The 50 best movie kisses. And they say romance is dead...
Ghost (1990)
The Kissers: Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore)
The Kiss: Unhindered by the fact he’s dead, although this is their last game of tonsil tennis before he heads off to the afterlife.
Passion Or Romance: It’s love that’s kept Sam around long enough to say goodbye.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
The Kissers: Camilla Rhodes (Laura Elena Harring) and another Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George). Eh?
The Kiss: Designed largely to upset struggling actress Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts), whose luckier alter-ego Betty Elms had successfully bedded Camilla's lookalike 'Rita.'
Passion Or Romance: Mostly it's just enigmatic, although its hotness can't be disputed.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
The Kissers: George Bailey (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed).
The Kiss: Conflicted George loves Donna, but doesn’t want to get trapped in Bedford Falls – so he shakes her, shouts at her, and only then gives in to his feelings.
Passion Or Romance: Not exactly the textbook definition of romance, but the emotion is real enough.
Gone With The Wind (1939)
The Kissers: Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh)
The Kiss: Rhett proposes to Scarlett against the backdrop of Atlanta burning, the flame-red sky merging with Scarlett’s hair.
Passion Or Romance: She gives him a slap for his presumption, but she still ends up marrying him.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Kissers: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).
The Kiss: With injured Indy not wanting Marion to tend to his wounds, she starts kissing the places that don’t hurt. Including his lips.
Passion Or Romance: A lovely, romantic grace note amongst all the set-pieces.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Kissers: Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright).
The Kiss: Let’s leave it to Peter Falk’s narrator to explain this one: "Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.”
Passion Or Romance: So romantic not even the narrator’s grandson (Fred Savage) can complain about the kissing parts.
Vertigo (1958)
The Kissers: Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) and Judy Barton (Kim Novak).
The Kiss: Having transformed Judy into a facsimile of his dead lover Madeleine, their kiss transports Scottie into the memory of a previous clinch.
Passion Or Romance: For him, it’s closer to obsession. For her, any genuine feelings are stymied by the irony that - SPOILER! - Madeleine was really Judy all along.
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Four Weddings And a Funeral (1994)
The Kissers: Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie McDowall).
The Kiss: Tired of the rigmarole of seeing people get married, Charles gives Carrie an anti-proposal in the rain.
Passion Or Romance: Not even Carrie’s wooden weather forecast (“Is it raining? I hadn’t noticed”) can dampen the romance.
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)
The Kissers: Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul Varjak (George Peppard).
The Kiss: Seeing Paul hunt for her missing cat in the rain sparks the sudden realisation that Holly loves him, too. Cue Moon River .
Passion Or Romance: They’re so lost in the moment it takes them a while to spot they’re crushing the cat between them.
The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
The Kissers: Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his brother Fredo (John Cazale).
The Kiss: Bitter. This is Michael kissing Fredo goodbye for betraying him – “I know it was you. You broke my heart, Fredo.”
Passion Or Romance: Strictly business.