The image on the left is called 'The Kiss', and was painted by Gustav Klimt.What do you know about the origins of St. Valentine's Day?
Did you know that in the US and Canada you don't need to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, or partner to celebrate St. Valentine's?
What book, song, painting, or film about love would you like to recommend others?
I didn't know about San Valentine's custom in USA and Canada. And I believed San Valentine's Day was an invention of shopping stores.
ReplyDeleteBut, that doesn't mean I don't like things related love. If I'd have to choose one book, I'd choose "Love Story"; one painting, "Eros and Psyche" of Gerard (s.XIX); and one film, "Mouline Rouge" of Bazz Luhrman.
Very beautiful scene of Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in "Brakfast at Tiffany's", while she sing "Moonriver". I like very much this film too.
One of the films I like most is The bridges of Madison County. I think this film reflects perfectly the fidelity of a woman to her family against the pure love. Landscapes are beatiful and the screenplay allows you to understand how are people and the way of life in a little village of Iowa.
ReplyDeleteAnother film I like is The Sting. Gorgeous Paul Newman and Robert Redford!
Actually, I have never celebrated St.Valentine's Day. In my opinion it's mostly a commercial invention. I didn't know that in The US and Canada people celebrate this day even though they aren't in love. It´s a curious custom.
ReplyDeleteI would like to recommend one romantic novel, "Travesuras de la Niña Mala" by Vargas LLosa. I was hooked since the beginning of the story and enjoyed reading a lot. I was willing to discover the end.
I would choose two films:
"The African Queen" (1951). The acting of Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn is fantastic.
"Il Postino" (1994). It's an exciting and wonderful romantic film. When the postman falls in love, Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet, helps him more than ever. It's worth watching and enjoying it.
The soundtrack won the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic score and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeMBsK30S78
I have never celebrated St. Valentine's Day either, but living in the US made me look at it differently. They don't just celebrate romantic love, but also love to friends, family, and even teachers.
ReplyDelete'Il Postino' was based on a novel by Antonio Skármeta. One of the latest books I have read in Spanish was also written by this author, and I was completely hooked on it. It is a short story called 'Un padre de película'. I could not put it down, and I just took one day to read it. It's a beautiful story about love to parents in spite of difficult situations that life might present us with. There is also a cinema involved, which is probably why I bought the book in the first place.
I think there is no an specific day to show how much you love somebody. St. Valentine's day is, from my point of view, like boxing day or the three wise man's day, a marvelous invent of our consumist society. I like enjoying these days, but I don't agree with the consumist conception they are getting lately. Everybody becomes crazy spending money on showing how special for you a determined person is. This way, the most special the person is, the most expensive the gift should be. However, the best gift could be a gest, go for a walk around a beautiful place, like the St. Nicola's balcony in Granada, or something like that. What is more, you don't have to wait for St. Valentine's day to do it. We shouldn't allow our society to tell us when we are supposed to show how much you love your partner, friends or relatives.
ReplyDeleteIn relation with a love song, picture or film, I think each one can appreciate details of love in many different places or performances. If I had to choose a place it would be a charming restaurant called “Le peintre” in the sacre cour in Paris. The song would be “You are wonderful tonight” by Eric Clapton or “Promise me” by Beverly Craven and, finally, the film would be “as good as it gets” where Jack Nicholson stars showing us how love has many different ways.