Is there any other genre as alchemically enmeshed with the very nature of cinema as romance films? With all due respect to all the great movies that set out to make us laugh, scare us witless, rile us up with action, or torture us with suspense, there's just something about the raw purity of storytelling predicated on the ups and downs of love — some radical, elemental centering of relationships as the core of the medium — that seems to bring out the best in filmmakers and actors. On this list, you will find a ranking of some of the best romance movies of all time, with "romance movies" being defined as those in which the romance is a central and primary driving force, whether whimsical or tragic, realistic or idealized, crowd-pleasing or brashly experimental. To help narrow it down, we've not included any romantic comedies in this ranking except for one where, while funny, puts more emphasis on the romance and drama than most that would otherwise deserve to be on this list. Here's hoping you find plenty here to fall in love with our list of the best romance movies of all time.