How Movies Encourage Crimes of Passion by Hopeless Romantics

Picture Credits: Unsplash

“I’m a hopeless romantic. I love love. My middle name is love. Valentine’s day is my favourite holiday. I want to have a family and children. I am a sucker for every romantic comedy that comes out.” - Jennifer Love Hewitt

Laila-Majnu, Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha. Who isn't aware of these lovebirds and who hasn't upped their standard for love after listening to these eternal love stories. What is your idea of love? Or the better question in this scenario would be do you control love or does it control you? 

When was the last time you saw a person and your mind went haywire, fantasizing a fairy tale kinda life ahead, falling head over heels in love and idealizing them as the perfect one for you? If you do this often, then you must be a hopeless romantic. 

Who Is a Hopeless Romantic?

A hopeless romantic is a person who hopelessly loves the idea of being in love with a person. A person who, they believe, has been put on this earth just for them by god. They passionately have strong beliefs about true love, soulmates and destiny.

A hopeless romantic seems to avoid the harsh realities and prefers living in the imaginary land of love, spending most of the time dreaming and imagining moments with their ideal partners. They think of love as something which completes them and might feel empty if not sunk all mushy in love. They are obstinate with their theories on the love that explains the adjective “hopeless” given to their romanticism.  

“I’m a hopeless romantic. One of those silly people that believe happiness is found in a kiss and that love can save us all.” - Ariana A. Robinson

Is Hopeless Romanticism a Good Thing? 

A hopeless romantic is a more sensitive and genuine person, who does not believe in the concept of cheating or foul play. They do not give up on their relationship easily but rather let communication conquer the complications. 

Picture Credits: Unsplash

However, in the long run, hopeless romantics tend to lose self-esteem and are seen ignoring the red flags while in a relationship as they are so captivated with the idea of the impeccable ending in their head. They bypass the abyss as they refuse to see their partner in a negative light and fall prey to problematic situations like domestic violence. 

“You know, it’s funny. When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.” 

- Wanda from Bojack Horseman

What is the Opposite of a Hopeless Romantic?

The term ‘hopeless romantic’ is an informal one and cannot be defined precisely. According to dictionary.com, the word originated from the novel- Lady Willoughby was written by Marie Prince La Touche in 1855, in which a mother urges her son not to pursue “hopeless, romantic attachment”. So, the opposite word for hopeless romantic is merely a work of guesses. 

Since a hopeless romantic is a person so misguided and blinded by his take on love that he tends to avoid disheartening absoluteness, the opposite of a hopeless romantic is often considered as a realist who has a clearer, realistic and practical notion about love. 

But being a realist is not as stable as it seems. It has its own downside. Being too ingrained in fairytale love can suffocate the relationship. Similarly, being too realistic can make the relationship monotonous as a result of lack of spark and interest. 

How Movies Encourage Crimes of Passion by Hopeless Romantics

Hopeless romantics are incorrigible believers of soulmates which often leaves them in a very vulnerable position. Movies are the perfect way to kill time and an eminent escape from reality but with these perks, it also brings a great deal of turmoil. It sets unachievable ideologies in the young minds who try to imitate the characters and ends up hurting others or getting hurt. 

Like, the movie ‘Raanjhana’ portrayed the character of Vishnu as a hopeless romantic who is driven by the idea that Zoya is his only soulmate. But in the making of this ultimate romantic movie, they glorified stalking which unintentionally inspired crimes of passion. 

A 16-year-old boy murdered a girl for unrequited love in Meerut and when investigated by Quality Institution Care and Alternative For Children, he said that he had been inspired by the film Raanjhana and also told the police that if he couldn't have her, no one else could either.

If Not Hopeless Romantic, Then What?

As we all know, excessiveness is never good and most things about a hopeless romantic are a bit much. So, the question arises- if not a hopeless romantic, then what? Being a ‘hopeful romantic’ so far sounds to be the most safer kind of romanticism one can pursue. Hopeful romantics also believe in passionate love, however, the only difference is that they don’t set unrealistic goals for their relationships as they define love more optimistically. 

But at the end of the day, after defining everything, the force that drives us all is still undefined which is ‘love’. The only thing you need to do is to filter your beliefs to know what’s best for you and love with all your heart. 

Written By - Jyotsana Rawat