MovieChat Forums > Somewhere in Time (1980) Discussion > Some of the most romantic 90 seconds in ...

Some of the most romantic 90 seconds in Film

posted 12 years ago by Princerd
14 replies | jump to latest

From the time Elise appears from behind the hedges on the lawn below the terrace steps and cries "Richard", until just after she lowers her hair, in the prelude to an unseen night of love, is a wonderfully romantic highlight in cinema.

Reeve is OK as the love interest, but Jane Seymour is absolutely fabulous. Take time to really review the 2 concurrent scenes and you will note:

* The calling out of Richard's name is filled with absolute joy.

* Richard simply leaps past the many stairs to reach Elise as she runs forward in a beautiful full length dress.

*Elise's girlish happy laugh as Richard embraces her.

*Elise will first gasp for breath as Richard holds her and says: "Are you alright? I thought I had lost You!"

*Elise is breathless as she responds: "yes", and her emotional: Oh!, never,,,never,Never,NEVER! is fabulous.

* Elise's face and eyes were absolutely radiant as she releases her hair.

* The parallel slow movement (not slow motion) of the lovers' faces descending to the bed followed by the candle being extinguished behind the lace...Exquisite romance.

If the visual aspect does not move you, close your eyes and concentrate on Jane Seymour's voice in the lawn and stairs scene.

[–] Tribe-of-Judah 12 years ago

I remember that seen vividly, and I will wholeheartedly agree, that scene was one of the most romantic highlights in cinema. Yes. Definitely one of the most romantic.

I'm from this little rock called Staten Island.....

c.a.m.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] JW-7 12 years ago

They have chemistry from their first scene together. The play sequence "if he were here today" is also just enchanting.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (156688) 11 years ago

The scene where he first sees her picture is very romantic too and when you tie it in with him being there when the picture is taken is probably one of the most romantic things I have scene in cinema. And I must admit, the 17 yr old me who saw the film on HBO in 1981, was very jealous of Richard at that moment!

[–] JW-7 11 years ago

And that underscores the tragedy when he is pulled back to the present, after all that he went through,

[–] diane-bernaerts 11 years ago

*The calling out of Richard's name is filled with absolute joy.

*Elise's girlish happy laugh as Richard embraces her.

*Elise is breathless as she responds: "yes", and her emotional: Oh!, never,never,Never,NEVER! is fabulous.

*Elise's face and eyes were absolutely radiant as she releases her hair.

I totally agree with you. This was some fine acting: to express such power of emotion in only a look, a laugh or one word! Her face and eyes really WERE radiant: how can you "act" something like that? I remember thinking: "If I was Christopher Reeves' wife, I would surely be jealous!": it looked SO real!

[–] wstock70 11 years ago

He was hot!

[–] epibee 11 years ago

So was she!

[–] packerpassion4 10 years ago

She still is hot. She was on Franklin And Bash last night. Whenever I see her I always think back to Somewhere In Time and how absolutely ravishing she was.

[–] bfuente1 10 years ago

The scene where she's being photographed for the famous photo & he walks in gets me every time.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] westal_sage 10 years ago

One of my favorite scenes is when they first walk together. I love the music there, and the way everything looks so hazy - it just "looks like" he is in back in time. What a great film.

[–] westal_sage 10 years ago

And I apologize I didn't mean to take away from the scene you're talking about. It is fantastic! One thing I just learned about from the Blu Ray was how they used a split or dual lens so that both Chris and Jane are in focus, despite the distance between them when she first appears.

[–] Princerd 10 years ago

There is no apology needed. The very look of the film, and the score, were both unusually romantic and overcame the fantasy of the time travel.

Jane Seymour's hairstyle and clothing were strikingly beautiful. This was a perfect role for her. Christopher Plummer was well suited for his character as well. The look and atmosphere of the movie was very elegant with the exception of Richard's suit. That was the one thing I would have possibly changed. It would have been nice, at least once, to see him with Elise in proper formal wear.