love and death

I shan't apologize for my absence. We all know that life happens. Kids get sick. Cars break down. Snowmaggedon hits. Life happens. All we can do is muddle through with as much grace, aplomb, friends, family, and distractions enough to get us
through the rough patch until we have once again re-entered the dance in full splendor.

Let's just say I have about three or four posts in varying stages of completion.

While in the chaos that was the past week, granted it's been chaotic long before that, I finally caught a chance to watch a film I purchased ages ago on a Wal Mart Whim - Heavens protect us from the Wal-Mart Whim, much more so the Target-ed Trendy Clearance Sales!



The Painted Veil stars Naomi Watts, and Edward Norton who are both stunning in this tale of infidelity, rediscovering love, redemption, and each other. Watts stars as vain, self absorbed Kitty who married Norton's character Walter Fain a bacteriologist. He loves her. She doesn't love him, but does it anyway just to get away from her parents. And off they go to Shanghai. Which is where things get complicated. Walter is busy, Kitty is faithless and i soon involved with a married man named Charlie Townsend, a member of the British Consulate. Walter confronts her about the affair and gives her an ultimatum: come with him to a tiny town currently undergoing a horrendous cholera epidemic or he will publicly divorce her and name her and her lover for their infidelities and risk a huge scandal.
Kitty runs to Charlie and he refuses to divorce his wife for her, (such is the tale of the other woman isn't it? so it seems sometimes at least.) and so off they go to Interior China.

I'm afraid I'm going to spoil it for you. Just a little. Sorry. But it's the reason I'm posting. So, tehre you go.
Walter and Kitty find out they actually do love each other. She discovers she's pregnant (not sure who's the father but it doesn't matter because Walter and her love each other so ther eyou go) and Walter dies in the cholera epidemic. Kitty returns to London to raise her son. And in chance passing, bumps into Charlie and gives him the polite never in your wildest dreams speech. Just very concise, veiled and very polite.

Which leads me to my question.

Why do so many great love stories involve death? Is it only in death that we appreciate that which we have? How fair is it that just at the moment people find joy, find love, find happiness, then the other half dies? Are we all masochists??

You think i'm crazy, don't you? You wouldn't be the first to say that.

So let's review then shall we?

Romeo and Juliet needs no introduction. Everyone dies. It's Shakespare. And yet it is still deemed one of the best and most romantic love stories ever. A romantic love story that ends in one faked death, a real death because the guy dind't know the death was faked, and then she wakes up to find him dead, almost still warm on her lap. Then she kills herself. Death, death, and more death.

The Painted Vail: already mentioned. Not famous. But GORGEOUS. and a fantastic love story. Centers around cholera. And all the time we're thinking of course they'll get out of it. They have to. They have to. There's a baby. They have the chance to be truly happy. Nope. Not a chance. Bring on the cholera!



The Note Book: If this doesn't rip the tears out of your eyes, you have no heart. This ia slower death. A death tha first involves the loss of memory, and complete recognition of who it is you love, and then death. It's also watching that person you love, slip completely away, and then to have to remind them daily who you are, but not so completely. There is a death there. And then of course, they both die in the end. Sorry if you didn't know. But yeah. They die.



Beaches: While yes this ia platonic, best friend love, it's still a love. Two best friends, different worlds. Grow up, grow apart, grow back together, just like best friends do. Barbara Hersehy has a little Girl, Bette Midler has a set of pipes. Oh and Hershey has cancer. So the three girls go on an extended vacation to the Beach, and eventually Hershey dies and leaves her daughter in her best friend's care. Enter the sob fest. Again, if you don't cry or atleast get a little choked up, you are heartless.



don't forget Meet Joe Black. Oh please don't forget Meet Joe Black. Brad Pitt plays Death, the Grim Reaper himself who decides to take a holiday. He inhabits the body of a newly deceased man, who happened to meet the daughter of Anthony Hopkin's character Mr. Parrish a wealthy powerful man who is next slated for death. He says, entertain me, for a time and I'll give you more time. Or if you don't, we'll go right now. In the meantime, Joe Black (Brad Pitt) falls in love with Susan Parrish ( the daughter) and she with him, which ultimately iinfuriates Anthony Hopkins as it would any self respecting father, but then add to it that the man of your daughter's dreams is DEATH, the fury level goes up a bit.
A gorgeous film, and while the trailer makes this out to be a bit more comedic, this is just pure dead sexy. And revolves around DEATH.



While we're on a Brad Pitt moment (there could be many Brad Pitt Moments couldn't there?) let's make sure we include Legends of the Fall. Another pairing of Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt, this time joined by Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond, and the kid whose face is in everything whoturns out is named Henry Thomas.
This is the poster that was in every College girl's dorm room. One woman. Three brothers. and all of them in love with her.




Of course there's also Love Story. Preppie and the musician who keeps saying "Love means never having to say you're sorry." they get married, and then once again bring on the terminal disease.



Titanic
"I wont let go."
Instead of just killing one person, let's just kill everyone.
need i say more.


A Walk to Remember.

Another Nicholas Sparks. Another bring on the teerminal disease, just like Autumn in New York,


and even the garish pre-Glee Moulin Rouge


or perhaps even the beautifully tender Truly Madly Deeply with an Amazing Alan Rickman? if you only know himm as Severus Snape, you're going ot be stunned. I was. he completely steals the show. and he's supposed to be dead??



my fave scene of the entire film. beware - she cant sing. at all.



either way, for good or for bad or for lack of storylines... there are still some great stories. great films. and i think our library has most of them in the collection. :)