# What is the greatest film of all time without a love plot, sub-plot, or aspect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473 "2003-02-12T00:20:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/1 "2003-02-12T00:20:15Z")
I was just sitting here thinking about this, and was currious as to what you thought. What is the greatest film of all time, without some sort of love plot, sub-plot, or aspect? I’m talking, no man-woman (or whatever) aspect to the film at all, period. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/2 "2003-02-12T00:36:57Z")
Hmm interesting question. From my personal top-ten list the only film that qualifies is **Grave of the Fireflies**. Other possibilities: **Lawrence of Arabia** **Lavender Hill Mob** ---
**Author:** ![Donut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Donut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donut)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/3 "2003-02-12T00:38:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m talking, no man-woman (or whatever) aspect to the film at all, period. I’m not sure what you mean here. If you’re saying absolutely no expressions of love at all, period, no matter how tiny a role they play in the film, then pretty much any movie featuring a (happily) married (or dating) couple is out. I will, however, nominate: _2001: A Space Odyssey_ which meets this strict interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/4 "2003-02-12T00:42:16Z")
Oh yes, this is indeed strict, lol. I was just thinking of great films that I love, and noticed that almost every single one of them has a man-woman relationship, however big or small. I know it’s vital to many stories, as it is something almost everyone can be familier with, but still, I had to ask myself… …why aren’t there more great films made, with this aspect left out? ---
**Author:** ![aaaaaarrgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@aaaaaarrgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaaaaarrgg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/5 "2003-02-12T00:42:52Z")
first one that comes to mind is ‘the exorcist’ ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/6 "2003-02-12T00:47:36Z")
How about “To Kill a Mockingbird?” ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/7 "2003-02-12T00:49:45Z")
Well obviously the man-woman relationship is such a fundamental aspect of society that it’s going to be hard to make a movie where it’s completely absent. The only genre where this might happen relatively more often is the war film and even here commercial considerations often dictate some kind of love interest. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/8 "2003-02-12T00:57:47Z")
**12 Angry Men** is pretty good. I don’t think there’s a romantic plot or sub-plot. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/9 "2003-02-12T01:04:41Z")
I also was going to name **2001**. And what about **Duck Soup**? Unless you take Groucho’s leering seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/10 "2003-02-12T01:11:01Z")
I was thinking of mentioning _L.I.E._, as I don’t think there’s any **man-woman** romance there, but I guess a broader reading of the OP would rule out gay romance as well. Hmm. How about _Glory_? Maybe not the best film ever, but a damn fine movie, and no romantic plot or subplot that I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/11 "2003-02-12T01:11:17Z")
How about **Dr. Strangelove**? (I’m aware of its full title, just too lazy to type it out) ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/12 "2003-02-12T02:21:43Z")
Patton ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/13 "2003-02-12T02:29:28Z")
**Wizard of Oz**? ---
**Author:** ![TV\_Casualty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@TV\_Casualty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_Casualty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/14 "2003-02-12T02:35:12Z")
**Casablanca** ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/15 "2003-02-12T02:37:11Z")
**Hell in the Pacific** best two hander ever made. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/16 "2003-02-12T02:37:25Z")
No, no. **Dr. Strangelove** had General Turgidson boinking his secretary, right? Anyway, I nominate John Carpenter’s **The Thing**. No lovey-dovey in _that_ movie. No women at all. (And no man-love either!) Also, what about **Reservoir Dogs**? No love interest or subplot at all. Are these “great” films? Maybe not, but for what they set out to do they are damned sure _effective_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/17 "2003-02-12T02:41:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TV Casualty \* > \*\ ***Casablanca** \*\* 😕 Is there some other, non-romantic **Casablanca** out there that I don’t know about? Or have I just been whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/18 "2003-02-12T02:42:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by divemaster \* > \*\*No, no. **Dr. Strangelove** had General Turgidson boinking his secretary, right? :smack: I totally forgot. “I’ll be right back for…BLASTOFF!!!” But, I’d say war movies in general have a pretty good record in this department: **Platoon** , **Saving Private Ryan** , **Kelly’s Heroes** … ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/19 "2003-02-12T02:43:05Z")
On further reflection, I don’t really think it’s that unusual to not have any love interest. There are whole genres that lack them most of the time: Sci-Fi, War, Children’s movies. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/20 "2003-02-12T02:46:35Z")
Citizen Kane? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473.md?page=2)