20 sensual films about love

2023 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 06:26

This movie proves that everyone is submissive to love: men, women, schoolchildren, vampires and even artificial intelligence.

1. Big city lights

• USA, 1931.
• Tragicomedy melodrama.
• Duration: 87 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

One day the little Tramp meets a blind flower girl, who mistakenly takes him for a rich man. But the hero does not dare to reveal the truth to her. Instead, he is trying to find money for an operation that will restore the girl's eyesight.

Due to the fact that the production of "City Lights" was postponed several times, the film was released at an unfortunate time: the sound film developed rapidly and almost completely replaced the silent tapes. But Charlie Chaplin categorically refused to voice the picture. The director was confident that the audience would not accept the talking Tramp. After all, a voiceless hero cannot just pick up and speak after so many years. True, Charlie's voice is still there at the beginning of the film: in the opening scene of the monument, the actor voiced a representative of the city authorities and a lady.

The picture was greeted with enthusiasm, although at the time of its release it did not receive any awards. But now it is included in the US National Film Register, and the American Film Institute has put AFI's Top 10 Romantic Comedies tape on the first place in the list of the best romantic films of all time. Andrei Tarkovsky, Orson Welles and Woody Allen confessed their love for the “Big City Lights”.

2. Atalanta

• France, 1934.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Rural beauty Juliette marries seaman Jean, owner of the Atalanta river barge. On it, the beloved and go on a honeymoon trip. But married life turns out to be completely different from what the heroine imagined. Tired of prosaic everyday life, the girl escapes to fabulously beautiful Paris.

The talent of the director Jean Vigo was not destined to reveal itself in full. Just a month after the premiere of his first film, the director died at the age of 29. However, "Atalanta" still had a huge impact on the development of French cinema. This picture was named among the favorite directors Emir Kusturica and Jim Jarmush, as well as the legendary Soviet animator Yuri Norshtein.

3. Casablanca

• USA, 1942.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The action takes place during the Second World War in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. The cynical American Rick Blaine runs an establishment popular with various dubious personalities. But after meeting his former lover Ilsa and her husband, the leader of the anti-fascist resistance, the hero will have to radically reconsider his views on life.

The film did not become a cult immediately. At the time of its release, the tape was no different from other Hollywood melodramas. However, after the death of the leading actor Humphrey Bogart, they again became interested in the picture. Subsequently, many scenes from "Casablanca" were repeatedly quoted in popular culture, and the phrase "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship" became winged.

4. Hiroshima, my love

• France, Japan, 1959.
• Existential melodrama.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The film tells the story of a short novel by a French film actress and a Japanese architect. The burden of the past weighs on each of them: the man lost his family in Hiroshima, and the woman was cruelly bullied by her compatriots for her love of the German soldier.

Critics were ambivalent about the second full-length work by French director Alain René. The director was even accused of desecrating the memory of the victims of the tragedy in Japan.

At first, the picture was nominated for the "Palme d'Or", but the American government intervened: atomic bombs were then a forbidden topic. As a result, the tape was excluded from the official selection. But all this did not prevent Rene's work from entering the golden fund of the French "new wave".

5. West Side Story

• USA, 1961.
• Crime drama, musical.
• Duration: 153 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The two rival street gangs - the Jets and the Sharks - will not divide the streets of New York in any way. But everything changes when Tony and Maria - a member of Jet and sister of the leader of Sharks - fall in love with each other.

Originally a successful Broadway musical, West Side Story was adapted for movie screens in 1961 by directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The classic story about Romeo and Juliet turned out to be relevant again: he denounced the cruelty of American reality and called for being kinder.

In total, the film won 10 Oscars, three Golden Globes and a Grammy for Best Soundtrack. In the rating of the best musicals of all time, compiled by the American Film Institute, the tape took AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals second place, behind only "Singing in the Rain".

6. Man and woman

• France, 1966.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The film tells the love story of a young woman, whose stunt husband died on the set, and a professional race car driver. The latter, as it turns out, is also a widow. Mutual attraction instantly arises between the heroes. The question is, will they be able to surrender to a new relationship if they have such a difficult past behind them.

The film by French director Claude Lelouch has triumphantly thundered around the world, winning more than 40 film awards, including the Palme d'Or in Cannes, two Oscars and four Golden Globes. Romantic melodies Un Homme Et Une Femme | The Soundtrack Suite (Francis Lai), written by composer Francis Lai, has become something of a hallmark of French cinema.

Critics have noted Lelouch's innovative stylistic solutions. For example, the most emotional episodes are filmed in color. In fact, due to the limited budget, there was simply not enough color film for the entire film. But in the end, the forced economy even benefited the picture, turning into an original means of expressiveness.

7. Last tango in Paris

• Italy, France, 1972.
• Erotic melodrama.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

American Paul, along with his wife Rosa, runs a small hotel in Paris. Rose suddenly commits suicide. And on the same day, the hero meets a new friend - Zhanna. They meet regularly, allowing themselves what they cannot do in ordinary life, and without naming each other. At first, the girl likes this relationship, but gradually she gets tired of what is happening. Moreover, she has a fiancé for a long time - an aspiring director.

Like many of Bertolucci's works, this tape has become a cult, although it shocked the audience with frank scenes. But in the past decade, the film has come under fire. It turned out that the key episode of violence was filmed as an improvisation, and the leading actress Maria Schneider did not know all the details. Shortly before her death in 2011, the actress admitted to I felt raped by Brando that she had never recovered from her emotional trauma.

8. In the power of the moon

• USA, 1987.
• Comedy melodrama.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The pretty widow Loretta Castorini dreams of getting married again, so she accepts a marriage proposal from the mafioso Johnny Cammareri, to whom she is indifferent. But then he falls in love with his eccentric younger brother, the baker Ronnie.

A kind melodrama directed by Norman Jewison tells how the desire to love awakens in people on a full moon. Surprisingly, this simple, everyday story has collected many awards. In the film, two extraordinary celebrities played excellently - actor Nicolas Cage and pop star Cher, who received an Oscar for this role.

9. Dirty Dancing

• USA, 1987.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Seventeen-year-old Francis, nicknamed Baby, comes to a remote boarding house with her family. Wealthy guests are entertained by professional dancers, including the young and handsome Johnny Castle. Fascinated by the magic of temperamental dancing, Baby decides to learn this art. Gradually, tender feelings arise between her and Johnny.

Dirty Dancing was originally conceived as a low-budget film, but in the end the film received an overwhelming success not only in the United States, but throughout the world.

It is known that the scriptwriter Elinor Bergstein transferred the details of her own biography into the plot. She herself became the prototype of Baby, and Johnny was copied from the dance teacher Michael Terrace, whom Eleanor, like her heroine, met while on vacation in a boarding house.

10. Ghost

• USA, 1990.
• Crime mystical drama.
• Duration: 127 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

A young couple in love - Sam Whit and Molly Jensen - returns home after an evening at the theater. It turns out that Sam is killed by a robber. But the hero's consciousness does not die: now he is a ghost, stuck between heaven and earth. The young man learns that his death was set up, and a mortal danger looms over Molly.

Despite its bleak start, director Jerry Zucker's film looks a breeze thanks to its captivating storyline. Another strong side of the film is the cast, which presented the audience with memorable characters: the talented Patrick Swayze, the charismatic Whoopi Goldberg and the sophisticated Demi Moore.

11. Wild at heart

• USA, 1990.
• Crime melodrama.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

The unfairly convicted Sailor is released early from prison and immediately escapes to California with his girlfriend Lula. The girl's crazy mother, Marietta, sends Johnny, a private detective, in pursuit of a couple. When he returns with nothing, the gangster Santos, Marietta's former lover, takes over.

The works of the legendary David Lynch are not easy to understand even for fans of the director. After all, a distinctive feature of many of his films is an unobvious and complex plot. However, "Wild at Heart" is a surprisingly simple and straightforward picture, which did not prevent her from winning the Palme d'Or. The main roles were played by a very bright Nicolas Cage and director's favorite Laura Durne.

12. Bitter moon

• France, UK, USA, 1992.
• Melodramatic thriller.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

During a trip on an ocean liner, the spouses Nigel and Fiona meet a very strange couple: a crippled middle-aged writer Oscar and his beautiful wife, Mimi. Oscar decides to tell Nigel the shocking story of their love relationship.

"Bitter Moon", which is now called the most underrated work of Roman Polanski, did not receive any film awards and went unnoticed at the box office. Moreover, the then film press criticized the film for being frank to the limit and accused the director of bad taste. And only 20 years after the premiere, the surreal picture of two lovers who were ruined by carnal attraction was finally appreciated.

13. Lost in translation

• USA, Japan, 2003.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Two single Americans - a mature actor Bob Harris and a young girl Charlotte, suffering from a lack of attention from her husband-photographer - find themselves in a mysterious and beautiful Tokyo. The heroes go through many adventures and gradually realize that they have more than just friendly sympathy for each other.

Sofia Coppola's film is considered one of the ideal examples of independent American cinema. There is a lot of funny in it: jokes about the difference between cultures are constantly heard, and Bill Murray tries on a pink wig. But at the same time, when watching it, it is impossible not to experience a feeling of melancholy and understatement.

Cinephiles still argue about what Bill Murray whispered in the ear of the heroine Scarlett Johansson. The answer to this question worries movie lovers no less than what was in the portfolio of Marcelas Wallace from "Pulp Fiction."However, the director herself gives What Really Happened in Lost in Translation’s Final Scene, According to Sofia Coppola a very prosaic explanation: Coppola planned to come up with some kind of phrase and insert it after filming. In the end, however, the stage was left untouched.

14. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

• USA, 2004.
• Fantastic comedy melodrama.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Once Joel Berish, tired of his monotonous and boring life, went to the beach instead of work. On the way, he meets the cheerful girl Clementine. It turns out that they have a lot in common, and the clue is hidden in the heroes' recent past.

The collaboration between Jim Carrey and director Michel Gondry is considered the most successful for both of them. In particular, Kerry, who made a name for himself on the ability to make comical grimaces, has finally revealed himself as a powerful dramatic actor.

To clearly show how the world of lovers is being destroyed, Michel Gondry used rather non-standard methods. Echoes of these visual techniques can also be seen in the film adaptation of Vian's surreal novel The Foam of the Days, which Gondry directed nine years later.

15. Lonely man

• USA, 2009.
• Drama.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

In the life of an intelligent professor of English literature, George Falconer, a terrible tragedy occurred: his beloved Jim died. The incident forced the hero to isolate himself from the whole world. He can be himself only in front of his friend Charlotte and sinks deeper and deeper into hopeless depression. And at the same time his pretty student Kenny starts looking for reasons to meet.

"The Lonely Man" is the successful directorial debut of Tom Ford, the acclaimed fashion designer. The latter is felt in every shot: the aesthetics of the 1960s are perfectly reproduced in every detail. Separately, it is worth noting the strong acting work of Colin Firth, who won the Venice Film Festival Prize and the British Film Academy Awards.

16. Kingdom of the Full Moon

• USA, 2012.
• Tragicomedy.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A scout with a difficult character Sam Shikaski and silent Susie Bishop decided to run away in search of a place where they can be happy. Meanwhile, everyone is looking for the missing teenagers: Susie's parents, the police and even scouts ready to use their skills and abilities.

Director Wes Anderson told Wes Anderson, “The main feeling that prompted me to make the film was an all-consuming child's crush,” based on his own memories of an all-consuming child's crush. And even the most romantic location from the film exists in reality: the island, where Anderson often visited, served as a prototype.

17. Only lovers survive

• Great Britain, Germany, 2013.
• Fantasy drama.
• Duration: 123 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Vampires Adam and Eve have loved each other for many hundreds of years, but they live on different continents. He is a misanthrope playing dark rock music. She loves to dress fashionably and is friends with a poet from the time of Shakespeare. When Adam becomes depressed, Eve has to fly to him in Detroit from sunny Tangier. But the situation is suddenly complicated by Eva's younger sister, the bloodthirsty vampire Ava.

After screenings, Jim Jarmusch was criticized for the lack of dynamics in his film. It is difficult to argue with this statement. But the beauty of the picture is in the emotional dialogues brilliantly played by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, and in the music of Joseph van Wissem.

18. She

• USA, 2013.
• Fantastic melodrama.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Lonely writer Theodore Twombly acquires a smart operating system named Samantha. The latter suddenly turns out to be a deep and emotional being, and Twombly falls in love with her. But Samantha is very worried that she and Theodore cannot be truly close, because she does not actually exist.

Spike Jonze's critically acclaimed directorial debut explores how progress is blurring the boundaries of traditional love. After all, the more sophisticated technologies become, the more bizarre relationships sometimes take on.

The leading actor Joaquin Phoenix usually plays courageous and even brutal characters. But in Jones's film, he reincarnated as a vulnerable and slightly ridiculous man. Scarlett Johansson's talent found no less original application. The actress never appears in the frame and plays great with one voice. For this, the film is certainly worth watching in the original.

19. Carol

Carol

• USA, UK, 2015.
• Romantic drama.
• Duration: 118 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

At the center of this sensual story are two dissimilar women. The young saleswoman Terez is going through a crisis of relations, and the mature beauty Carol lives with her unloved husband only for the sake of her daughter. But on Christmas Day these two lonely souls meet in a large New York supermarket and realize that they have been looking for each other all their lives.

With director Todd Haynes' skillful portrayal of the sophisticated atmosphere of 1950s New York, Carol has been hailed many times as one of the most beautiful love films ever. It is impossible to ignore the picture because of the talented performance of Cate Blanchett: the actress was even nominated for this role for an Oscar.

20. Call me by your name

• Italy, USA, Brazil, France, 2017.
• Romantic drama.
• Duration: 132 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman lives in a suburban Italian villa with his parents. One day, an American graduate student, a stately and handsome man named Oliver, comes to the father of a teenager, a professor of archeology. This meeting changes everything in the life of the protagonist.

Director Luca Guadagnino told a very sincere story of awakening sensuality. Thanks to this picture, the whole world recognized the name of the young actor Timothy Chalamet, to whom the role of Elio brought an Oscar nomination and the well-deserved fame of a rising star.

The Call Me By Your Name Sequel Will See Elio And Oliver Reunite is also planned to shoot a sequel that will tell about the later period of the characters' lives. It is possible that someday Guadagnino will create a whole cycle of films united by one hero. Similarly, the iconic French director François Truffaut has been filming films for many years about a character named Antoine Doinel, who has always been played by Jean-Pierre Leo.