MTTLC II, 2017

The Historical Romance as a Movie Genre

I should start my presentation by talking a little about romance films. What are they? What do
they talk about? Romance films are basically love stories on which the accent falls on passion
and emotion. We usually deal with a leading man and a lady and their journey from falling in
love to courtship and marriage. Their romantic and affectionate involvement is thus the main
focus of the story.

Often, their love needs to be tested, so they face many types of obstacles such as: families that
are willing to break their union, finances, physical illness, racial or social class status,
occupation, psychological restraints, hardship.

Some of the themes of romantic films are: “love at first sight, young (and older) love,
unrequited love, obsessive love, sentimental love, spiritual love, forbidden love, sexual and
passionate love, sacrificial love, explosive and destructive love, and tragic love.”1

The first romantic movie ever made was The May Irwin Kiss from 1896 filmed by Thomas
Edison. It is known today as the first filming of a couple’s kiss and it is said to have been
considered outrageous – it was “scandalous to view two physically-unattractive people
magnified on the screen during an extended kiss.”2

I would also like to add that, even though many people believe that romance film are all the
same, this is not actually true – though they indeed follow the basic “boy meets girl” plot,
there is much room for variety.

Moving on to historical romances:

As anyone might guess, historical romance films take place in the past. They keep some of the
features mentioned above but they also use history to some extents. „Some of them use the
setting as a "wallpaper" while others are in depth.” 3 The mood of the film can be from
humorous to serious, but very popular are mystery and intrigue plots.

I should also talk about the clear differences between the historical romance and the historical
fiction. First of all, in a historical romance, the key element of the story is the relationship
between the hero and the heroine while in a historical fiction it may or may not be a love
story. If there is one, usually it is not the only focus of the plot; it is not that important.

Another difference is related to the fact that in a historical romance there should be two main
characters and the focus should be on the way their relationship evolves. Whereas in a

1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_film
2
http://www.filmsite.org/romancefilms.html
3
http://www.writing-world.com/romance/romgenres.shtml

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historical fiction there can be multiple main characters and also the main characters may not
be the ones involved in the love story.

Concerning the end, the historical romance must have a happy ending – a happy ever after or
at least a happily for now. This does not apply to the historical fiction – the love story doesn’t
have to end happily; in fact, usually it ends in a tragic way.

While the historical romance may have real historical characters as secondary or minor
characters, but not as main ones, the historical fiction is sometimes written with them as main
characters portraying fictionalized versions of their real lives.

Is The French Lieutenant’s Woman a historical romance?

Yes, it is. There is a love story which faces different obstacles from the start. The key element
of the plot is the relationship between the two main characters. In one of the endings they
achieve their happy ending. All the actions happen in the historical background of the
Victorian Era.

It can be seen as a rather unusual historical romance because of its postmodernist spirit,
glimpses of which come to us from the way in which the story is narrated, the unusual ending,
the portrayal of a rather strong feminine character.

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Annex 1

"Titanic" (1997) "Titanic" is sure to go down in history as one of the most romantic
movies of all time. The movie begins from the perspective of an old woman, and as she
spins her tale, it becomes clear that she survived the sinking of the Titanic, as well as
found her true love.
"The Notebook" (2004) This movie begins in a nursing home, where an old man is
reading to an old woman out of a book. The story in the book centers around two young
people in the 1940's. They fall madly and passionately in love, but are soon separated by
the differences in their social standings. Years pass, and their paths collide once more.
Will love be enough for them?
"Gone With the Wind" (1939) It doesn't get much more historical than "Gone With the
Wind" as this movie is set in the south during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Scarlett
O'Hara is a woman who doesn't know what, or who, she wants. Will she eventually find
happiness for herself in the war-torn South?
"Casablanca" (1942) Another very historical movie, "Casablanca" is set during World
War II. In one of Humphrey Bogart's most known roles, he plays Rick. Ingrid Bergman
plays Rick's love interest, Ilsa. The two reunite and plan to run away together. But will
their plans work?
"Lady Jane" (1986) "Lady Jane" is based on a very tumultuous time in England's history.
After Kind Henry VIII died, his sickly son, Edward, took the throne. Scheming officials
forced Lady Jane Grey to marry a minister's son, Guildford. The two fall in love and are
eventually forced to take the throne after Edward dies. Their story is one that is often
passed over in history books.
"Marie Antoinette" (2006) This movie follows the infamous Marie Antoinette, through
her reigning years in France, as well as a few years prior. This particular telling of the
story offers a modern look, with a completely modern soundtrack.
"The Young Victoria" (2009) Queen Victoria was one of of England's most influential
monarchs. However, not much is known about her younger years. This movie follows
Victoria's younger years, during which she and Prince Albert fall in love with one another.

"Pride and Prejudice" (2005) This movie is based on the classic novel written by Jane
Austen. Anyone who has read the story is familiar with the tale of Elizabeth and Mr.
Darcy. This movie also works for getting younger people interested in classic literature.
"Tristan + Isolde" (2006) "Tristan + Isolde" has everything a good movie should. Love,
feuds, and a mix of the two. With a story that could be seen as similar to a Romeo and
Juliet story, Tristan is in line to the English throne, and Isolde is the princess of the
warring Irish. Will their love prevail?
"Jane Eyre" (1996) Based on the classic novel written by Charlotte Bronte, this tale has
been told time and time again. The forbidden tale of love between Jane and Mr. Rochester
is one that is sure to enchant time and time again.4

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http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/10-best-historical-romance-movies

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Bibliography

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_film

2. http://www.filmsite.org/romancefilms.html

3. http://www.writing-world.com/romance/romgenres.shtml

4. http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/10-best-historical-romance-movies