Just Messy Love

The love in the film Jules and Jim is not ordinary, nor is it healthy in many ways, but there are other loves that remind me of this love.  It is not the type of love of which I would ever want to be a part, but maybe it is fit for some people.  Many people would prefer to have a love that was much more predictable than Catherine’s, but there are those who would rather have the adventure and surprise which her love would always bring. 

 

One particular couple that reminds me of the love in Jules and Jim is Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.  The two actors met while filming Woman of the Year and their romance began there.  Spencer Tracy remained married to his wife while being involved with Hepburn for the rest of his life.  This the aspect that most reminds me of Jules and Jim, Jules remained with Catherine after she no longer loved him and became involved with other men, mainly two.  Hepburn’s love for Tracy was much cooler than Catharine’s love for any man; Hepburn took care of Tracy while his health was failing and even chose not to attend his funeral because that would be the respectable thing to do for his family.  Overall I believe Tracy and Hepburn’s love was cooler, but it had some of the same themes found in Jules and Jim.

 

A more recent love like that in Jules and Jim came to mind as well, actually a couple of love triangles all in one show, Grey’s Anatomy.  Though the show is very recent, the theme of messy and yet somehow cool love appears in very similar ways to love in Jules and Jim.  There is a doctor whose wife cheated on him with his best friend, just as in Jim and Jules.  The wife and best friend do not end up together; it was only a small outside affair.  They all somehow remain friends through it all, though feelings have been hurt and the relationships change.  The best friend then ends up involved with another woman, but she is developing feelings for other women.  The web continues to weave itself throughout the whole show and all the characters, but sometimes there is some much needed resolution.  Love can be cool, but I guess it all depends on the reactions of each individual.  The messy relationships do not add to cool love, they only seem to pull away from how cool it could be.