely full of romanticism. It flows with not only exaggerated relationships between characters but the magic. The film tries to embrace the negatives in life and combat them with magic chocolate.
Romanticism: The entire action of spinning a platter and looking into it, stating what you see as if you are looking at some sort of Rorschach test is the definition of romanticism. The minds of Vianne's and Anouk's customers run free as they try to describe what they see in Anouk's spinning platter. The customers are quite literally viewers, left to interpret. Only by interpreting the platter can Vianne and Anouk determine the customer's favorite chocolate. The chocolate in itself holds a "power" able to change the behaviours of those who eat it. Viewers watch as the chocolates solve problems with ease. The problems are all solved with ideal outcomes.
ReplyDeleteRealism: The dynamics between the townspeople follow realistic patterns. A mother caring deeply for her child, a woman in an unhappy marriage with her husband, a demanding leader etc. This air of realism is also seen in the movies color palette. The colors are simple and often times dull which often distracts from the fantasy aspects. The only out of the ordinary behaviour is of course a chocolate that can bend reality to peoples wishes.
The movie Chocolat is at it's core a romanticised tale depicting realistic dynamics between the townspeople. I would describe Chocolat as a romantic and dramatic movie. With the idea of freeing ones mind and the realistic and story driving interactions between the characters, this movie feels like a drama.
Well discussed! :) It is a film I love to revisit for all of these reasons.
DeleteRomanticism: "The Lake House" and the "Age of Adeline" both encompass some romanticist ideas as they leave a lot up to mystery along with the longing ideas of "what if?". For example, what if Alex and Kate could meet or what or what if Adaline could finally age and all of these characters could live out their happy endings?! We can see these ideas throughout the movies as we watch and hope and pray that things work out for our characters. The films are additionally romanticism as they all end with their story wrapped up in a pretty red bow that gives their viewer the satisfaction that the guy and the girl ended up together despite it all.
ReplyDeleteRealism: These films both encompass realism as they portray the very nature and humans act of falling in love but in extreme out of this world circumstances that give these films artistic expression.
Genre: I would classify both of these films are Romance/Fantasy as they both encompass a love story that is the premise of the film and drives the plot while also taking place with supernatural circumstances.
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ReplyDeleteIn the movie The Age of Adaline, the elements of Romanticism were thread through the entire story as we the audience are taken on a journey of getting lost in the idea that this ageless life is possible in every way. I didn’t even question the logic, and I was truly surrendered to the beauty (and also felt the tragedy) of the idea! In The Lake House, we are asked to consider the idea of a strange crossover of time and space, and I personally could not allow myself to give in to the imagination required to ‘believe’ and surrender to it. Great storytelling vs poor storytelling?
ReplyDeleteThe elements of Realism that I noticed in the film The Age of Adaline would be the narration and intentional use of flashbacks to enrich the story that help to tell the ‘full’ story. In the movie The Lake House, I felt like Realism was exhibited in a very ordinary way through the use of daily readings and an attempt to keep the feeling of things happening in ‘real time’ in order to close the gap of time that existed between the characters.
I would classify The Age of Adaline as a purely wonderful film rooted in Romanticism. I believe The Lake House makes every attempt to be in the same camp, but I was unable to allow myself to defy my logic in this storyline, and found myself confused most of the time and therefore unable to feel/experience their love story. I would say The Lake House showcased more of an effort in the area of Realism and telling a story centered around time than playing with my imagination and wishing for me to care for the characters.
The Lake House-
ReplyDeleteMany elements of romanticism were seen throughout this film. While I cannot say any of them were executed well, they were most certainly there. You can see the romanticized portions of the film through lots of match cuts. The characters voice over their painfully boring lives, with even more painfully dialogue. And the film tries to make this a beautiful romantic way of story telling. But falls short. I appreciate Sandra Bullock's work to at least try to make the dialogue sound interesting. It also gives a fantastical premise, lovers split apart by time. That of which is not even a fresh premise, that has been executed better before and after in films like the Korean film "Il Mare" (the film of which "The Lake House" is based) and the animated film "Your Name" which was released in 2016. While the film cannot offer much compelling romanticism, it offers a lot of realism. It is realistic in showing boring life, I enjoyed the piece of dialogue where the two characters were going back and forth lying about their lives. Any regular person would want to make their life seem more interesting than it is. I use the term "enjoyed" very lightly in this context.
Overall , "The Lake House" feels exceptionally realistic, in that it is boring and very easy to fall asleep to. I fell asleep halfway through and had to rewind. I feel the film was aiming for a fantastical romantic plot but just fell short.
Age of Adaline-
"Age of Adaline" is a masterpiece next to "The Lake House" through my first viewing, I thought that it was just an okay film. It didn't really feel special, but at least it was enjoyable. I was not cringing through the whole film. Where "The Lake House" fails, "Age of Adaline" succeeds. While the initial premise is not new (ie: Benjamin Button, any Vampire romance... etc), the film still brings new light to the subject. It gives a wonderful romantic lens to the different time periods Adaline lived through. It had a somber feeling throughout, making the romance even more impactful. It provides realism through the simple struggles she has to live through, making friends, getting a job, caring for your family, everyone can relate to these things. However, I did notice that Adaline was way too smart and obervant. How could she remember every piece of trivia since the 1950's? That part just seemed unrealistic to me, it really brings the viewer out of the film. And the editing was appalling, it kept going back and forth to different points in time, and points in the film that did not need it. It was very disorienting. Especially towards the beginning, where Adaline celebrated her birthday with her daughter, and went to a new years party simultaneously due to the editing.-- it has come to my attention that was a plex problem.. Anyways the movie has become better for me now. I would definitely classify this film as a fantastical romanticized film. It was beautiful, especially combined with the score.
I think having Blake Lively in the role also helped make it have that sort of "ageless vintage" class, too! Agree with your analysis, and I am so sorry about the upload issues. We shall figure it out. It is a beautiful film. :)
DeleteLake House:
ReplyDeleteRomanticism-
The most obvious element that was noticeable throughout this film was Romance. Although the overall view of this film was often confusing, it showed a tight connection between a man and a women. It showed its audience that love can be found anywhere, even when the relationship is quite literally breaking the fourth wall. It still was able to make you wonder, "how is this possible?", "are they ever going to see each other?". Even if this film personally did make me want to lean in to what was happening, the concept of pulling in romance and time, both being extremely important concepts, was an interesting evaluation seen throughout the film.
Realism-
With the Lake House, it is not the idea of time, in this instance, being realistic. It is instead the idea of how powerful love can be and the many insane effects it can leave on a single person's life. It is obvious that both Kate and Alex had an interest in each other from the start. Without even knowing what the other person looked liked, it was love at first sight. This film intensifies and twists the understanding of two people meeting each other and falling in love.
I would classify this film as a Romance/Fantasy because although the idea of romance is very realistic in this film, the base of the story is not
Age of Adeline:
Romanticism-
In this film, the real love story is not shown until we dive deeper into the story. It is not obvious until we see Ellis start appearing in the film more frequently. As his character becomes more relevant in the story, he soon becomes a likable character to the audience. Knowing the instability of Adeline, it was very interesting to see how this romantic story would unravel itself. I myself was caught up in their relationship, wanting to see more, wanting to know what will happen next. The common questions arose is my head, "when will Ellis find out she can't age?", "will Adeline be able to stay in a healthy sable relationship, seeing what she is dealing with?". This was definitely my favorite love story compared to Lake House because of the more realistic element it showed throughout the film.
Realism-
Age of Adeline definitely incorporated more of a realistic element to the film than Lake House. Even if the background of Adeline's past is not something you would ever see in the real world, the dedication and devotion of the relationship did pull off that element of realism. It was heartwarming to see Ellis not giving up, really pushing and smoothly showing off to impress Adeline's bland and upfront personality. The line that stuck with me the most that is not common to see in a lot of relationships (probably cause I'm in highschool) was a scene of Ellis wanting to use his dads car to find Adeline. The dad asked why Ellis is in love with Adeline and he replied, "because nothing makes sense without her". Knowing that a specific group of the audience can relate to this film, shows the realistic commitment people are put through to be in a happy and healthy relationship.
I would definitely put this film under romance and fantasy because of the way relationships are shown and understood in the film.
I ejnoyed this film a lot and made me lean in for certain scenes, although I did cry when her dog was dying.
VERY thorough analysis! :) Especially in your attention to details within realism and Romanticism. (I also cried with her when her dog died! It felt very real.)
DeleteRomanticism-
ReplyDeleteThe Lake House shows the use of the Romanticism movement in many ways. The most notable way being the romance between Alex and Kate. Even though the romance was cheesy and cliched, they still did it, which shows how much confidence the director had in the film. Even though I wasn't a fan of the romance in the film, I did enjoy the time travel aspect. This is mainly because it was something different that most romance films do not use.
The Age of Adaline also did a great job of using Romanticism. This time, it features the romance between Adaline and Ellis. I personally think that they did a much better job of creating a romance than The Lake House. Another important feature of Romanticism is creating a feeling that we wish what happened in the movie could be reality. This movie does that by creating Adaline's "immortality". However, by the end of the movie, they show us how it is not always a good thing.
Realism
The Lake House shows Realism through its use of realistic characters. Alex and Kate are both normal people, who lived normal lives, until they met each other through the lake house and their letters.
In The Age of Adaline, they use Realism by having Adaline live through real, historic events including the Red Scare, where Adaline was almost taken captive because she was suspected of being a Communist. Also, they use the classic trope of "Guy meets girl in an elevator", which is semi-realistic.
I would classify The Lake House as a romance/fantasy because of the magical and romantic aspects of the film.
I would classify The Age of Adaline as romance/sci-fi because even though it mainly focuses on the romance, it also uses its own science to explain what happened to Adaline.
Great commentary on both as a critical viewer of film! I love your classifications as well. I appreciate your argument that Adaline is also stepping into sci-fi - totally agree! :)
DeleteAge of Adeline:
ReplyDeleteI would consider this film to be a travesty. In complete sincerity, there was nothing good or unique about this film. Most of it was not necessarily terrible, just bland. The romance in the film was very poorly done. These characters knew each other for less than a week, yet have already fallen madly in love. Though, this film does deal with romanticism in a different way than most. It focuses on the question of whether love is truly forever. Rather than answering this question, it instead offers a realization that no matter what, you cannot run away from it. Instead of being scared of the possibilities, you have to face them head on. The film displays realism through the small interactions between the characters. Those small moments are what define the characters and the film. I would classify Age of Adeline as a romance/drama with a slight hint of science fiction.
The Lake House:
The Lake House is a cinematic disaster. Practically nothing was done right. The film is disturbingly boring, and the acting was horrendous. The romanticism comes from the question of whether it is possible for them to ever be with each other. Their love can transcend even time itself. It was portrayed in a completely cliched way. The realism comes from the extremely normal, and incredibly boring characters in this strange situation. Even though the plot is unralistic, the characters are still somewhat relatable. I would classify this film as a romance/fantasy.
Romanticism: In The Lake House, the aspect of romanticism that is most clear is the magical mailbox that transports letters across time. This allows for the plot of a 'great love story' to commence. The film tries to create this feeling that the love between the two main characters was destiny. In terms of emotion, there was none. I felt no emotion the entire time. I would say The Lake House attempted romanticism. Age of Adeline, however, embraced romanticism. First, the concept of a person who cannot age is rather imaginative. The film also is cast in this vintage-Hollywood glow the entire time. The coloring is buttery and warm. More real emotion was evoked in Age of Adeline than in The Lake House, but there were some moments within the film that I couldn't suspend my disbelief or let my mind run wild. I'd give The Lake House a 1/10 for Romanticism and Age of Adeline a 6/10.
ReplyDeleteRealism: The Lake House nails realism is one sense. Real life is often boring and this movie was definitely boring. Unlike Age of Adeline, this film wasn't glossed over with a vintage filter, instead it seemed like no artistic liberties were taken in the form of the film. The editing wasn't anything special, the cinematography was unimaginative, and the acting was painful. I guess in the sense of realism, this checks out. Lives are lived in a monotonous way. Age of Adeline is less to do with realism but aspects of it are still there. The world they live in is just like ours, history has happened exactly as ours has, all the same rules and consequences apply (except for Adeline's mortal state).
Genre: If I had to give The Lake House a genre it would be a romantic drama, however it is a very bland drama. Age of Adeline is more like a mash-up of romance/drama/sci-fi.
Romanticism: The Lake House is a prime example of a film with a unique idea and good narrative that was just executed in the most bland and unimaginable way possible. The idea of this magical mail box that delivers letters through the fabric of time is an amazing premise for a romantic story. This premise had several opportunities to engage the viewer by letting these characters express their true emotion and love for each other and while the love was present in order for this to be a romantic film, the emotion was somewhere else, In Age of Adeline. I'd say Age of Adeline works far better as a romantic drama in terms or emotion and enjoyable and comforting visuals. Although this film isn't always logically sound, which is distracting at times, it's visual style and presentation is miles ahead of it's counterpart. This movie is an imaginative romance that isn't afraid to blur the lines between realism and romanticism, which is why I think it works far better than The Lake House.
ReplyDeleteRealism: The Lake House is presented in the realist way possible, which sounds good on paper, but in execution it just looks lazy and bland. So bland in fact, that if you were to remove the magic mailbox completely and just make it so Sandra Bullock lived on the other side of the world or something, this movie might as well have been based on a true story, that's how real it is. I think with a better director who actually takes time into crafting each shot to appear visually interesting and unique, then this movie would at least have something going for it. The cinematography is just short of awful and I found myself struggling not to turn it off and watch Gremlins (1984). Age of Adeline has realism AND it's shown in an interesting way, which I forgot was possible after viewing The Lake House. Age of Adeline is realistic and also artistic, much like real life when it isn't clouded by the mundane. The only unrealistic feature I'd say about this movie is the fact that one of our main characters is immortal, but that's basically the plot of the movie so I'll let it slide.
Genre: Giving The Lake House a genre is very difficult, It's considered a Romantic Fantasy, but I'd say that would be giving it too much props. I can't call it a romantic drama either, cause there was nothing at all dramatic about the actors' acting. So I'll just consider it a romantic fiction. Age of Adeline is considered a Romantic Fantasy, which I think fits perfectly for a film of this style and premise.
THE AGE OF ADALINE-
ReplyDeleteROMANTICISM: The film, The Age of Adaline, did a great job of depicting romanticism throughout the entirety of the movie. The relationship that grows between Adaline and Ellis is shown as something very real and relatable to the audience. A part that I found specifically intense was just nearing the beginning of the film when they first lock eyes and the world around them stops, the connection they shared was something that could be felt by even the viewer.
REALISM: Adaline is a very realistic person throughout the film, she understands that she may not have time for things such as love, her condition poses many challenges in her life and she must be ready to make a move whenever she possibly can.
THE LAKE HOUSE-
This film was extremely disappointing in regards to overall execution. The idea of love being able to travel and live throughout time is a good story however the films execution of this was very poor, the acting was very bad, and it never grabbed my attention.
GENRE-
AGE OF ADALINE : Romance/Fantasy
THE LAKE HOUSE: Romance/Fantasy