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Great films about dreams and unrequite love
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Topic: Great films about dreams and unrequite love

franz_conrad

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Two themes - dreams and unrequited love. Variations on those themes have given us some of the finest films I can think of.Think of David Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE, with it's dreamy narrative about (I believe) spurned love driven to violence. Has any film tapped into the strange logic of dreams like this one?
Or John Malkovitch's THE DANCER UPSTAIRS, where an idealistic man makes gestures of unrequited love towards a woman who cannot return them, both because of what she believes and represents, and because of what he represents and must protect.
Tom Tykwer's HEAVEN offers an interesting variation on the theme of unrequited love. You'd think Giovanni Ribisi's character would never win the heart of this unusual lady, but he does... his desperate acts to prove his love for her lead to an unlikely union in life and death.
Wong Kar Wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (and its sister film, 2046) also speaks eloquently about unrequited love, and a different kind of dream. Here the dream is the reliving of old events... putting moments where nothing happened on a pedestal because you were too scared to do anything about it at the time.
Michel Gondry's THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP is far from a great film.... bit of an indulgent mess actually. A shame - as it embodies both themes perfectly!
Perhaps we could even count Spielberg's AI here - David's dream of Oedipal bliss with Monica is unrequited throughout history, a tragedy of technology (that simulated love could cause an inhuman being to suffer pain they should never have borne).
JACOB'S LADDER - another great dream film.
FEMME FATALE - imperfect, but quite entertaining dream film...
PUNCHDRUNK LOVE - captures awkward romance to perfection. (As does ETERNAL SUNSHINE...) Neither involve unrequited love, but the romance feels too good to not mention here.What other films are there about about dreams and/or unrequited love that stand out for each of you?
posted 06-19-2007 12:41 AM PT (US) 
Scorro

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We were finally able to rent "The Painted Veil" (they only have a few copies at BB). Very interesting story of unfulfilled love and a stern reaction to it. Perhaps my favorite score by Philip Glass as a bonus. Recommended viewing & listening.
posted 06-19-2007 09:57 AM PT (US) 
Crono/Kyp

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Didn't Alexandre Desplat do the score to that movie?--Bri
posted 06-19-2007 10:47 AM PT (US) 
Scorro

Standard Userer

It appears so... my bad. Somehow I thought I saw Glass's name in the credits, and the turbulent sound reminded me of him.To quote another music site... "similar in style to the music of Philip Glass". Thanks for the correction!
posted 06-19-2007 11:08 AM PT (US) 
franz_conrad

Standard Userer

No one likes any films about dreams?
posted 06-19-2007 06:00 PM PT (US) 
Dinko

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I dream enough on my own, thank you very much.
posted 06-19-2007 06:26 PM PT (US) 
Cole

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How about "The Ghost and Mrs Muir?" A love story and ghost tale all wound up together. Bernard Herrmann referred to that as his "Max Steiner score." It is extremely lush and romantic with a great touch of gothic horror to it.
ANother Herrmann example is springing to mind. "Vertigo" is definately a movie about unrequited love. The fandango musical treatment of the famous dream sequence is amazing (as is the entire score and movie...probably one of my all time favorites)
posted 06-19-2007 07:43 PM PT (US) 
franz_conrad

Standard Userer

I love the scene in Muir where Mrs Muir and her daughter relate their shared dream. Classic melodramatic film-making, with Herrmann's score relating the intertwining of the dreams...
(And Harrison is superbly charming as the Captain. In his day, he would have made a good Barbossa for Pirates of the Caribbean.)
posted 06-19-2007 09:10 PM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB
