When Harry Met Sally

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In both When Harry Met Sally (1983) and Pillow Talk (1959), the generic romantic comedy formal elements such as sound, setting and cinematography are starkly contrasted with ill matched characters. This highlights that although a “conservative and traditional ending” (McDonald 85) is adopted, romantic comedies should be treated as cautionary tales. Despite expectations, these films highlight that although characters are drawn together by aspects of so-called fate, they often selectively ignore realistic issues conveyed through dialogue and cleverly hidden iconographic symbols. In When Harry Met Sally, there are numerous non-diegetic sounds, more specifically the genre jazz throughout the film. The exploration of diverse sounds allows for the …show more content…

His best tools in his pocket are humor and sarcasm, effectively masking his fear of vulnerability and any real connection with women. Sally, on the other hand, is idealistic and romantic, frequently portrayed in her nonchalant brushing off of her breakup with Joe. While Harry and Sally’s communication style rivals a blunt vs sensitive approach, the real issues lie in the emotional barriers both have. Where Harry has become quite lenient with burning the rope before it is anchored, Sally adopts a structured, all too controlling demeanor. Furthermore, the conflict in values such as patience vs impatience is depicted in a scene where Sally is meticulously placing each letter into a mailbox, and Harry, becoming restless, stuffs them in at once. Similarly in Pillow Talk, Brad is the stereotypical trope of a playboy with a phobia of commitment. Once again fitting the classic trope of the holy virgin, Jan is more independent yet simultaneously idealistic in the romance department. Although she is quite emotionally vulnerable, she has grown attuned to deciphering men's intentions with her and upholding her idea of ethical values. Jan and Brad not only falter in their horrible miscommunication, but also suffer a lack of respect for personal boundaries. This further translates into his manipulative behavior, creating the base of their romance on faulty shallow lies from the persona of country man Rex. Although these may paint the image of eventual romantic desire, the barriers created by conflicting values, communication and idealism serve as a caution to those who idealize said films. Although visual motifs are not necessarily a pairing of iconography’s definition of “particular objects, archetypal characters and even specific actors” (Grant 12), they still hold symbolic meaning that can vary widely. Visual metaphors are utilized in both films as subtle reminders of

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