Love on screen: the romance film

For many couples, watching a romantic film together is one of the simplest pleasures of a shared life. A love story on screen can make you laugh, cry, argue about the ending and reach for each other's hands in the dark. It can also plant the seed of a journey: countless couples have fallen in love with a city, an island or a landscape after seeing it as the backdrop to a screen romance.

What makes a romance film

Wikipedia's article on the romance film describes the genre as love stories that focus on passion, emotion and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters, typically following their journey through dating, courtship or marriage. It notes that these films centre on the search for romantic love, that the lovers often face obstacles such as money, illness, discrimination or family resistance, and that they explore themes including love at first sight, young and mature love, unrequited love, forbidden love and tragic love. It also observes that romantic films can serve as great escapes and fantasies for viewers.

The sub-genres

Romance on screen comes in many flavours. Wikipedia describes several sub-genres, including:

• Romantic comedy: light-hearted, humorous plots centred on romantic ideals such as true love being able to surmount most obstacles.
• Historical or epic romance: love stories set in a historical period, usually against a turbulent backdrop of war, revolution or tragedy.
• Paranormal romance: romantic relationships between humans and supernatural beings.
• Romantic fantasy: fantasy stories that borrow the elements and conventions of the romance genre.
• Romantic thriller: stories that combine romance with the suspense of a thriller.

Knowing which kind of story you both enjoy is a good start for a movie night. One of you may love sweeping period dramas while the other prefers something light and funny; taking turns choosing is a fair and fun solution.

Planning a movie night for two

A movie night at home can be as romantic as a night out, with a little effort:

• Set the scene. Dim the lights, light some candles, bring out blankets and cushions.
• Choose together. Agree on a sub-genre, or pick a film set somewhere you would love to visit.
• Theme the food. Cook or order a meal from the country where the film is set.
• Phones away. Give the film and each other your full attention.
• Talk afterwards. Discuss the ending, the characters, and whether you would ever go to the place it was filmed.

An outdoor screening under the stars, at a summer film festival or a small open-air cinema, can be an even more memorable date.

Films as travel inspiration

Romance films are often set in beautiful places: canal cities, sunlit islands, snowy mountain towns, grand old hotels, sweeping countryside. Seeing a place through the eyes of lovers on screen makes it feel romantic before you have ever been there. Many couples plan trips around the settings of films they love, walking the streets and sitting in the squares where favourite scenes unfolded.

If a film inspires you, research the real place before you go. Screen versions are often idealised: the crowds are removed, the weather is perfect and the journey between locations is instantaneous. The real place may be busier, but it also has its own surprises, which no film can show. The destination index can help you turn a screen dream into a practical plan, and romantic Europe covers many of the cities that appear so often in romance films.

From the screen to the page

Many of the most beloved screen romances are adapted from books, plays or older stories. If a film moves you, it can be rewarding to seek out the story that inspired it. The legendary lovers feature looks at some of the oldest love stories in literature and history, which continue to inspire storytellers today.

Watching on the road

A film can be part of the trip itself. On a rainy afternoon at a country inn, or a quiet evening after a long day of sightseeing, a love story on a laptop with a blanket and a cup of tea can be surprisingly memorable. Choose something set in the place you are visiting, or save a favourite for the flight home, when the trip is ending and a little romance softens the return.

Your own love story

Films compress years of love into a couple of hours, with perfect lighting and a soaring score. Real love is quieter and longer, and in many ways more remarkable. Enjoy the escape, and then turn off the screen and plan your own adventure. The best romances are the ones you live.