We all know them.
We have all seen them.
We all want them.
The 10 Most Famous Kisses!
# 10: The First Homosexual On Screen Kiss
In 1971, Peter Finch and Murray Head performed the first real homosexual kiss on the big screen. So how did such a scandalous kiss occur? It was more of a coincidence than a fixed scene. In his film, Sunday Bloody Sunday, director John Schlesinger planned to shoot a medium close-up shot of two men in a passionate embrace, when Peter Finch's wife screamed "FIRE". Okay, I guess she didn't really scream "fire" but something more along the lines of "MALE KISS," as she watched in horror her husband kissing his male co-star. In his defence, Peter Finch argued, "I did it for England." And I thought Americans were the greatest patriots?
# 9: Lolita - The Forbidden Underaged Kiss
The plot: a middle-aged college professor becomes infatuated with a 14-year-old nymphet. The movie is based on the internationally acclaimed and controversial novel, Lolita, by the Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov. Since its publication, the book has been adapted into film by Stanley Kubrick in 1962, and again in 1997 by Adrian Lyne. Its ephebophilia-related nature has attracted a lot of attention and although it performed well when premiered, it was not until recently that it had been re-praised by critics (scoring a high 7.8/10 in IMDb and 97% in Rotten Tomatoes). Even though, I personally am a little grossed out by the premises of the film, a male friend helped me decipher its appeal, "I think there is a bit of a prurient rush that some men get with a teenager/older man relationship." Isn't that sweet? Well, despite its distasteful theme, the forbidden underaged kiss has left its mark on the modern audience and deserves its 9th place ranking.
# 8: My God, help me to survive this deadly love
Sometimes referred to as the Fraternal Kiss, this graffiti painting of a kiss is one of the best known Berlin Wall paintings. In 1990, following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Russian painter Dmitri Vrubel depicted Leonid Brezhnev (the General Secretary of the Central Committee of Soviet Communist Party) and Erich Honecker (German communist politician and General Secretary of the German Social Unity Party) in a fraternal embrace. The image was a reproduction of a moment captured during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic in 1979. Regrettably, the painting was destroyed by German authorities in 2009. Nevertheless, even if the Berlin Wall has mostly vanished along with its colossal graffiti, it has left lasting scars on the memories of those trapped behind the wall.
# 7: The First On Screen Kiss
The first on screen kiss dates back to a 1896 film directed by William Hase. The forty-seven second production has been aptly named ‘The Kiss’ and was intended as a recreation of a kiss from the musical The Widow Jones. It took place between the actors John C. Rice and May Irwin. The production was designed to be used for a nickelodeon (a movie theatre with an admission fee of one nickel). When I first saw it, I was convinced that the man with the thick whiskery moustache was trying to lure an unattractive high-cheekboned man dressed in obsolete clothing. However, as it turns out puffed-sleeves and manly features were very desirable back in the day.
# 6: The MTV Madonna&Britney Kiss
The year is 2003 and the MTV Awards are at its culmination. The crowning moment the audience had been waiting for - the elite performance by pop's queen and princesses. Yes, you guessed right - Madonna's remix of 'Like a Virgin' commenced by the bridal themed performance of rivals Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The audience look puzzled at their bold choice of song, as the pop queen is nowhere to be seen. Could they really perform her world renowned song 'Like a Virgin' without her in attendance? Of course not! And surely enough once Madonna steps onto the stage the audience turn ecstatic. Even the VIP guests are swept off their feet in a sign of respect. Madonna, dressed as a groom, positions herself neatly between her two brides and ends her musical number by French kissing Britney and then turning to Christina for a less significant peck. The spectacle caused the audience to hold their breaths in disarray. And despite the ethical issues of this polygamous triangle, the whole act appears more like a parody of the ongoing tabloid speculations of Justin Timberlake's romantic involvement with both Britney and Christina. And so Justin's reaction was well documented by MTV as he watched in horror the scandalous kissing.
# 5: The Breakfast at Tiffany's Kiss
Title: Breakfast at Tiffany's. Year: 1961. Director: Blake Edwards. Writers: Truman Capote (novelist) and George Axelrod (screenplay). Stars: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.
Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard searching for love in the big town but sharing only part of their lives until they find the deep warm moment of truth - an everlasting romance. Theirs’ was a love strong enough to overcome the obstacles of the concrete jungle of New York City. And if it weren't for this epic production, romance as we know it would have had a whole different meaning. The only upsetting image is the crushing of poor "cat" and if animal rights activists were as preeminent then as they are today, the scene would have never made it into the film.
To be continued...
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