# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/81 "2003-02-13T15:57:05Z")
Shawshank is a favorite of mine, but I’d say it is disqualified because Andy’s in prison for killing his cheating wife (he didn’t really do it thought) and he makes it clear he loved her very much. Not a “great” film but I love John Carpenter’s **The Thing**. ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/82 "2003-02-13T16:09:14Z")
Somebody mentioned \My Dinner with Andre\? Well, yeah, that goes without saying; it’s a movie without a plot. It’s good, but it’s just two guys talking for an hour and a half. Well, in that vain, I nominate \Waking Life\ and \Slacker\. \Slacker\ however, may be a bit dicey; there’s the couple who are going to see the movie but are early and go to a bookstore and there’s also that guy who was throwing his typewriter into the river because of a girl (iirc), but I think the movie works because, when taken in context, the couplehood and ruined relationship don’t count as romantic; they are, in my opinion, simply used as explanations of behaviour. –greenphan ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/83 "2003-02-13T16:10:34Z")
ahhh, crap; i still can’t get the hang of using the brackets instead of the point do-hickeys. so… **BOLD**! –greenphan ---
**Author:** ![MemoryGongs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/84 "2003-02-13T17:04:10Z")
and i think in reservoir dogs kietel had a nonsexual blooming love for tim roth. thats why he stuck up for him. apocalypse now was free from any emotion besides psychotic rage and despair. beautiful ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/85 "2003-02-13T18:35:32Z")
I don’t remember if it made it to the movie of **The Hot Rock** , but in the book, Dortmunder is married and pushed into the caper by his brother-in-law. He takes it on to keep his wife happy. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/86 "2003-02-15T02:40:40Z")
SadTomato mentioned: My Dinner With Andre Remember, Andre and Wally both have SO’s: Chiquita and Debbie ( I think), respectively. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/87 "2003-02-15T03:56:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrentLumkin \* > \*\*…why aren’t there more great films made, with this aspect left out? \*\* Because seeing a movie in a theater often involves going on a date, and the all-important 18-34 demographic will be more likely to attend your movie if it has mushy stuff in it. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/88 "2003-02-23T14:16:54Z")
I think that movies have been destroyed by pointless romantic subplots. I watched **The Ladykillers** recently. God forbid it be remade, or Mrs. Lopsided will have a gentleman caller who adds nothing to the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/89 "2003-02-23T15:02:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brainfizz \* > or **Metropolis**? Not much romance there! \*\* Pardon me? Are we talking about Fritz Lang’s Metropolis? The whole plot of the movie hinges on the rather sappy lovestory of the inventor’s son and the rebel leader girl. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/90 "2003-02-23T16:57:30Z")
_ **It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World** _, ensemble cast _ **Unforgiven** _, Clint Eastword uses movie Law of Dramatic Gun Chambering _ **Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan** _, only _good_ one _ **The Bank Dick** _, W. C. Fields as Souse`, accent grave (When was the last time you saw a movie when everyone clapped at the end?) _ **M** _, Peter Lorre directed by Fritz Lang, a must see, Hans Beckert will stay with you as long as Winston Smith or Holden Caufield ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-film-of-all-time-without-a-love-plot-sub-plot-or-aspect/154473/91 "2003-02-23T19:43:21Z")
**12 Angry Men** , like someone said earlier. Another movie, starring Jon Voight **Runaway Train** , about a prison escape. I didn’t realize the female was Rebecca de Mornay until I saw her name in the credits. [Previous 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=4)