The Truth about Love

A very British take on themes of lust, passion and desire, with a good helping of infidelity, unrequited love and even a spot of murder thrown in for good measure.

The Lure of Crooning Water (1920)

The Lure of Crooning Water (1920)

We invite starry-eyed romantics, sassy singletons and cynical Cupid-dodgers alike to join the Mediatheque’s own journey through the agony and the ecstasy of love. This collection features almost 100 films and TV programmes, offering a very British take on themes of lust, passion and desire, with a good helping of infidelity, unrequited love and even a spot of murder thrown in for good measure. As well as familiar classics, you’ll find many titles not available to view online or on DVD.

Ten to try

The Lure of Crooning Water (1920)
A sun-dappled pastoral romance starring the golden couple of 1920s British cinema.

Flames of Passion (1922)
Mae Marsh’s fondness for men in uniform leads to an indiscretion with the family chauffeur in this lavish society drama.

Love from a Stranger (1937)
Basil Rathbone hams it up a treat as a gold-digging cad in this rarely seen Agatha Christie adaptation.

Wuthering Heights (1962)
The earliest surviving TV adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, starring Claire Bloom and Keith Michell.

Let’s Murder Vivaldi (1968)
Love is a battlefield in David Mercer’s brutal, claustrophobic drama starring Glenda Jackson and Denholm Elliott.

The Lie (1970)
Ingmar Bergman pens his first British TV play – the dissection of a marriage breakdown.

Kisses at Fifty (1973)
A middle-aged man’s fling with a barmaid threatens the stability of his family in Colin Welland’s BAFTA-winning Play for Today.

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)
Dame Maggie Smith’s BAFTA-winning turn as a troubled spinster in 1950s Dublin is ripe for rediscovery.

Suzie Gold (2004)
Summer (sister of Joaquin) Phoenix stars in this comic tale of girl-meets-goy set in North London’s Jewish community.

Dirty Filthy Love (2004)
Michael Sheen stars in this tale of a man with OCD and Tourette Syndrome who strikes up a rapport with the head of his support group.

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