“Romantic longing has provided the cinema with some of its most glorious and idealistic movies: Casablanca and Brief Encounter are films with an unabashed, unironic passionate flame at their centre,” said film critic Peter Bradshaw.

Movies such as Gone with the Wind and Doctor Zhivago lent something grand and epic to romantic love, but it was perhaps the much-loved weepie An Affair to Remember that did the most to introduce us to the more domestic idea of the chick flick or the date movie – the romantic film adored by women and tolerated by their husbands and boyfriends.

The romantic comedy was a further refinement, almost invented in its modern sense by Woody Allen and revived by Rob Reiner with his smash-hit, When Harry Met Sally, a success that has spawned a thousand sucrose imitations. Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love is probably the most potent, old-fashioned romance of recent times. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung have that seductively heart-breaking self-sacrifice shown by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman or Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. Love will never go out of fashion.

These are the 25 best romantic films of all time according to the critics of the Guardian and Observer.

Brief Encounter

(1945)

Director: David Lean
Stars: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway

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Casablanca

(1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

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Before Sunrise

(1995) /

Before Sunset

(2004) /

Before Midnight

(2013)

Director: Richard Linklater
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert

Amazon
– Amazon
– Amazon
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Breathless

(1960)

Original title: À Bout de Souffle
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger

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–

In the Mood for Love

(2000)

Director: Wong Kar-wai
Stars: Tony Chiu Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung, Ping Lam Siu

Amazon
$24.89

The Apartment

(1960)

Director: Billy Wilder
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray

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–

Hannah and Her Sisters

(1986)

Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine

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–

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

(2004)

Director: Michel Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson

Amazon
$9.69

A Room with a View

(1985)

Director: James Ivory
Stars: Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott

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–

10.

Jules et Jim

(1962)

Director: François Truffaut
Stars: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre

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11.

All That Heaven Allows

(1955)

Director: Douglas Sirk
Stars: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead

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12.

Gone with the Wind

(1939)

Director: Victor Fleming
Stars: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell

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–

13.

An Affair to Remember

(1957)

Director: Leo McCarey
Stars: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning

Amazon
$11.49

[amazon template=custom_thumbnail&asin=B00M0HUUZG&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Jacques Demy]

14. [amazon text=The Umbrellas of Cherbourg&template=custom_title&asin=B00M0HUUZG&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Jacques Demy] (1964)

Director: [amazon text=Jacques Demy&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Jacques Demy] Stars: [amazon text=Catherine Deneuve&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Catherine Deneuve], [amazon text=Nino Castelnuovo&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Nino Castelnuovo], [amazon text=Anne Vernon&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Anne Vernon]

[amazon text=Amazon&template=custom_text_price&asin=B00M0HUUZG&multi_cc=1&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Jacques Demy]

15.

Lost in Translation

(2003)

Director: Sofia Coppola
Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi

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15.

Roman Holiday

(1953)

Director: William Wyler
Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

Amazon
$12.97

15.

Wall-E

(2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Stars: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin

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18.

My Night at Maud’s

(1969)

Director: Éric Rohmer
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault

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–

19.

Journey to Italy

(1954)

Director: Roberto Rossellini
Stars: Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders, Maria Mauban

Amazon
$19.99

20.

Doctor Zhivago

(1965)

Director: David Lean
Stars: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin

Amazon
–

21.

Harold and Maude

(1971)

Director: Hal Ashby
Stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles

Amazon
$17.85

22.

When Harry Met Sally

(1989)

Director: Rob Reiner
Stars: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher

Amazon
–

23.

Say Anything…

(1989)

Director: Cameron Crowe
Stars: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney

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24.

The Fabulous Baker Boys

(1989)

Director: Steve Kloves
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Beau Bridges

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25.

Stairway to Heaven

(1946)

Original title: A Matter of Life and Death
Directors: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Stars: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote

Amazon
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The Guardian (founded in 1821) is a British national daily newspaper, and the Observer (founded in 1791) is its Sunday sibling. They are amongst the most influential papers in the world. The Guardian and its journalists have won numerous journalism awards, especially in the last decades.

Source: The Guardian
Last checked on: 16 January 2016
Image: Brief Encounter

The Metaindex

A Directory of Experts' Choices

Top 25 romantic movies, by the Guardian and Observer’s critics

Brief Encounter

Casablanca

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset

Before Midnight

Breathless

In the Mood for Love

The Apartment

Hannah and Her Sisters

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

A Room with a View

Jules et Jim

All That Heaven Allows

Gone with the Wind

An Affair to Remember

Lost in Translation

Roman Holiday

Wall-E

My Night at Maud’s

Journey to Italy

Doctor Zhivago

Harold and Maude

When Harry Met Sally

Say Anything…

The Fabulous Baker Boys

Stairway to Heaven

Brief Encounter<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B01AP0AS5Q" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Casablanca<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B007XF4J70" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Before Sunrise<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B0045HCIZY" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Before Sunset<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B0002YLC24" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Before Midnight<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00DJYJQ36" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Breathless<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00GRA7M2G" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

In the Mood for Love<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B008MPQ0R2" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

The Apartment<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B005LZWA5W" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Hannah and Her Sisters<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B009UTX4M8" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00466H3DG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

A Room with a View<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00ZVBG3A4" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Jules et Jim<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00CJDF2MW" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

All That Heaven Allows<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00J2PQYG8" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Gone with the Wind<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B002XF9C54" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

An Affair to Remember<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00569I5BQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Lost in Translation<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B001AQO400" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Roman Holiday<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00AMEZDK6" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Wall-E<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B001EOQWFI" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

My Night at Maud’s<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1572522127" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Journey to Italy<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B004Y72YBI" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Doctor Zhivago<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B001TOCCRU" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Harold and Maude<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B006X64S7Q" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

When Harry Met Sally<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B0062VL500" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Say Anything…<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B0029XFN9Y" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

The Fabulous Baker Boys<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B011M2UU04" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Stairway to Heaven<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=e0680b-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B0001GV0JI" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Brief Encounter

Casablanca

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset

Before Midnight

Breathless

In the Mood for Love

The Apartment

Hannah and Her Sisters

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

A Room with a View

Jules et Jim

All That Heaven Allows

Gone with the Wind

An Affair to Remember

Lost in Translation

Roman Holiday

Wall-E

My Night at Maud’s

Journey to Italy

Doctor Zhivago

Harold and Maude

When Harry Met Sally

Say Anything…

The Fabulous Baker Boys

Stairway to Heaven