MovieChat Forums > Bitter Moon (1994) Discussion > Great story but unrealistic 'romance'

Great story but unrealistic 'romance'

posted 13 years ago by Nirhtuc
6 replies | jump to latest

Other than the fact this is a movie only, did anyone else wonder about the whole character of Mimi being a major fantasy of the director? Why would a stunning, young woman like Mimi fall madly in love with a perverted old man like Oscar? Yes, this sort of thing does happen, but mainly due to the older man's wealth- the guy was definitely old enough to be her father (and wasn't even very good-looking or particularly intelligent)! In Lolita, it's more realistic, because the girl was looking to the man as a father-figure and the physical aspect of the relationship was pursued more obsessively by the man. I don't think the character of Mimi was anything other than a stereotypical male fantasy of a beautiful young woman who would submit to him in any way and love him unconditionally (no matter how ugly, old, stupid or cruel he happened to be!).

If Mimi was an average-looking (with a great figure or something) woman who was closer to Oscar's age, and is desperate to secure a 'true love' because she
1. been abandoned by many men before
2. had never fallen in love before,

it would have been more realistic.

All that being said, can anyone please give me examples of movies where the reverse occurs (i.e. handsome young man has obsessive love for an old, plain-looking and cruel woman-- I can only think of Harold & Maude, but at least Maude was really kind!)?

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Bloodfordracula 11 years ago

Oscar is supposed to be in his late 30s when he meets Mimi...remember the line where he says he's pushing 40 and still hasn't had any of his work published?

[–] raiquerlt1 10 years ago

Notes on a Scandal and To Die For have young men who fall in love with older women, but in both cases they fell for gorgeous looking woman

[–] morganseer 8 years ago

I can't think of any such movie characters, but I can think of two real-life couples like that right off the bat.

Sexual attraction and co-dependency (in the broad sense of the word) is unfathomable.

[–] ginger-51 8 years ago

Well, there is The Reader...the woman is older and although she is beautiful, she is not exactly glamorous, and the "man" is really a teen boy at the start of their relationship...but it's not exactly a simple love story. What with the Holocaust being part of it and all.

But yes, that is a dynamic that is not often depicted in film. At least not in the films I've seen.

[–] Ramuna 7 years ago

All that being said, can anyone please give me examples of movies where the reverse occurs (i.e. handsome young man has obsessive love for an old, plain-looking and cruel woman-- I can only think of Harold & Maude, but at least Maude was really kind!)?

The Piano Teacher (2001)