The aspect of romance on the screen has always been a factor of what viewers consume in media in almost every form of entertainment. Whether the romance genre is enjoyable to watch or not, everyone likes the idea of a couple being able to “make it.”
Professor Mark Nortz, senior instructor of the mass communications department, believes that the idea of giving viewers hope is what draws their attention to the romance plot.
“I think that the genre can cross so many different types of film, there’s always some kind of romantic element that really brings people, it kind of draws people in,” Nortz explains. “I think people like to be able to root for a couple, you know, they’re going to make it or, you know, maybe they need to move on. But I think people like to get caught up in that. And I just think it’s interesting that you can pretty much apply romantic films to just about any type of style of film.”
When people watch a movie or a tv show, they seek entertainment, an escape from reality. Romance creates a way to bring joy and happiness to any story and has the idea of love serve as a conquest to conflict.
“I think it’s popular because people, they need to know that there’s some hope there. To see that romance can thrive in adverse situations, they always say love conquers all, people like to believe that romance can bring you together, it can lift you up,” Nortz explained.
“I mean, can you imagine a movie, where the person never ever connects with anybody if like, every day, every day, it’s a disaster. Or every time they get married, they get divorced. People would just get tired of it, they need to know that there’s hope and romantic movies are the romance genre that gives people hope they like to feel good. Again, everybody likes a good thriller, and everybody likes a good action film. But I think people tend to remember the little bit of romance that happens within some of these films because it gives them hope.”
While Romance films can bring a certain amount of tenderness to the viewing experience, it is always important to remember that entertainment is not reality, there is a theatrical and hyped-up element to every story being played on screen.
Freshman musical theater major, Emmanuel McDowell will be in the upcoming play, “Pipeline,” here at Winthrop. Emmanuel, who is used to playing characters in an idealized fantasy world, has never swayed his view on how different romance is in real life versus on-screen.
“Romance in media is very different from what we see in our day-to-day, adult life. For example, a lot of musical theater shows and things like that play up the love to be very kiddish and very innocent and beautiful. You don’t go through that with my day-to-day life,” Emmanuel said. “I’ve never gone into relationships thinking my life is going to be a Hallmark movie. But I did expect it to be a little easier.”
Emmanuel shares how romance films often hype up a meet-cute and fated connection with a stranger rarely ever applies to real life.
“When you’re dating or in the streets, you don’t walk up to people and be like, ‘Hey!’ It’s more so ‘oh, let me see if I can figure out their Instagram, start following them, then DM them. Or let me see if I can find them on Tinder,’” Emmanuel said. “It’s never like in real life, things of that nature. And a lot of movies, they play that up. But if I never went into a relationship, thinking that everything was going to be sunshine and perfect. But they do portray that in most movies that I watched.”
