(CNN) -- Take a handful of
screen goddesses and a clutch of matinee idols, put them together and one
thing's sure to happen. Nobody does love like they do in the movies: this
month on the Screening Room, we've picked our favorite silver-screen
romantic moments.
No contest: Bogie and Bergman in undoubtedly the silver screen's
top romantic movie moment
From rom-coms to heartbreak, these are the scenes that
skip the schmaltz to make us believe that sometimes, Cupid really does get
it right. And, just for balance, we've also picked those moments that made
us cringe -- or long for a sick-bucket ...
1. Casablanca
(Michael Curtiz, 1942)
Yep, it's a no-brainer. In a world full of slushy, happily-ever-after
rom-coms, Bogie and Bergman find true romance in heartache, sacrificing
their romance for the greater good. Bogie's "hill of beans" speech
still gets us every time. Oh, the tragedy! Still, they'll always have Paris
...
2. City Lights
(Charles Chaplin, 1931)
Truly, madly sweetly: Blind flower-girl Virginia Cherrill recognizes
Chaplin's tramp when she presses a coin into his hand. Deeply moved, as the
scale of his sacrifice dawns on her, she wells up -- as did we; his
expression shifts from shame to tentative delight. The most touching film
moment of all time?
3. Roman Holiday
(William Wyler, 1953)
Audrey Hepburn's princess falls for Gregory Peck's noble hack (surely that's
an oxymoron!) -- but while the ending is bittersweet, it's the playful scene
at the Mouth of Truth, with its pitch-perfect comic timing, that captured
our hearts.
4. From Here to Eternity
(Fred Zinnemann, 1953)
"Nobody ever kissed me the way you do." Army sergeant Burt
Lancaster and troubled wife Deborah Kerr find refuge in their torrid,
adulterous affair; the heat between them is tangible. With the tumultuous
waves crashing over the embracing couple, Zinnemann creates one of old
Hollywood's most iconic images.
5. Amélie
(Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
A sheer moment of joy, as Amélie (Audrey Tautou) zooms through Paris on the
back of Nino's (Mathieu Kassovitz) bicycle. The laughing couple freewheel
down the cobbled streets past Sacré Coeur, filled with the delirious
exuberance of new love. Ah, c'est l'amour.
6. Annie Hall
(Woody Allen, 1977)
The highlight of Woody Allen's confessional masterpiece is Annie's (Diane
Keaton) first meeting with Alvy (Allen) at the tennis club where we're blown
away by her vitality, ebullient charm and fresh contrast with Allen's
wound-up, navel-gazing New Yorker. La-di-da, la-di-da, la la!
7. La Dolce Vita
(Federico Fellini, 1960)
Fellini's beautifully choreographed tableau in the Trevi Fountain sees young
journalist Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) rendered helpless as buxom screen
goddess Sylvia (Anita Eckberg) draws him into her spell. A paean to those
fleeting moments between sunset and dawn when reality slips away to reveal
something altogether more magical. Talking of which ...
8. Before Sunrise
(Richard Linklater, 1995)
They've no time for mix-tapes, so Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan
Hawke) head to a record store's music booth to acid-test their
compatibility. In its confined space, they nervously avoid each other's
eyes, so painfully aware of each other's physical presence. A moment that
evokes strong memories of those sweet first-love connections.
9. Lost in Translation
(Sofia Coppola, 2003)
Bob (Bill Murray), a movie star well past his sell-by date, and Charlotte (Scarlett
Johansson), a neglected newlywed, are two lost souls who are cast adrift,
and come together, in Tokyo. Their parting moment, when Bob whispers his
secret farewell to Charlotte, is all the more romantic for its mystery.
10. When Harry Met Sally
(Rob Reiner, 1989)
Forget the orgasm scene in Katz's Deli. Forget the strolls in scenic Central
Park. After ninety minutes of vacillating, Harry and Sally have one final
bout of verbal sparring before they finally get it together for good. Now
that's what we call New Year fireworks.
.......................
And our most cringe-worthy
moments...
Four Weddings and a Funeral
(Mike Newell, 1994)
Out of the frying pan, into the fire: Hugh Grant escapes Bridezilla to pour
his heart out to Andie MacDowell, who utters her painfully corn-dog
response: "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed." You could have
had Kristin Scott Thomas, you dolt!
Howard the Duck
(Willard Huyck, 1986)
Please, no! Down in B-movie hell, we hid our eyes and winced as lovely Lea
Thompson attempted to seduce a rather startled duck-shaped alien. There
should be laws against that sort of thing. Wait a minute, there ARE laws
against that sort of thing!
The English Patient
(Anthony Mingella, 1996)
"I've watched you - on verandahs, at garden parties, at the races ...
" Ralph Fiennes turns stalker in Mingella's improbable mush-fest. And
don't even start us on the bit where he runs across the desert. As
Seinfeld's Elaine says, "Quit telling your stupid story about the
stupid desert and just die already! Die!"
Titanic
(James Cameron, 1997)
Timeless romance? We think not. As Leo slips away, Kate Winslet's
star-crossed lover cries, "I'll never let go, Jack. I promise."
And then does -- scurrying as quickly as her hands will paddle her to the
safety of a lifeboat, a warm blanket and a nice cup of tea. Ah, the relief.
Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of
the Clones
(George Lucas, 2002)
"I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my
life." Any scene featuring Hayden Christensen's moody teen has us
wincing, but he's most awkwardly shown up against Natalie Portman, who
struggles nobly through Lucas' plodding love-lines. Georgie, please, leave
out the romance. We're begging you.
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