Falling in Love with Romance Movies

De: Eric R. Williams, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Eric R. Williams

Why have viewers always had a love affair with romance movies? From tragic love stories, like Romeo + Juliet, to feel-good rom-coms, like Sleepless in Seattle, people simply cannot get enough of these movies. Join Professor Eric R. Williams to analyze dozens of titles that fall under the scope of "romance films"—inviting students to see old favorites in a new light and introduce them to elements of romance in movies one might not consider to be part of the genre.

Explore traditional romantic titles, such as When Harry Met Sally, West Side Story, and Casablanca; controversial spins on the traditional genre, including Her, Harold and Maude, and Lars and the Real Girl; less conventional "romances," such as Blade Runner, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, She’s Gotta Have It, and yes—even Fight Club. Throughout, Professor Williams draws on a wealth of examples, revealing the DNA of these films.

Listeners will understand the difference between a love story and a romance; see how directors manipulate audiences’ emotions from opening credits to the final scene—keeping everyone on the edge of their seat; and be able to decode the underlying storytelling techniques. Students will see cinematic romances from a different point of view, deepening their understanding of the genre.

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Iike a university lecture

It’s not terrible, but it’s also really nothing groundbreaking. Very basic concepts. All over the place. Nothing that really gripped my attention. May be good for high school students interested in Film.

Wonderful!

Informative and thoroughly enjoyable, I really hope Audible continues this series to encompass every film super genre! :)

Loved It!

The most profound thing that this professor said was that we all love romance movies. We can't help ourselves. I enjoyed his listen very much.

Surprise

Wanted to learn more about the Romance movie genre, so gave this a listen. wow! I learned way more than anticipated. Williams is one of the best narrators on Audible and through his excitement and knowledge, I'm ready to watch romance movies with new insight. When's his next offering available?!

New Perspective on Movies

Having an understanding of the structure of romance movies, this book will give you a different perspective when watching movies. For example, why are there so many tropes used in movies (not just romance movies), like hands accidentally touching as the two people reach for the same item, the breakup on a stormy night, and a kissing scene at sunset? Because the audience is already familiar with tropes, a few seconds of a scene like this encapsulates a lot of unspoken dialogue. We know his/her heart is breaking because the pouring rain is reflecting what is felt inside.

Great breakdown of romance movies

Reviews the structure of movies and screenwriting in an entertaining way. Many specific examples help make this a fun course. Well done!!

What Makes a Romance Movie?

This is a series of short lectures that attempts to define the romance movie genre. Williams delves into the genre of different movies and classifies the "super genres", "macro genres", and "pathways" etc. This would be a good introduction for a beginning screenwriter. He analyses a number of movies that helps define these categories. Although he gets sidetracked at times, the listener comes away with a better feeling of what makes a romance movie as compared to other genres. The expertise and enthusiasm that Williams has for the movies is evident and infuses the lectures, making them more interesting.

Interesting info on movie genres

This work is ok. I'm not a huge movie person, but there's a bit of history (such as how the era of the Great Depression and associated sociological forces led to the "screwball comedy" genre), and an interesting breakdown of types of movies, including "super genres" "macro genres" and "micro genres".

It certainly, however, does not explain why people love romance movies. I feel disappointed there.

The annoying music

I despised the little musical jingle that had to play on each new chapter. You get cozy listening then bam that needless jingle . The Great Courses takes many 5 star lectures and destroys then with stupid flute sounds.

So, so very good!

This ten-lecture course is surprisingly thorough to be so short. It taught me a lot about romance movies while also filling me in on other genres. It helped me appreciate the romance genre, which isn’t my favorite. At all. I see it with new eyes now. Highly recommend!