Gabriel Byrne's Most Romantic Role?

Gabriel Byrne is very well known indeed for being able to play men who are not, it has to be said, very happy in love. He bring such a staggering degree of pathos and reality to his roles sometimes that some people find it hard to finish watching films like "The Man In The Iron Mask" or "Buffalo Girls", because afterwards they are apt to wander around the house sobbing and re-eyed for about three days straight, afterwards.

Not good.

So tell me readers, which is YOUR favourite Romantic Role for Gabriel Byrne..?

Uther Pendragon? The man who gave up EVERYTHING for the sake of one mad moment of passion which so overtook him, that he even managed to impregnate a woman through a suit of solid armour? Oh yes. A very typical role for someone of Gabriel's powers.

 

Paul Weston? OK, maybe not the most successful lover in the history of the world, falling for ALL THE WRONG WOMEN but oboy .. was he sexy sometimes. WAS HE. 

Jack Kelly in "Frankie Starlight"? I'm not so sure. But you tell me.

What about the NAUGHTY NAUGHTY but o-so handsome and (in the and) pretty decent Colin Mackey?

Who could forget Prof. Friedrich Bhaer. Almost every woman I know who saw this as a teenager fell madly in love with Gabriel Byrne at this time. Not least of all, Winona Ryder. 

Oh, don't get me started on Siesta! A truly dreadful film, but one which had enormous consequences for both it's stars ..

Dead Man? 10 minutes or less of heart-felt sadness, followed by murder and mayhem in a frontier town? Were there ever a sexier 10 minutes of black-and white film?

Stigmata. Again, Gabriel Byrne's well-meaning character falls for Totally The Wrong Woman, with heart-rending results. 

I cannot watch the end of this film for the reasons stated previously. Wrong woman! Again! Ding!

Nope, cannot watch this one either. Teddy Blue just slays me. And don't try and tell me that  Melanie Griffith wasn't utterly in love with Gabriel Byrne, because she WAS and that's a fact. Antonio Banderas? Who? Pah!

A very early film role for Gabriel and one that really gave him something to get his emotional teeth into. This film had it all, and as Saul in "A Soldier's Tale" Gabriel rose to the task with enormous maturity. And incredible nudity. 

Here's another surprise contender: Bolek in Polish Wedding. He'a s wronged husband this time, but he manages to forgive his wayward wife and bring his family back on track somehow. As well as looking just STUPIDLY hot dressed as a baker. 

No surprises here! Smilla's Sense of Snow, playing The Mechanic, with Julia Ormond climbing the guy's tree every ten minutes. He risks life and limb to follow her on her mad-cap quest into the Arctic. I wonder what happened after the ending ..?

I don't pretend for one moment that this represents an exhaustive list, but maybe it will jog your memory a little.