Looking for one of the many war romance films out there? Many are drawn to the idea of war and romance as the concept allows many of our favorite feelings in romantic movies to be drawn out. As difficult as it can often be to watch, we as viewers like to see couples torn apart and brought back together. That agony in war romance films is very attractive to those who are fans of the genre or even just those looking to learn more about movies of this type.
What Defines War Romance Films?
Many genres and subgenres can be difficult to define. After all, what exactly is a western action film or a horror movie? While it might seem impossible to peg down exactly what a genre like war films mixed with romance entails, there are a few qualities that can help make it clearer.
- War romance movies feature a couple (or multiple couples) dealing with the effect of war in their relationship. In some cases, the relationship occurs on a base camp or other military background during a war. In other cases, the war is responsible for keeping the movie's power couple apart. Whatever the plot device, war romance movies feature war as a predominant 'third leg' in the relationship of a couple.
- In many romance movies that feature a war, there may be an action element to the film, highlighting the fighting action of the war in some respect. Some war romance films cross into being romance-action movies. In addition to the action, war romance movies present the character of war in an almost antagonistic way to the rest of the movie, creating a sense of action in its own right.
- Many war romance flicks don't end well for one reason or another. The couple decides to break up, someone dies at war, etc. However, it is in these sadder endings that the film truly evolves into being a classic.
- Letters are often a popular concept in this type of film. Letters are often sent to someone away at war or letters received after a soldier's unfortunate death. Several movies in this genre feature Dear John elements; a character in the film writes a letter to end a relationship.
Popular War Romance Movies
If you're looking for a few titles in this genre, have no fear: there are plenty of films to help satisfy your thirst for the genre. These films include:
- Notorious
- From Here to Eternity
- Ride with the Devil
- The Christmas Card
- Piece of Cake
- Island at War
- Cold Mountain
- Enemy at the Gates
- South Pacific
- Wings
- The Clock
- Head in the Clouds
- Casablanca
- Pearl Harbor
- In Harm's Way
- Every Time We Say Goodbye
- In Love and War
- Kings Go Forth
- For Whom The Bell Tolls
- America
- Enigma
- The English Patient
- A Very Long Engagement
- Dresden
- Beyond Borders
- To Have and Have Not
- Miracle in The Rain
- Ariel Gunner
- Never So Few
- A Farewell to Arms
- Tempest
- The End of the Affair
- The Second Front
- Piece of Cake
- The Love Light
- Arch of Triumph
- Rainbow
- For the Moment
- Unknown Soldier
- November Rain
- Landscape After Battle
- Out of the Cold
- The White Sister
- House of Fools
- Iris
A Final Thought
Romantic films in wartime are the perfect type of movie to tug at the heartstrings. Every major element in the film reveals a human interest to see the good guy succeed and the perfect couple happy together. One of the ultimate types of feel good movies, a romance with war can make everything feel balanced for some. Many find themselves interested in this genre not out of an interest to see things torn apart but to see romance bring things back together again. In fact, that's why some of the top war movies rank on the list of top romantic movies out there.
