In this blog post, I’ll explore why romantic comedies have endured through the ages by examining Frank Capra’s ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934). I’ll analyze the themes of love and class embedded in the film’s characters and scenes, as well as the relationship between reality and cinema. Through a comparison with ‘Notting Hill’, I’ll also discuss how the nature of love evolves over time.

Why Should We Re-watch Classics?

Frank Capra’s ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934) is a film in the somewhat unfamiliar genre of screwball comedy and is considered a classic that serves as the prototype for today’s romantic comedies. This film also holds the distinction of being the first to win all five major Academy Awards—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay—at a single ceremony.
The word “classic” conveys a great deal of inspiration and meaning to us. As time passes, many things change—including our dreams, ideals, and the values through which we view the world—but there is always something within them that remains unchanged. It is this very element that stays with us under the name “classic,” fostering a sense of trust. It is precisely this belief—the conviction that a work can be loved unchanged even as the years go by—that serves as the reason we must revisit and reinterpret classics, and it is the duty we owe to future generations.
While people may have different reasons for watching movies, a preference for a specific genre likely stems from a certain confidence in the emotions that genre conveys. The psychological tension felt in thrillers or the thrill experienced in action movies are characteristics of those genres that many viewers can share. Even without watching a movie ourselves, we can to some extent anticipate how we might feel based on the conventions of that genre, and we choose movies based on these expectations.
“What Happened One Night” is also a film that can be chosen based on this genre formula. Like other romantic films, the universal emotional resonance conveyed by the theme of love between a man and a woman, along with the happy ending that comes after overcoming misunderstandings and setbacks, is likely why romantic comedies remain so beloved to this day.
Paradoxically, however, this is precisely where the first issue warranting criticism of this film arises. Why do people continually seek out romantic comedies, even though they typically feature conventional plot developments and endings? This is a separate issue from the uniqueness of the classics mentioned earlier. It likely has to do with expectations regarding the story’s progression and the sense of satisfaction that arises when those expectations are met.
The second issue concerns the relationship between the romantic conclusion depicted in the film and reality. Since movies and reality influence each other, we cannot arrive at an answer based on the perspective of just one side. Therefore, we need to apply the perspective on love presented in the film to reality and examine the correlation between the past, when the film was made, and the present in which we live.
Ultimately, there are two things we must consider: Why do people consistently seek out romantic comedies? And what relationship does the love depicted in the film have with reality? Focusing on these two questions, I will examine the story and characters of ‘What Happened One Night’, as well as the film’s historical significance.

The Narrative Structure and Journey of Love in ‘What Happened One Night’

The film begins with a scene in which the female lead, Ellen, argues with her father. The conflict between a father who opposes his daughter’s marriage and a daughter who runs away from home in search of love is a cliché, yet it is a setting with which viewers can easily empathize. In fact, this film chronicles Ellen’s journey in search of love. Ellen boards a night bus bound for New York to meet her fiancé, King, whom her father opposes. Meanwhile, Peter—the witty and righteous male lead, who works as a newspaper reporter—also ends up on the same bus. From their very first encounter, the two engage in a minor squabble over seating, a scene that is essential to shaping their future relationship.
The film’s narrative structure can be broadly divided into three acts. In Act 1, Ellen, who has left home to escape her father’s opposition, meets Peter, and the two begin their journey with different goals. Peter intends to make money by writing an article about Ellen, while Ellen plans to meet her lover in New York. Although Ellen receives help from Peter, she is initially wary of him, and Peter, in turn, views her as a subject for his story. However, as they spend more time together, the two gradually begin to take an interest in each other.
In Act 2, as their journey truly begins, their feelings for one another begin to change. When a man approaches Ellen on the bus, Peter chases him away by pretending to be her husband; later, forced to stay at a guesthouse due to a downpour, the two spend the night in the same room, separated only by a “Wall of Jericho” made of blankets. The next day, when detectives come looking for Ellen, the two overcome the crisis by putting on a convincing act of a married couple arguing. In this way, the pretense of being a married couple—which began out of necessity—gradually becomes the catalyst for a change in their relationship.
Back on the bus, the two encounter the man who had figured out Ellen’s true identity during their trip. The man approaches Peter and offers to split the reward money, but Peter uses his characteristic wit and eloquence to chase him away. Eventually, the two get off the bus and choose a more arduous journey, spending their second night in a haystack. This night marks a crucial turning point where Ellen comes to trust Peter completely.
The next day, they continue their journey by hitchhiking and pretending to be newlyweds. Although their luggage is stolen at a gas station, Peter resolves the problem and even manages to secure a car. Meanwhile, their affection for each other deepens, and Ellen begins to forget even the original purpose of her journey.
Meanwhile, Ellen’s father publishes an article in the newspaper stating that he has no choice but to consent to her marriage to King in order to get his daughter back. Although Ellen knows this, she hides it from Peter. On their third night at the bed-and-breakfast, Ellen finally confesses her love to Peter, but he is unable to readily accept her feelings. Later, while Ellen is asleep, Peter heads to a newspaper office in New York to raise the money needed for the wedding. However, when Ellen wakes up, she mistakenly believes Peter has abandoned her. After being evicted from the guesthouse, she eventually contacts her father.
Act 3 unfolds as the two, separated by this misunderstanding, choose love once again. Ellen is about to marry King but is unhappy. Peter, too, loves Ellen, and Ellen’s father meets Peter in person, coming to understand his character and sincerity. An opportunity arises for the two to meet again, but the misunderstanding is not easily resolved. Eventually, while on her way to the wedding venue, Ellen receives encouragement from her father and decides to follow her heart. She runs away from the ceremony to choose a new future with Peter, and the film concludes with the walls of Jericho—which stood between them—coming crashing down.
In this way, ‘What Happened One Night’ follows the classic structure of a romantic film: meeting, conflict, reconciliation, and union. However, the film’s appeal lies not in the structure itself, but in how the characters evolve within it and how two people from different worlds build a relationship together.

Love and Harmony Transcending Class During the Great Depression

Fundamentally, ‘It Happened One Night’ draws on narrative archetypes found in romance novels and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. To make the reconciliation at the film’s conclusion all the more dramatic, it was necessary for the two characters’ relationship to begin as a clash from the very start. The process by which the two—who initially clashed at every turn—come to understand and love one another provides the audience with entertainment and satisfaction in and of itself.
Another point to consider is that these genre characteristics are closely tied to the era in which the film was made. The 1930s in the United States were marked by the Great Depression, a time of severe economic hardship and class conflict. Frank Capra’s ‘It Happened One Night’ could not be entirely detached from this historical context. Rather, it seems the director sought to use the film to demonstrate the possibility of harmony between different social classes. Even if class conflicts cannot be completely resolved, the film conveys the hope that genuine relationships can form between people from different social classes.
This is why the encounter between Ellen, the daughter of a wealthy family, and Peter, an ordinary newspaper reporter facing unemployment, is so significant. Although the two come from completely different economic backgrounds and upbringings, they come to understand one another through their journey together. Ultimately, the film’s success wasn’t merely due to its use of a romantic structure that appealed to audiences. It held even greater significance because the love and harmony depicted in the film were closely tied to the historical context of the time.
The characterizations are also linked to the era. Since the 1930s were an extremely difficult time for Americans, moviegoers likely wanted heroic figures who could help them momentarily forget the hardships of reality. Peter is the perfect character to help viewers forget these gloomy circumstances, even if only for a moment. Despite facing the threat of losing his job, he remains calm and humorous at all times, and whenever Ellen finds herself in a crisis, he resolves the situation with his quick wit. At the same time, he never loses his sense of justice or his strong character.
This character is evident in various scenes throughout the film. Prime examples include when he chases away a man who has discovered Ellen’s true identity and is trying to extort money from her, and when he gives the money he has to a poor child and her mother. Even though Peter himself is not well-off, he shows consideration for those who are worse off than he is. His actions on behalf of the vulnerable during those hard times must have provided considerable comfort and strength to the audiences who watched the film back then.
The other characters in the film are also poor but display cheerful and humane qualities. Although their lives are so difficult that they must line up just to take a shower in the morning, they enjoy making jokes and never lose their sense of humor. These scenes not only depict the poverty of the Great Depression era but also reveal the enduring human warmth that persists even amidst such hardship.
In contrast, Ellen, having grown up in a wealthy environment, is somewhat naive and out of touch with the realities of the world. Although she has a self-centered side due to having been doted on since childhood, she possesses a bold personality—enough to defy her father, who opposes her marriage, and set out in search of love. Her journey with Peter gradually transforms her. Peter’s warm yet resilient nature influences Ellen, and as she encounters a world she has never experienced before, she learns new emotions.
This relationship also ties into the sexual tension between men and women—a common feature of screwball comedies. The genre features a strong-willed female protagonist and develops the conflicts that arise as she acts on her own volition into an engaging story. The premise of Ellen leaving home on her own to find love exemplifies this genre characteristic. At the same time, Peter and Ellen’s contrasting personalities create the film’s humor through repeated clashes and reconciliations.
Ultimately, their relationship cannot be explained simply as a romance between a wealthy young woman and a poor man. It is a process in which characters from different social classes and with differing values travel together, come to understand one another, and form a genuine bond. It is precisely at this point that the personal narrative of romance intersects with the social realities of the time.

The Walls of Jericho and the Implications of Love in the Couple’s Acting

One of the most striking devices in ‘What Happened One Night’ is the “Walls of Jericho.” The two experience a shift in their emotions as they unintentionally spend the night together. When a downpour stops the bus and Ellen runs out of money, she has no choice but to rely on Peter. Eventually, the two spend the night in the same room at a bed-and-breakfast, where Peter hangs a blanket between the beds to create a wall for Ellen.
The “Walls of Jericho” made of blankets serve as both a physical barrier between the two and a symbol of their psychological distance. However, this wall is not made of solid bricks or stone but of blankets that can be removed at any time. Therefore, it carries a dual meaning: while it serves as a barrier blocking their relationship, it can also be torn down at any time. This is a direct hint that their feelings for each other could change, and that they might eventually fall in love.
The walls of Jericho reappear in a scene toward the end of the film, when the two spend another night at the guesthouse. At this moment, Ellen confesses her love to Peter, who is on the other side of the wall. The wall, which was originally built to keep them apart, has now become the very object through which she must reveal her feelings. At the end of the film, the wall collapses, signifying that their love has come to fruition. This is why the walls of Jericho can be considered one of the most important motifs running throughout the entire film.
Another significant implication is that the two repeatedly pretend to be a married couple. Whenever they face a crisis, Peter and Ellen become each other’s husband and wife. Peter chases away a man who approaches Ellen on the bus by pretending to be her husband, and they overcome a crisis by staging a convincing marital argument in front of the detectives sent by Ellen’s father. This premise develops further as the film progresses, eventually leading to the establishment of the premise that they are a newlywed couple on vacation.
Although it begins as a lie to avoid danger, as time passes, the two start to act as naturally as a real newlywed couple. In particular, after spending their second night in the haystack, a newfound intimacy is evident in the way they treat each other. Eventually, the two become a real couple, and the film transforms the act of playing a married couple—repeated since the beginning—into a genuine relationship.
This plot device is intriguing because it gradually hints at the ending the audience has anticipated from the very beginning. While viewers expect the two to fall in love eventually, they also enjoy the events and emotional shifts that occur along the way. And when the two finally come together, the audience feels a sense of reward and satisfaction for the expectations they’ve held all along.
Misunderstandings also play a crucial role in resolving the conflict. In screwball comedies and romantic comedies, misunderstandings are an indispensable plot device. The scene where Peter and Ellen spend their second night in the haystack is the decisive turning point that leads Ellen to trust Peter completely, and it was because of this trust that Ellen was able to confess her feelings to Peter on the third night.
However, Peter cannot readily accept her confession. This is because his initial purpose in accompanying Ellen was to earn money by writing an article about her. Of course, Peter’s feelings had changed during their journey, but he still faced practical problems he needed to resolve before choosing love. Peter, too, found himself in a situation where he had to abandon his original purpose and choose a new life.
Ultimately, Peter heads to a New York newspaper office to raise the money needed to marry Ellen. However, while he is briefly away, Ellen mistakenly believes that Peter has abandoned her. After being evicted from their lodgings, Ellen returns to her father, and a rift forms between them once again. It is a paradoxical situation in which Peter’s actions to secure their love actually lead to his separation from the one he loves.
Even afterward, the misunderstanding does not easily resolve. A bill Peter sends to Ellen’s father sparks yet another misunderstanding on Ellen’s part. This emotional misalignment is also why the two, even when given the chance to meet again, cannot immediately reconcile. However, in a romantic comedy, misunderstandings and conflicts serve as a necessary stepping stone toward the grand reconciliation at the end. The audience watches the unfolding events, expecting the two to eventually reunite.
The character who plays a decisive role in resolving this conflict is Ellen’s father. Early in the film, he opposes his daughter’s marriage to King. However, in order to win Ellen back, he is forced to give his consent. Although the father knows that marrying King is not the right choice for his daughter, he cannot completely dissuade her.
Later, after meeting Peter in person, the father comes to understand his character and his genuine feelings for Ellen. He then realizes that Ellen, on her way to the wedding, still loves Peter, and encourages her to follow her heart. The father, who initially stood in the way of their relationship, ultimately plays the role of bringing the two back together.
This ending exemplifies the sense of harmony that screwball comedies strive to achieve. Conflicts between the sexes and class differences are resolved as if by magic through love, culminating in an ideal scenario where people from different worlds come together to form a single community. While this is difficult to achieve in reality, the film offers the audience comfort and satisfaction through this romantic resolution.

Why Do We Constantly Dream of Romance?

Why do we dream of romance? It is natural for anyone to hope to love and be happy, just like the protagonists in movies. And the reason we watch romantic films is likely due to these expectations and the satisfaction we feel when they are fulfilled.
Choosing to watch a genre film implies that we already have certain expectations for that genre. In particular, a narrative structure involving a meeting, a breakup, and a reunion is a quintessential feature of romantic films. When former lovers reunite, a dramatic event always occurs; the misunderstandings and conflicts that have built up over time are resolved, and the story either marks the beginning of a new love or promises eternal love.
In romantic comedies, the resolution of conflict is akin to a promise made between the audience and the film. We watch the movie anticipating a happy ending to some extent, and we feel satisfied the moment that promise is kept. Even though we know the ending, we still want to watch the journey leading up to it all over again. Ultimately, the reason romantic comedies remain consistently popular is that they fulfill the expectations the genre creates.
Of course, a predetermined ending alone cannot explain everything. Audiences who watch romantic comedies are always dreaming of romantic love and try to identify with the protagonists. By connecting the conflicts, misunderstandings, and romantic feelings experienced by the characters to their own lives, they indirectly experience the ideal love that is hard to achieve in reality.
“What Happened One Night” faithfully embodies these genre characteristics while exploring the abstract theme of love through the concrete motif of marriage. However, what’s important here is that the film does not necessarily present marriage as the culmination of love. Rather, it ironically demonstrates that there is something more important than the institution of marriage itself.
The scene where Ellen runs away from the wedding venue is a prime example. In reality, marriage is viewed as a crucial institution and symbol that completes the love between two people. However, in the film, Ellen rejects the social ritual of the wedding and chooses the person she truly loves. This demonstrates that her own feelings and genuine harmony with her partner are more important than the formality of marriage.
The scene at the end of the film, where the walls of Jericho come crashing down, carries the same meaning. The moment their love is fulfilled is portrayed not by a lavish wedding, but by the disappearance of the walls that had been standing between them. Ultimately, the film presents a primal yet romantic solution: love is not fulfilled by class differences or material conditions, but through the harmony that arises when two people understand and accept one another.
While the film and reality present such different perspectives, they constantly influence one another. Just as marriage holds significant meaning in reality, it appears as an important symbol in the film as well; however, the film subverts its institutional meaning to reveal another possibility for love. At the moment when reality and the fantasy of the film diverge, audiences experience a peculiar sense of pleasure and emotion.
While love in reality is deeply intertwined with the institution of marriage, films do not necessarily tell stories of love solely through that lens. Rather, by depicting love free from the constraints of reality, they satisfy the romantic desires people harbor in their hearts. This fantasy is likely one of the reasons people continue to seek out romantic comedies.

Changes in Romance Over Time: A Comparison with ‘Notting Hill’

The fact that ‘What Happened One Night’ remains a classic of the romantic comedy genre is evident even when compared to the countless films produced since. Among these, ‘Notting Hill’ (1999) is a particularly interesting film for examining which aspects of the romantic comedy genre have been preserved and which have changed as times have evolved.
‘Something Happened One Night’ depicts the pure love between a wealthy heiress who runs away from home to defy her father’s opposition to her marriage and an ordinary newspaper reporter. In contrast, ‘Notting Hill’ tells the story of an unlikely romance between an ordinary, somewhat shy man who runs a small travel bookstore in London and a world-famous actress.
The two films are quite similar, starting with their character setups. In ‘What Happened One Night’, the daughter of a wealthy family and a financially struggling newspaper reporter fall in love, while in ‘Notting Hill’, a world-famous actress and the owner of a small bookstore fall in love. Both works share the common theme of a man and a woman from different social classes and backgrounds overcoming those differences through love.
This premise demonstrates how love that transcends differences in class or status continues to entertain and move audiences, both past and present. Furthermore, in both films, the female characters are the objects of the male characters’ efforts to win their love. While the term “desire” might sound somewhat negative here, it is a valid interpretation given that both films deal with a series of events aimed at winning love and the conflicts that arise in the process.
Ultimately, what the characters in both films need most is not money, fame, or social status, but love. By the end of the story, both characters realize what truly matters to them and choose love. While it’s worth considering whether the fulfillment of love must necessarily be marriage, there is certainly an interesting difference in the way the two films imply a happy future.
‘What Happened One Night’ wittily portrays the fruition of love through the collapse of the wall—specifically, the walls of Jericho—that had separated the two characters. In contrast, ‘Notting Hill’ concludes with the couple sitting together on a park bench, enjoying a leisurely afternoon. While the former emphasizes the moment when the barriers between them disappear, the latter showcases the happiness of being together in ordinary daily life.
So, are these two films simply repeating similar stories? Clearly not. Just as films reflect life, they inevitably capture the spirit of the era in which they were made, whether intentionally or not. Consequently, the portrayal of love and the characteristics of the characters in these two films also reveal differences rooted in their respective eras.
‘It Happened One Night’ is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, one of the most difficult economic periods in American history. We can glimpse the realities of that time through the poor people the protagonists encounter during their travels. However, the film does not stop at merely depicting such hardships. Rather, it helps us discover the warm humanity hidden within them. Scenes such as Peter giving his remaining money to a poor mother and child, or people lining up to take a shower, show that even in the midst of poverty, people do not lose their human warmth and sense of humor.
In contrast, ‘Notting Hill’ is set against the backdrop of a modern society that has become economically more affluent. Of course, William Thacker’s bookstore is not particularly prosperous, but the conflicts the film primarily addresses are not matters of survival but rather the emotions and relationships between a man and a woman. The story centers on the process by which the two confirm their feelings for each other yet struggle to draw closer—the so-called “push-and-pull” dynamic.
Another interesting difference is that in ‘Notting Hill’, the female character is relatively more proactive. While this could simply be seen as a difference in characterization, it can also be interpreted as reflecting the more liberal attitudes toward romance in modern times. As times have changed, so too have the ways men and women express love and approach relationships.
This difference becomes even more apparent when comparing the male leads of the two films. Peter in ‘What Happened One Night’ isn’t particularly tall, but he has a rugged face and a striking presence. His easygoing and humorous demeanor is underpinned by a sense of seriousness, and he is always brimming with confidence. Although he works as a newspaper reporter, he is on the verge of being fired and is not financially well-off. Nevertheless, he is optimistic, considerate of others, and has a strong sense of justice.
Peter’s character is clearly evident in the way he handles crises. He fools the detectives who come looking for Ellen with a convincing performance as a married couple, and he drives away a man who suggests splitting the reward money with his journalist’s eloquent rhetoric. Of course, he does show that he’s not as skilled at hitchhiking as Ellen, but overall, he is proactive and adept at solving problems. In that he never loses his composure or sense of humor even in difficult circumstances, Peter can be seen as the strong male figure that audiences during the Great Depression would have wanted to see.
In contrast, William Thacker from ‘Notting Hill’ is a tall man with a lean physique and a gentle, mild-mannered demeanor. The aura he exudes—with his naturally flowing hair and slightly drooping eyes—is also quite different from Peter’s. He runs a small bookstore specializing in travel books, but his financial situation is precarious, and his personality isn’t as assertive as Peter’s when it comes to standing his ground.
William is kind, calm, polite, and caring toward those around him. He is also not one to lose his temper easily. Even when he catches a thief stealing books from his store, he tries to resolve the issue by gently reasoning with the person. After breaking up with Anna, he seeks help from his friends rather than trying to solve every problem on his own. While Peter relies on his wit and resilience to solve problems in moments of crisis, William is a character who overcomes difficulties through gentleness, consideration, and his relationships with those around him.
Viewed this way, Peter embodies the image of a strong yet humorous man needed during the Great Depression, while William represents the gentle and sensitive man who was beloved in the latter half of the 20th century. Although both are ordinary men who are not financially well-off, there are differences in the personalities and behaviors that appeal to audiences depending on the era.
The female leads, Ellen and Anna Scott, also share both similarities and differences. Ellen is a petite, cute-looking woman with a round face and large eyes. As the daughter of a wealthy family, she was set to marry a man named King before meeting Peter. Ellen is bold and assertive, but having grown up showered with love since childhood, she also comes across as somewhat cocky and naive about the ways of the world. However, she gradually changes after meeting Peter, revealing an endearing charm and lovability throughout the process.
In contrast, Anna Scott from ‘Notting Hill’ is a world-renowned actress with a tall, slender figure, a striking face, and a beautiful smile. She is so famous that she commands a massive salary for a single film role, and due to the nature of her profession, she has formed relationships with a wide variety of people. She also has a famous Hollywood actor as her boyfriend.
As a famous actress, Anna is meticulous about self-care and has an assertive personality that allows her to clearly express her opinions even in unreasonable situations. Her witty and confident demeanor reveals similarities to Ellen. However, while Ellen possesses the endearing qualities of a carefree rich girl, Anna is a character who displays a down-to-earth side even amidst her goddess-like glamour.
Both women share the commonality of occupying a higher economic and social status than their male leads and transcending the boundaries of their respective worlds through love. However, while Ellen is a character who learns about the world and love through her journey with Peter, Anna is a character who, despite already enjoying many privileges, seeks the ordinary love she truly needs.
In this way, ‘What Happened One Night’ and ‘Notting Hill’ share a similar narrative structure while depicting love and human relationships in different eras. One emphasizes the harmony between people of different social classes through love during a time of economic hardship, while the other shows the search for ordinary happiness beyond fame and social status in an affluent modern society.
Although the characters’ personalities, the nature of their conflicts, and the ways they express love have changed with the times, the fundamental narrative—in which two very different people build a relationship through love—remains as relevant as ever.

Why is ‘What Happened One Night’ still meaningful today?

The success of ‘What Happened One Night’ played a major role in establishing the screwball comedy as a significant film genre. Since then, countless films have utilized similar narrative structures, character setups, and methods of conflict as this film. However, simply repeating that formula did not always guarantee the same impact as ‘What Happened One Night’.
It may not be difficult to introduce male and female protagonists with similar personalities and have them fall in love after experiencing conflict. However, making the process by which the conflict arises and the way it is resolved sufficiently convincing is a separate challenge. Many romantic comedies use similar dramatic devices to create central conflicts, yet struggle to resolve them naturally and logically. This can be seen as both a genre-specific limitation of screwball comedies and a dilemma stemming from repetitive plot devices.
Nevertheless, ‘What Happened One Night’ does not merely follow a predetermined formula. The conflict that begins with the couple’s first meeting naturally evolves throughout their journey, and devices such as the couple’s acting and the walls of Jericho take on significant meaning by the film’s conclusion. Scenes that initially seemed like trivial jokes or actions taken to avoid a crisis ultimately become the very elements that cement the couple’s love.
In particular, this film uses the personal emotion of love to shed light on the class conflicts and practical hardships faced by society at the time. The story of a daughter from a wealthy family falling in love with a poor newspaper reporter goes beyond mere romantic fantasy; it demonstrates the possibility that people from different walks of life can truly understand and harmonize with one another.
Furthermore, the film does not present marriage as the sole fulfillment of love. Ellen’s decision to run away from the wedding venue and choose her true love shows that the essence of love lies not in a formal union, but in the hearts and harmony of the two individuals. The final scene, in which the walls of Jericho crumble, conveys this meaning in the simplest yet most striking way.
This is likely why we keep returning to romantic comedies. Even though audiences already anticipate a happy ending, they find joy in the journey leading up to it and satisfy romantic expectations—ones that are difficult to fulfill in real life—through the love stories of the characters. At the same time, they are able to temporarily escape the problems of their own reality and reflect anew on the possibilities inherent in human relationships.
As we saw when comparing ‘It Happened One Night’ and ‘Notting Hill’, the environment surrounding love and the nature of conflicts change as times change. During the Great Depression, economic hardship and class differences served as key backdrops, whereas in modern romantic comedies, issues stemming from social status, personal emotions, and relationships often take center stage. However, the essence of the story—in which people from different backgrounds overcome conflicts through love and find happiness—has not changed significantly.
That is precisely why we have a clear reason to revisit the screwball comedy genre today. Revisiting a film that was so beloved it came to define an era is not merely about understanding the film itself. It is also about understanding the era in which it was made, the dreams and values of the people who lived through it, and the kind of happiness they sought.
Ultimately, this understanding prompts us to reflect on the present we live in and provides meaningful insights for looking toward the future. We continue to turn to classics because there are things that remain unchanged even as time passes and the world evolves. This is likely the very reason why ‘It Happened One Night’ continues to be beloved even after so many years.