For Valentine's Day: Seven Great Movie Love Scenes

Ah, movie love scenes.  They're the cinematic expression, from one person to another of the depth of their feelings.  The best movie love scenes send your heart soaring and make you want to be in love yourself.   I was reminded while compiling this list of how important music is to a good love scene. Last week I gave you "Five Great Movie Sex Scenes" so this week in honor of Valentine's Day, here in alphabetical order are seven great movie love scenes and the music that made them soar.

Last of the Mohicans (1992) - Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe:  Directed by Michael Mann, this film is based on the James Fenimore Cooper novel.  Madeleine Stowe is Cora Monroe, Daniel Day-Lewis is Hawkeye, the adopted son of a Mohican elder.  The two are drawn together when Hawkeye, his father and his brother escort Cora and her sister to Colonel Monroe's fort during the French and Indian war in 18th century North America.   The fort is under attack and in the midst of all the death and destruction Cora and Hawkeye acknowledge their love for each other.

One night after Cora leaves the infirmary where she works Hawkeye finds her.  He grasps her hand and without saying a word leads her to a quiet corner before taking her in his arms.  This scene is so satisfying because up until this point Cora has abided by the prim and proper rules of the period while still being attracted to the freedom Hawkeye represents.  In this scene all conventions are shed in a whirl of long dark hair and passionate embraces. 

Original Music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman.

Love Actually (2003) - Colin Firth, Lucia Moniz:  This movie is filled with love scenes and love stories, hence the title, but my favorite story is of Jamie and Aurelia.  Jamie is a writer who's girlfriend cheated on him and Aurelia is the Portuguese woman who takes care of his retreat in the French countryside where he goes to write.  Neither of them speaks the other's language but nonetheless they fall in love.  Eventually they must part but by the end of the movie Jamie decides he can't live without Aurelia and goes to find her.  He ends up at the restaurant where she works as a waitress, trailed by her father, sister and half of her neighbors who all suspect something wonderful is about to happen.

When he finally sees her, he uses his very funny broken Portuguese, which he's been learning just for her, to ask her to marry him.  She responds in the broken English she's been learning just for him, "Thank you.  That will be nice.  Yes, is being my answer." 

Original Music by Craig Armstrong.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) - Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen:  "You have bewitched me body and soul...and I love, I love...I love you, and never wish to be parted from you from this day on."  Matthew MacFadyen's Mr. Darcy says this to Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennett at the end of this glorious adaptation of Jane Austen's celebrated novel.  But as great as this scene is, the better love scene comes right after.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are seated on a patio overlooking a setting sun and rolling lawns.  They're in their bed clothes and Elizabeth is teasing Mr. Darcy about what endearments he may call her depending on the circumstances.  He asks her when he may call her Mrs. Darcy.  She says, "You may only call me Mrs Darcy, when you are completely...and perfectly...and incandescently happy. 

So he says, "And how are you this evening, Mrs. Darcy?"  He kisses her cheek. "Mrs. Darcy," he kisses her neck.  "Mrs. Darcy," he kisses her lips.  "Mrs. Darcy..."  

Original Music by Dario Marianelli.

Room with a View (1985) - Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands:  Miss Lucy Honeychurch is on holiday in Florence, Italy with her companion when she meets an enigmatic young man, George whose eccentricity intrigues her.  During an outing on a beautiful, sunlit day, she unexpectedly comes upon George all alone in a barley field.   Kiri Te Kanawa sings Puccini's "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" as George turns and sees Lucy.  Without hesitation he goes to her, takes her in his arms and soundly kisses her.  Though they're interrupted by Lucy's companion the scene is important because the kiss begins to unlock Lucy's secretly held desires. 

A brief trivia note, the actor who plays Lucy's priggish fiance in the film is none other than an almost unrecognizable Daniel Day-Lewis.

The English Patient (1996) - Juliette Binoche, Naveen Andrews:  Most people tend to forget that in addition to the main love story between Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, there's a secondary love  story in this film between Juliette Binoche and Naveen Andrews ("Lost").  Hana (Binoche) is the nurse who cares for the English patient (Fiennes) and Kip (Andrews) is a Sikh bomb disposal expert.  The romance between Kip and Hana takes place in 1944 Italy while Hana cares for her dying patient. 

One day, Kip takes Hana to a partially demolished church which she's always wanted to see.  In the dark of the boarded up building, Kip rigs up a harness, gives Hana a lit flare and then uses a rope and pully to hoist her up.  All of a sudden she can see the beautiful, elaborate paintings on the ceiling and upper walls of the chapel.  Kip continues to swing her around, from painting to painting, and after getting over her initial fear Hana is breathlessly ecstatic.  When he finally brings her down Hana can barely contain herself and embraces Kip. "Thank you!" She says.  "Thank you."

Original Music by Gabriel Yared, but the music for this scene I think is by Bach.

The Gay Divorcee (1934) - Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers:  This love scene is really a dance number, but what a dance number!  It's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to Cole Porter's marvelous ode to romance "Night and Day."  Fred and Ginger are Guy and Mimi:  she's in England seeking a divorce and he's an American dancer who becomes smitten with her.   The choreography and dancing are exquisite, the song itself is pure genius and Astaire and Rogers are beyond wonderful. 

There's the old joke about Ginger Rogers being better dancer because she had to do everything Astaire did but backwards and in heels.  If you get the chance, watch this number twice, once while watching him and once while watching her.  It goes without saying that he's amazing, but for me, she's the even better dancer because of the emotion she brings to the dance.

The Turning Point (1977) - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leslie Browne:  Speaking of dance, this film set in the New York ballet world stars Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft as old friends who come together again to advance the career of MacLaine's daughter Emma (Leslie Browne).  While training in New York Emma comes under the spell of Russian dancer Yuri played by the incredible Mikhail Baryshnikov.  One afternoon as the two practice the pas de deux from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet," the music and the choreography propel them to act on their mutual attraction.   The scene they're is the balcony scene, and while in the ballet, the scene ends in a kiss, in the movie, the scene ends with Emma and Yuri finishing the dance undressing each other in the bedroom.

Someone once asked me if I was stranded on a desert island what music would I want with me.  I said if I could only take one piece of music with me it would be the complete score of Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet." 

Honorable Mention

Titanic (1997) - Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet:  I couldn't resist adding this one because it's so well known.  Jack and Rose are the lovers on the doomed ocean liner, but before catastophe strikes, Jack takes Rose to his favorite part of the ship.  There at the very tip of the bow Jack has Rose stand on the railing with her arms outstretched and her eyes closed.  When he tells he to open her eyes she smiles and says breathlessly, "I'm flying!"  Jack stands behind her, the sun setting for the last time on the Titanic and puts his arms around her waist.  They kiss.  

Original Music:  James Horner.

Ah, love... 

Related Links:

A man's point of view on Movie Love Scenes He Would Have Changed

Romance writer Sheila Goss rates the Most Unforgettable Black Movie Love Scenes

Ellen Kimball has a review of the indie love story "I Can't Think Straight"

Love Actually (2003) - Colin Firth, Lucia Moniz:  This movie is filled with love scenes and love stories, hence the title, but my favorite story is of Jamie and Aurelia.  Jamie is a writer who's girlfriend cheated on him and Aurelia is the Portuguese woman who takes care of his retreat in the French countryside where he goes to write.  Neither of them speaks the other's language but nonetheless they fall in love.  Eventually they must part but by the end of the movie Jamie decides he can't live without Aurelia and goes to find her.  He ends up at the restaurant where she works as a waitress, trailed by her father, sister and half of her neighbors who all suspect something wonderful is about to happen.

When he finally sees her, he uses his very funny broken Portuguese, which he's been learning just for her, to ask her to marry him.  She responds in the broken English she's been learning just for him, "Thank you.  That will be nice.  Yes, is being my answer." 

Original Music by Craig Armstrong.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) - Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen:  "You have bewitched me body and soul...and I love, I love...I love you, and never wish to be parted from you from this day on."  Matthew MacFadyen's Mr. Darcy says this to Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennett at the end of this glorious adaptation of Jane Austen's celebrated novel.  But as great as this scene is, the better love scene comes right after.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are seated on a patio overlooking a setting sun and rolling lawns.  They're in their bed clothes and Elizabeth is teasing Mr. Darcy about what endearments he may call her depending on the circumstances.  He asks her when he may call her Mrs. Darcy.  She says, "You may only call me Mrs Darcy, when you are completely...and perfectly...and incandescently happy. 

So he says, "And how are you this evening, Mrs. Darcy?"  He kisses her cheek. "Mrs. Darcy," he kisses her neck.  "Mrs. Darcy," he kisses her lips.  "Mrs. Darcy..."  

Original Music by Dario Marianelli.

Room with a View (1985) - Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands:  Miss Lucy Honeychurch is on holiday in Florence, Italy with her companion when she meets an enigmatic young man, George whose eccentricity intrigues her.  During an outing on a beautiful, sunlit day, she unexpectedly comes upon George all alone in a barley field.   Kiri Te Kanawa sings Puccini's "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" as George turns and sees Lucy.  Without hesitation he goes to her, takes her in his arms and soundly kisses her.  Though they're interrupted by Lucy's companion the scene is important because the kiss begins to unlock Lucy's secretly held desires. 

A brief trivia note, the actor who plays Lucy's priggish fiance in the film is none other than an almost unrecognizable Daniel Day-Lewis.

The English Patient (1996) - Juliette Binoche, Naveen Andrews:  Most people tend to forget that in addition to the main love story between Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, there's a secondary love  story in this film between Juliette Binoche and Naveen Andrews ("Lost").  Hana (Binoche) is the nurse who cares for the English patient (Fiennes) and Kip (Andrews) is a Sikh bomb disposal expert.  The romance between Kip and Hana takes place in 1944 Italy while Hana cares for her dying patient. 

One day, Kip takes Hana to a partially demolished church which she's always wanted to see.  In the dark of the boarded up building, Kip rigs up a harness, gives Hana a lit flare and then uses a rope and pully to hoist her up.  All of a sudden she can see the beautiful, elaborate paintings on the ceiling and upper walls of the chapel.  Kip continues to swing her around, from painting to painting, and after getting over her initial fear Hana is breathlessly ecstatic.  When he finally brings her down Hana can barely contain herself and embraces Kip. "Thank you!" She says.  "Thank you."

Original Music by Gabriel Yared, but the music for this scene I think is by Bach.

The Gay Divorcee (1934) - Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers:  This love scene is really a dance number, but what a dance number!  It's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to Cole Porter's marvelous ode to romance "Night and Day."  Fred and Ginger are Guy and Mimi:  she's in England seeking a divorce and he's an American dancer who becomes smitten with her.   The choreography and dancing are exquisite, the song itself is pure genius and Astaire and Rogers are beyond wonderful. 

There's the old joke about Ginger Rogers being better dancer because she had to do everything Astaire did but backwards and in heels.  If you get the chance, watch this number twice, once while watching him and once while watching her.  It goes without saying that he's amazing, but for me, she's the even better dancer because of the emotion she brings to the dance.

The Turning Point (1977) - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leslie Browne:  Speaking of dance, this film set in the New York ballet world stars Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft as old friends who come together again to advance the career of MacLaine's daughter Emma (Leslie Browne).  While training in New York Emma comes under the spell of Russian dancer Yuri played by the incredible Mikhail Baryshnikov.  One afternoon as the two practice the pas de deux from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet," the music and the choreography propel them to act on their mutual attraction.   The scene they're is the balcony scene, and while in the ballet, the scene ends in a kiss, in the movie, the scene ends with Emma and Yuri finishing the dance undressing each other in the bedroom.

Someone once asked me if I was stranded on a desert island what music would I want with me.  I said if I could only take one piece of music with me it would be the complete score of Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet." 

Honorable Mention

Titanic (1997) - Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet:  I couldn't resist adding this one because it's so well known.  Jack and Rose are the lovers on the doomed ocean liner, but before catastophe strikes, Jack takes Rose to his favorite part of the ship.  There at the very tip of the bow Jack has Rose stand on the railing with her arms outstretched and her eyes closed.  When he tells he to open her eyes she smiles and says breathlessly, "I'm flying!"  Jack stands behind her, the sun setting for the last time on the Titanic and puts his arms around her waist.  They kiss.  

Original Music:  James Horner.

Ah, love... 

Related Links:

A man's point of view on Movie Love Scenes He Would Have Changed

Romance writer Sheila Goss rates the Most Unforgettable Black Movie Love Scenes

Ellen Kimball has a review of the indie love story "I Can't Think Straight"