Love has a different language of its own. Some are explicitly expressed via the usual lovey-dovey "I Love You's." However, what attracts me the most is silent love. It is the type of love often misunderstood by people. I have recently watched the classic wartime romantic film "Hanover Street" released in 1979 which demonstrates a contrast between overly expressed love and silent love. Sometimes, silent love is difficult to understand because we are overly accustomed to the out front and verbal expression of love. Not all lovable moments have to be boisterous and with words. It can be without words in order to maintain the harmonious atmosphere.
"Hanover Street" emphasizes the desires of a woman named Margaret who is herself torn between her newly-formed love and her husband. Unable to tolerate her husband's frequent travels and mundane nature, she finds herself getting attracted to the young and charismatic Lieutenant who loves her madly. The psychology of women is immensely wheels within wheels. As a woman, I'm starting to understand what can go on inside a woman's heart and mind. There are times when a woman is trapped into an interwoven threshold by the society that brutally restricts her from following her heart. Also, when they do master the courage to overcome the established threshold, the odds are not always in their favor. Our lives are tremendously governed by society, which makes it difficult for women to break stereotypes and embark upon their own adventure.
The climax of the film was when her lover and husband who is also a member of the British Intelligence are working together on their mission. Her lover realizes that his beloved already belongs to someone else and that her husband has the full right on her now. As a matter of fact, her lover loves her to the extent that he decides to sacrifice his love and implies that his beloved's happiness is his happiness. Margaret ultimately realizes her fault and how she should not have crossed the foundational threshold established for her after marriage. She has realized that she had strayed away from her right place into a search for romance that was missing in her marriage. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has loved her the whole time i.e. the torchbearer of silent love.
Honestly, this film portrayed love in the most emotional and pristine way that touched my heart completely. Not everyone is lucky to be reciprocated with love and thus end up living their life with some sweet memories in their possession. Nevertheless, sacrifice ultimately ends up becoming the second definition of love in regards to certain uncontrollable circumstances. Likewise, prioritizing the happiness of your beloved over your selfish desires speaks volumes of the extent of true love. I never thought I would learn so much about the multiple expressions of love after watching "Hanover Street." Although it is a classic Hollywood romance and love triangle, we sometimes just need to get totally lost watching the golden classics to recall that love should not always be flamboyantly expressed. Instead, it could take the form of silent love!
