Ich liebe dich - I love you - je t'aime

I first saw this movie in 1979. I loved it then and it has not lost any of it's magic 37 years later. Lane and Bernard are sweet and captivating and of course Sir Laurence Olivier gives another wonderful performance in his long distinguished career. Like many who saw this movie so many years ago, I often wondered what ever became of the young actor who portrayed Daniel. Apparently he decided that acting was not a profession he would continue to pursue as I have recently discovered, ashame that he did'nt do more. The award winning score to this movie by Georges DeLarue is probably the movies greatest triumph, for without it the story may not have come across with quite the power that it did. This movie is a real blessing!

One of the finest movies I have ever seen. Let no one ever again say that intelligent movies can't be deeply moving, spiritual, and just plain fun.

I was utterly stupefied at the seamless way this movie exposes the spiritual landscape. I'm really at a loss to explain this movie in the normal way one speaks of theatrical productions; in terms of components, like writing, direction, acting, etc. This movie was marvelously "of a piece", which is very, very relaxing and refreshing. Analyzing it would feel like dissecting a living thing, which I won't do.

Just one of the gems: This movie makes perfectly plain the essential role of familial love for the full and timely flowering of romantic love. At a time when people are accused of ascribing to movies an inordinate responsibility for social conditions, this movie reminds you why it might be reasonable to do so. It can be fairly well depended upon to stand as a model for father-daughter love, true husbandry under difficult circumstances (a spiritually impoverished mother), and exploring your first love.

And there are lots and lots and lots of other gems in this movie. There's sweet chaos, Sir Laurence Olivier, an excellent balance of English and subtitled native speech, a truly fine and unaffected portrayal of European life, and on and on and on. SEE THIS MOVIE!

This movie seems to be about the problems of growing up smarter than everyone else, but it's a very complicated little movie. Everyone in this movie wants to be like the people in the movies, even though they fall far short. There is a brief cameo by Broderick Crawford at a wrap party. Crawford is not interested in art. He wants booze and broads. The director, who is romancing Diane Lane's mother, is a schlock director, but is flattered by people's belief he is an artist. Olivier plays an old man who pretends to be many things, but turns out to be a petty crook. As for the two young lovers who want to seal their love by kissing under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice as the church bells sound, they want to be Bogey and Bacall.

Well, didn't we all? Don't we all?

This movie is very special to me. I saw it with my first girlfriend. I thought, "Wow, they made a movie about me." This is a truly amazing movie. Sure there are contrivances but really the romantic angle works.

This movie has everything, philosopy, romance, adventure, love, discovery of self love and France. Who could ask for more. It has a wonderful cast. Diane Lane is absolutely wonderful. Sir Laurence Olivier is just fabulous. The rest of cast is a wonderful collection of oddballs and nuts that are done superbly.

There is no overt sex, no violence but the movie manages to do very well without those things. It makes you wonder why they can't make more movies like this anymore. It is a complete movie. Thankfully they did not make a sequel to this one. It stands on its own. The test of a good movie is that after it ends you care and wonder about the characters. This movie really makes you wonder what happened after the movie ends.

Did she write back? Did he find another love? Will they find true love? Very few movies I have seen ever made me wonder what happened after the end.

We were the first family in our neighborhood to have a VCR. The first movie I can remember watching was A Little Romance!! Can you imagine being a 5 year old girl and seeing Europe for the first time through the eyes of these two beautiful teen agers. Seeing true LOVE for the first time in such a genuine, honest story! I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I LOVE this movie! I have watched it many times in my life, at various ages. I have shared it with friends and family and watched with some odd sort of pride as they too fell in love with the story and its characters. Such a whirlwind story. Never a dull moment. And can I just say that the soundtrack is incredible!!!

I still own our original VHS tape. It came encased in plastic inside a large cardboard, front-opening box. It has traveled with me, moved with me countless times, been watched repeatedly, and probably even cried on. But, like the true love it represents, it has withstood the test of time. However, last Spring, my own sweet, wonderful boyfriend did buy me the DVD, "for when your copy goes to that big VCR in the sky". (what a keeper he is)

I cannot express the depth of emotions this movie triggers in me. And I can't explain how I managed to cling to the belief that love, can indeed be as simple and beautiful as the characters portray. But I can say that it has been my quest "to kiss under the bridge of sighs, at sunset, while the bells toll". It has become a dream to be fulfilled. Summer of 2005, my boyfriend and I will be in Europe. And we WILL visit Venice. And we WILL take that gondola ride. And as the incomparable Sir Laurence Olivier says in the movie " What are legends anyways, but stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.....Something that two people who are in love create together, against impossible odds, CAN hold them together...forever!"

We believe the legend is real!!!!