The Notebook is a movie described as one of the best romance films of all time. In reality, it’s a horror movie. It’s filled with cheating, manipulative propaganda that’s romanticized to be an amazing love story, with its true meanings hidden behind Ryan Gosling’s attractiveness.
Early on in the movie, there’s a famous scene where Noah threatens to fall from a Ferris wheel if Allie doesn’t go out with him. While this is seen as a romantic gesture, in reality, it’s evidence that Noah’s psychotic. Threatening to seriously hurt yourself over someone, all while she’s on a date, is not romantic; it’s crazy and weird. This was Allie’s first red flag that Noah is not a good man for her and that he’s just a love bomber. But of course, she delusionally ignored this; viewers romanticize this scene, admiring how “romantic” it is. But if you use common sense for one minute, you’ll realize how psychotic this behaviour is. No mentally sane person would threaten to kill themselves if they were rejected. But because Ryan Gosling is conventionally attractive, the reality is covered under this. If Noah wasn’t played by an attractive actor, then nobody would like him and see the reality of his character.
People also constantly ignore the obvious toxicity of their relationship. They’re constantly fighting, and mind you, they’ve only been dating for 3 months out of the summer. Yet they’re already planning their whole life together. This is literally in your face love bombing. The definition of love bombing is “an emotional manipulation tactic where an individual overwhelms a new partner with excessive affection to create rapid dependency and control.” This is to a T what Noah is doing. He quickly emotionally manipulates Allie, as seen literally in the Ferris wheel scene. He gives her excessive affection and escalates their relationship rapidly. A lot of viewers don’t realize their relationship in the beginning only spans around 3 months. To be generous, yes, they spent a lot of time together, but that doesn’t excuse the manipulation and also the overattachment.
While summer comes to an end, Allie realizes how much her parents disapprove of Noah. Believing Noah is beneath her. Allie moves away, ending the summer. This is where I have another problem with this terrible movie: Noah writes Allie 365 letters. Obviously, at first glance, this is a romantic gesture, but it’s so obviously psycho. Allie and Noah dated for 3 months in high school, and statistics show that. 2% of high school relationships actually last long term. I’m not trying to be harsh, but simply give my honesty. This is so clearly toxic and not typical normal person behaviour. From his perspective, he’s begging a girl he dated for ¼ of a year to talk to him for a whole year straight. That’s a poor use of paper. I can appreciate the commitment, but that is so clearly not normal behaviour. This is just one of the many examples throughout this 2-hour movie of toxicity and manipulation.
The most important part of this movie I have the biggest problem with is the reunion of Allie and Noah. The movie fast-forwards a few years, and Allie meets a nice man named Lon at her work, a hospital. (during war times) Lon is attractive, kind, rich, and parent-approved, but most importantly, not a psycho. Allie goes out with him, and they later get engaged. While Noah is still not over Allie, He builds Allie’s dream house, exactly how she imagined it, all while pressuring another lady named Martha. This is seen as a romantic gesture, but this is literally psychotic. How are you still not over your high school sweetheart? Who did you date for 3 months? No sane person does that. Allie sees a newspaper article with Noah’s picture in front of the house. She has the “genius” idea to go and visit him while she has a fiancé. They kiss in the rain, and woohoo, happily ever after. NO! Everyone just completely ignores the fact that Allie is actually cheating on her fiancé, who has all the qualities needed: he’s the perfect man. Allie still decides to cheat on him with Noah. Who I’ve identified with proof as a psychopath. Since when was this seen as a love story? Cheating is absolutely not ok and there’s no exception to this story. Noah and Allie are so not good for each other: a psycho and a cheater. Not what’d you think as the typical elite couple.
The notebook is definitely a terrible “romance” movie. Romanticizing its disgusting behaviors makes an unrealistic view of love in all. Because the behaviours in this movie are not demonstrations of love.