On Kissing
Last week I was struggling with writing a kiss.
I don't consider myself a romance writer, but rather a writer whose books contain some romance. While I prefer the relational tension and development between to characters over lots of physical interaction, there is a place for the physical. We are physical beings and even more so, we are holistic beings, which means the physical is a component to any relationship--just usually more pronounced in a romantic one.
So I was thinking about kissing and realized this particular kiss needed to be simple yet complex, not detailed, but still express depth and wonder. For those of you who've never written a kiss, beware--it is just as awkward as your first real kiss--wonderful, addictive, but probably nervous since you don't know what you're doing (the five-year old boy who cornered you in the foyer after church when you were four doesn't count). The exercise triggered several memories of on-screen kisses I'd seen. There are kisses (ho-hum, a kiss is just a kiss); kisses (ewww! please stop! please do NOT let those two marry and procreate--their offspring would be hideous!); and KISSES (heart-fluttering, I'm going to faint like a jr high girl at a Justin Bieber concert).
In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd list a couple of my fav's (movies or tv, not my personal experience; Love you, Mr Amazing Dude! *wink*) and hope you'll return the favor in the comment section.
Do you agree? Disagree? Have others you like better?
I don't consider myself a romance writer, but rather a writer whose books contain some romance. While I prefer the relational tension and development between to characters over lots of physical interaction, there is a place for the physical. We are physical beings and even more so, we are holistic beings, which means the physical is a component to any relationship--just usually more pronounced in a romantic one.
So I was thinking about kissing and realized this particular kiss needed to be simple yet complex, not detailed, but still express depth and wonder. For those of you who've never written a kiss, beware--it is just as awkward as your first real kiss--wonderful, addictive, but probably nervous since you don't know what you're doing (the five-year old boy who cornered you in the foyer after church when you were four doesn't count). The exercise triggered several memories of on-screen kisses I'd seen. There are kisses (ho-hum, a kiss is just a kiss); kisses (ewww! please stop! please do NOT let those two marry and procreate--their offspring would be hideous!); and KISSES (heart-fluttering, I'm going to faint like a jr high girl at a Justin Bieber concert).
In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd list a couple of my fav's (movies or tv, not my personal experience; Love you, Mr Amazing Dude! *wink*) and hope you'll return the favor in the comment section.
- Anne and Gilbert on the bridge at the end of Anne of Avonlea (sheesh, because we've been waiting sooooo long for that kiss! Four stinking hours!)
- Mary Jane and Peter after Peter (er, Spiderman) rescues her on that dark rainy night in the first Spiderman movie. Extra points for creativity as he's hanging upside down in his Spidey costume.
- Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth in the most recent BBC version of Persuasion (2007) because she's been waiting soooooooo long it's painful. The soundtrack is stellar in that version too.
- The old couple in UP. I don't know if there is really a kiss in that scene, but truthfully, the first five minutes of that movie seems like one long, soul-wrenching kiss. I want to cry just thinking about it.
Do you agree? Disagree? Have others you like better?
I love how "kissing" has its own label now.. :-P
ReplyDeleteFavorite movie/tv kisses?
-Han Solo and Princess Leia at the end of _Return of the Jedi_. Who taught me all about banter and witty romantic word wars (and that a woman with a blaster is a very handy person to have around)
-Danielle and Prince Henry in the gypsy camp.--I was a teen when I first saw it, and it was so quintessentially romantic...
-Michael and Fiona (Burn Notice) when, after trying desperately for hours to find out if Fi was alive or not, Michael finds her alive--perfectly fine and snarky--in his apartment. He just walks up and kisses her he's so raggedly glad she's alive.
Well she beat me to the BN kiss...
ReplyDeletebut what about the kiss in Empire Strikes Back? So much better/higher "waiting" quality than ROTJ, and further proof that girls fall for the rogues - especially the "nice" rogues. ;)
Knight & Day has a pretty epic kiss (cooly striding through automatic gunfire to get to the girl? what guy doesn't want to be able to do that?)
while not a proper kiss, I'd add the scene from the Scarlet Pimpernel (book) in the garden after Lord Grenville's ball.
there's always Brego and Aragorn in The Two Towers (film)...
You lost me at the Pimpernel...I know I lot of people like it (my mom included...) I just can't get into the story (book or movie).
ReplyDelete...but, I must agree, that particular Burn Notice kiss was quite satisfying. (Not any wonder that both of you like BN!) ;-)
And how did I know Star Wars would enter this discussion? Actually, I prefer the scene near the end of Return of the Jedi on the bridge in the Ewok village between Leia and Hans Solo--right after Leia hears about her parentage. Her "Hold me" to Hans says it all.
Haven't seen Knight and Day yet, so can't comment on that one.