The 10 Greatest Love Stories of All Time
Are women unrealistic in their expectations of love? Do we demand so much from men that none can ever hope to measure up? What is the love that we dream of as girls, and can we ever really find it?
My own views of love were undoubtedly shaped, at least in part, by the many books I read and movies I watched as a girl. Like most women, I’ve never outgrown my appetite for a great love story. Thinking about my favorites of all time, I realized that a common theme is sacrifice, even death. The greatest, most enduring loves are often doomed, and the tragedy fuels the passion.
Is this just the stuff of fiction, or is it possible that a real man could love one woman for all eternity?
Here’s a letter written by Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah shortly before the Battle of Bull Run in 1861. It’s from Ken Burns’ The Civil War, and it never fails to move me:
This kind of love does exist, it is real. It is not rare!
Hold out for the real thing.
While you’re waiting, and you have a few lonely Friday nights to kill, here are my Top 10 love stories of all time:
1. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
An unpolished and devastating epic of childhood playmates who grow into soul mates, but are separated by class and cruelty. Heathcliff and Cathy believe they’re destined to love each other forever, and when she dies in childbirth he begs her spirit to remain on earth forever, to haunt him and drive him mad.
The 1970 film adaptation starring Timothy Dalton had me in an adolescent swoon, but I’ve also enjoyed the book while nursing a broken heart.
2. Casablanca, 1943
Two years after running out on him in Paris and breaking his heart, Ilsa visits Rick’s nightclub in the company of her husband, WWII Resistance leader Victor Lazslo. Ilsa and Rick are still very much in love, but Rick sacrifices her to Lazslo, for the good of the war effort. He tells her, “We’ll always have Paris.”
This film contains so many memorable characters and scenes, it’s much more than a love story. Ingrid Bergman is radiant, and her chemistry with Humphrey Bogart is surprisingly intense.
3. Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story
Forbidden love between young people from warring clans ends tragically in death. In R&J, Romeo kills himself rather than live without Juliet, who he mistakenly believes has died.
Franco Zeferelli’s 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet was lovely. I’m also a big fan of Baz Luhrmann, and his modern interpretation was interesting. West Side Story is a great film, focusing on the senseless bigotry that separates the lovers.
4. Titanic, 1997
Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukator fall in love aboard the Titanic a couple of days before it sinks. The two are inseparable until the bitter end, when Jack stays in the water, giving Rose the only spot on a makeshift raft. She survives, changes her name to Rose Dawson and lives her long life as a tribute to Jack. She said, “He loved me in every way that a person can be loved.”
I absolutely adored Kate Winslet and Leonard diCaprio in this film. In fact, I was such a sucker for this movie that I purchased “My Heart Will Go On” on itunes.
5. Roman Holiday, 1953
Gregory Peck plays newspaper reporter Joe Bradley, who finds a beautiful young woman (Audrey Hepburn) asleep on a park bench in Rome and takes her home. She turns out to be a runaway princess, and Joe plans to write an exclusive story about her for his paper. But the two fall in love during their one crazy day together, and Joe realizes he cannot exploit her. Princess Anne must return to her people, and Joe attends her final press conference, heartbroken.
The only story in my top 10 where the love doesn’t get consummated, it is nonetheless a totally believable love. You know that Joe and Princess Anne will never forget each other.
6. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
A newly employed governess, Jane falls for the dark and difficult Mr. Rochester. At their wedding, Jane discovers that he is already married to a crazed woman who lives in the attic. She flees, but one night hears Mr. Rochester calling her name over the moors. She returns to find him blind and missing a hand, the result of a fire set by the mad Mrs. Rochester. They marry and live happily ever after. He even regains sight in one eye, allowing him to see their newborn son.
I loved the 1996 film starring William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg (directed by Franco Zeferelli), but my absolute favorite is the 2006 BBC miniseries, which rachets up the sexual tension very successfully. Don’t miss the book though, it’s a must read.
7. Bridges of Madison County, 1995
Meryl Streep plays Italian housewife Francesca Johnson whose family is away at the Iowa State Fair. Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) is a National Geographic photographer who comes to town to photograph Rosamunde Bridge, and the two fall hopelessly in love. They have four perfect days before Francesca’s family is due to return, and they live every moment for each other. Though they never see each other again, Robert wears her locket for the rest of his life, and asks to have his ashes scattered at the bridge where they fell in love. Years later, she requests the same of her own children in her will, stating that she gave herself to their father in life, but wishes to spend eternity with Robert in death.
The book is one of the worst I’ve ever read, but Clint Eastwood does absolutely incredibly things with the movie. I make a point of watching this at least once a year. An absolute favorite.
8. Moulin Rouge, 2001
Ewan McGregor plays a young poet named Christian who arrives in Paris, where he falls for a prostitute and performer at the Moulin Rouge named Satine (Nicole Kidman). As the film progresses, we become aware that Satine is dying of tuberculosis. A year after her death, Christian writes their story, fulfilling his final promise to her, saying, ““The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
Another film from Baz Luhrmann, charming and compelling. Ewan McGregor is to die for (no pun intended).
9. Tristan and Isolde, 2006
Tristan is an English soldier wounded during a battle in Ireland. He is secretly nursed back to health by the Irish king’s daughter Isolde and the two fall deeply in love. He returns to England, and in time the Irish king decides to give his daughter in marriage to Lord Marke, a close friend of Tristan’s. Tristan must watch as his true love marries another, and in time the separation is too much for Tristan and Isolde to bear. They begin to see each other secretly, and are inevitably discovered. They risk everything for one last moment in each other’s arms.
This film is a retelling of a medieval romantic legend, based on Wagner’s opera. All I can say is that James Franco as Tristan is super hot. I would have thrown it all away for him, too.
10. Persuasion, Jane Austen
At the age of 19, Anne Elliot was persuaded to reject the proposal of her love Frederick Wentworth, a young man with insufficient financial prospects for a woman of good breeding. Eight years later, Wentworth returns as a naval Captain, having made his fortune in the Napoleonic Wars. At 27, Anne is a spinster, and loves him still. He is still smarting from the earlier rejection, and she must watch as he courts someone new. In the end, though, it’s no use. Capt. Wentworth still loves her and this time she accepts his proposal.
Love the book, it’s such a good read. In fact, it inspired me to visit Bath, England a few years ago. The 1995 BBC film is very, very good. Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds are perfect in it, in part because neither one is beautiful. The British have always done this really well -- hiring their actors for talent rather than just looks. No flaky Cameron Diaz playing Miss Anne Elliot here.
It was very difficult culling this list to just 10 stories. If you have a favorite, please share it!
Related posts:
When Harry Met Sally is definitely up there for me. and Sense and Sensibility. I think Say Anything…is a pretty adorable love story as well.
I like my love story with a large amount of funny (ex. Knocked Up).
Though it is an animated film, I adore The Corpse Bride. All about sacrificing yourself for the happiness of the other person. Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books since I was a child. There's also a very beautiful story written by Chejov: Lady with Lapdog. And I'm trying really hard to think of one with a happy ending, but today I can't because I spent last night putting an end to one of my own stories (the guy that's the reason I started learning something from this blog is turning out to be really hard to let go…)
All excellent suggestions. Lloyd Dobler is perhaps the most charming loser leading man in the history of romantic storytelling.
Thanks, morning glory, I haven't seen The Corpse Bride, can't wait to check it out. And you get bonus points for recommending Chekhov!
Oh boy, Mr. FWB is still on the scene? You promised to stay out of that labyrinth! Has he changed his tune? Because if not, I'm putting my money on the MD!
Kind of hard to change my black sheep's ways. I'm really truly sorry I didn't kept my promise (well, most of the time it was still pretty awesome). I always end up learning things the hard way. Because despite my best efforts, I fell really hard for him. But I do know now that this is the end of the road. Besides the MD really deserves a chance. So far he has being really great.
Roman Holiday is one of my favourites! The chemistry between Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn is indisputable. I've been meaning to see Tristan and Isolde and the Bridges of Madison County for years.. i've got to get on that…
But what about An Affair to Remember? The Way We Were? I'm tearing up just thinking of them…
I was just teasing you, I didn't mean to be too harsh. It is very, very hard to move on when you are really into someone. And the way I look at it, you will stop doing that when it doesn't feel good to do it anymore. Either when someone else matters more, or when the morning after feels so bad it's just not worth it. In any case, I'm glad there is a new guy on the scene.
Yes, An Affair to Remember is way up there. Notorious with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman is also great; one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. And I loved the Way We Were, except of course I was so disappointed that they didn't make it as a couple.
Personally, my favorite has always been Ladyhawke. Imagine constantly being in the presence of your Lover, but not being able to communicate in any way? And the ending was a wonderful example of why you should not lose hope.
Oooohhh, I have to see that. I was not familiar with it, so I went to IMDb to check it out. It looks really good, definitely seems to have plenty of stuff guys like but also an incredible love story. Don't know how I missed this one!
I guess nobody ever makes it with Robert Redford, not even Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. I mean, if she can't, then it's not possible. That's what I find so desperately irresistible about him: he never really belongs to the girl, he just make them deliriously happy for a while and them he's gone.
The way you look at it is exactly the same way I've been looking at it
Haha, why is being young, careless, irresponsible and horny so damn exciting? I guess that why the greatest part of the love story is when the couple just thinks: screw all the rest, and they go with the moment… Well, the second greatest part: I'm a huge sucker for happy endings. And one of the greatest happy endings for me is Juno, especially because the movie is about different of kinds of love, not the tragic kind, but the ones that bring meaning to our lives.
I highly recommend the Japanese short animated movie called “5cm per second”. The title refers to an analogy where the protagonist's childhood sweetheart compares people to falling flower blossoms that slowly intersect and depart and hopefully intersect once more. As you might guess from that description, the movie deals with the one issue of that no one wants to deal with: letting go. I'm not going to spoil the ending but it's a beautiful contemporary of the old classics.
In order of appearance, (roughly):
“The Tale of Genji”
Ovid's Art of Love: Classic Rules of Seduction
Ovid's Ars Amatoria 2
Tristan and Isolde
Eloise and Abelard
'The Infernal Marriage', Benjamin Disraeli
Jane Eyre
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jude the Obscure, (T. Hardy)
Ethan Frome.
Annie Get your gun!
(Evidently if it's not made into a movie, we'll soon forget it). Cheers, 'VJ'
I love Juno! Yes, the happy romantic ending is lovely – I adore the duet they sing on the steps. But there are many great portraits of love in that movie: Juno's father's love for her, her dad and stepmom's love for each other, Jennifer Garner's love for Juno's unborn baby. Even Juno's love for the baby. Such a good film.
That sounds great, I've just put it in my Netflix queue. Thanks for suggesting.
Very interesting list! The Tale of Genji is the first novel, ever, right? I've wanted to read Eloise and Abelard forever – such passionate love without sex! I'm also intrigued by the Disraeli…As for Ethan Frome, I do not consider that a good love story! Ugh, what a downer! Lots of good ideas, here, VJ, thanks.
One of my all time favorites. I also find it the most realistic and it brings up the idea of timing. Sometimes you meet the person you are meant to be with but not at the right time. I always think that this would be the best kind of story. I love the ending when they talk about their wedding. I also think that the whole speech Harry has at the end can be applied to so many things in life not just love.
I'll add to the list…
Love Story “Love means never having to say your sorry.”
When Harry Meet Sally
Love Actually ( I know lots of love stories not sure if it fits the list)
A Lot Like Love
Broken English
Pride And Prejudice (Lets be honest anything Jane Austen)
Ever After
500 Days of Summer (a must see amazing not love love story)
there are lots more… I think I need guy friends so I am not always renting chick flicks.
There's a great line in WHMS that shows the difference between men and women. A few weeks after they sleep together, Sally complains that it doesn't mean anything to him. Harry replies, yes it does mean something, but why does it have to mean everything?
A GREAT movie is Starter for 10, a thoroughly charming English movie that starred James McAvoy in one of his first roles. He's beyond adorable, and it's a great story. My daughter and I both loved it.
There's a great line in WHMS that shows the difference between men and women. A few weeks after they sleep together, Sally complains that it doesn't mean anything to him. Harry replies, yes it does mean something, but why does it have to mean everything?
A GREAT movie is Starter for 10, a thoroughly charming English movie that starred James McAvoy in one of his first roles. He's beyond adorable, and it's a great story. My daughter and I both loved it.