Our "Genre" section points out that Spellbound is a mystery and a psychological thriller. But the film is also a romance. Constance and Ballantyne both find themselves by falling in love—he by shaking off his amnesia, she by learning that life is not all cold and cerebral.
It's true that you don't ever really learn what the two of them like about each other; they fall in love immediately and there's not a lot of time for amorous chitchat what with him being mentally ill and them both running from the police. But the film makes up for that with a big, sappy musical score with lots of romantic strings (see our "Music (Score)" section for details). That's a good film rule: if your love affair doesn't quite make sense, add a string section. Works every time.
Questions about Love
- Does love make Constance a better analyst? Explain your answer.
- When exactly do Constance and Ballantyne fall in love? Is this realistic? Why or why not?
- Is the love story the most important aspect of the plot? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Love saves Ballantyne.
Love saves Constance.