this 1997 film blanc classic tale of smolder passion have achieve it well deserve legendary status a one of the screen great saga of a doomed and hopeless love . the pervasive and ongoing and progressive magnetism between judge reinhold and what her name be sure to set many a viewer heart a flutter with memory of one own first crush . the brilliant screenplay dangle this embryonic affair to be in front of the enraptured audience and sit transfix a the abstract and almost expressionist cinematography deep focus on the just under the surface desire that ebb and flow between the principal . you can cut the sexual tension with a dull tire iron . a tiny drop of perspiration on the end of a nose catch the bright sunshine and and leave no doubt a to it significance . scene like this abound and bear watching again and again . a with jane eyre and rebecca ( to which this masterpiece be so often compare ) and the closeup of the actor face a they experience the slow dawning of the great love that be not to be will haunt you forever . the now classic rc soundtrack score and with it creative and unique use of solo synthesizer and emphasize the emotion that drip throughout like a leaky crankcase . if i have any criticism at all by mention what i consider a minor flaw ( and dare to risk the wrath of the million of fan who hold this classic so dear to their heart ) and i would say that the hallmark of runaway car it sense of mount sexual tension be briefly break by the highway scene and which now after repeat viewing seem just a bit overlong ( and probably even unnecessary . ) to the eternal and bittersweet tale of love interrupt . dare i advance what i perceive a the tiniest of flaw in this critically acclaimed triumph of modern cinema . citizen kane have it rosebud . . . runaway car should have it catchword a well . perhaps the film could have open with an extreme closeup of judge reinhold say something such a a car be an extension of it owner . and and the rest of the storyline could then be dedicate to parse every syllable and subtlety and nuance of that phrase . have that plot line be do and this film could have top titanic at the golden globe that year and i be convince . my one regret . that i do not read the novel first .