El amor vende : el melodrama y el manejo narrativo del amor en las películas comerciales hollywoodenses.

Abstract

How is love marketed to us? Commercial Hollywood movies share structures which follow similar patterns, one of those aspects that is repeated throughout blockbusters is the representation of romantic love. The hero or the heroine experiences a romantic encounter which causes the audience to wonder if that couple will be together. This question is not incidental, Hollywood has mastered the use of love as a narrative resource to attract the consumer since its early beginning, as Illouz, E. (2009) considers in her study on the use of love as a merchandising tool. An analysis of the films that use the hero’s journey structure and that feature a romantic subplot defines the melodramatic heritage that blockbusters use for their hits. These dramatic elements allow the viewer to be moved by a film that despite having romance, does not belong to the romantic genre. Following In-depth documentary review on the subject and consultation to industry professionals and discussion groups, a content analysis of the audiovisual representation of love is presented that evidences that the love interest in films is there to help the hero or the heroine, not to hinder their mission.