I have a friend who I find rather strange. To be honest, I don’t think she understands romance. She probably couldn’t care less about it, but still tries her best to mold into the world, boasting and pretending that she loves it. Surprisingly, I believe a lot of people do this. Many people are simply good at pretending.

I had the pleasure of watching A Room with a View (1985) this past weekend and as I’m writing this post I’m thinking well, my strange friend will never quite know what romance is unless she sees that poppy field scene and understands it. Which, to be honest, she might not. Because it is true that not everyone understands the concept of romance, especially if they’re a narcissist. Like George Emerson in the movie says, “Do you understand how lucky people are when they find what’s right for them? It’s such a blessing, don’t you see?”

The film is actually adapted from a very famous book to much critical acclaim. The story is set in the Edwardian era and tells of a young Englishwoman named Lucy Honeychurch who meets the charming and free-spirited George Emerson in Florence, Italy. They share a brief affair and meet later on when Lucy is engaged. When their passion and love proves to be unwavering, Lucy must decide what to do.

It isn’t possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.

E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

P.S. Julian Sands is so chillingly handsome here as George Emerson. I swear every time the Emersons were mentioned my heart skipped a beat, perhaps same as that of our main protagonist, Lucy Honeychurch.