Interpersonal Written Assignment - Essay Example

20.12 ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a passionate film that was written by Rob Reiner in the 90’s. It came out as a famous romantic film that was and continues to be loved by many. The film gave the first impression of a romantic comedy full of adult romantic comedy, the reason why it is rated under-17. Mark Knapp development model breaks down the rise and fall of relationship into ten stages, which are contained in two phases of ‘coming together’ and ‘coming apart’ (204). These stages as outlined below explain the theme of intimate relationship as portrayed in the film ‘When Harry Met Sally’’: Initiating is a stage in which the two characters make their first contact in a drive from Chicago University to New York.

This stage is restricted to conversation openers, in both initial contacts and in contact with acquaintances (205). In the film, the two characters combine the first step with the second, experimenting. In this stage, we find that the conversation between Sally and Harry is slowly developing as the two gets acquainted to one another. By now, the two knows where the other is headed to and the profession they want to pursue in their new places. Here, we find Harry trying to make a romantic move on Sally who turns him down, and they settle for a platonic friendship.

The two characters are fond of mixing these steps as is seen in the way Harry uses gestures to intensify his urge to have Sally as a romantic partner. The two characters part ways on reaching their destination, to mark the termination of their first encounter. The second meeting occurs in an airport 5 years later, and both are engaged. They seem to revisit the first stages before terminating again. This termination stage seems a common phenomenon in their romantic lives. They meet again in the late 80‘s having terminated their relationships, a move which see them through stage of bonding.

Here, we find the two making gestures to show the public of their affection. In one part of the film, we find the two exchanging romantic gestures in a dance club, even kissing in public. The public display and declaration of love for each other in the club marks a critical moment for the two love birds. They end up getting intimate, a revisit of integrating stage. However, the intimacy sees them into the circumscribing and stagnation, where they behave to each other with no much stronger feeling.

The two partners behave towards each other with no much strong feeling like it was the case there before. They end up through the avoidance stage and termination stages. Self disclosure is the process of deliberately revealing information about a character that is important, and would not normally be known by others (215). In the play Harry Met Sally, self disclosure led to the development of their relationship in a number of ways. In the first two initial stages of Knapp Model, through self disclosure, Harry is able to appeal to Sally as a caring man.

Later in the latter stages of the script Harry and Sally develop a close bond after they disclosed to each other of their return to singlehood. This was after they had parted with their partners due to what is perceived as the death of feelings with their married partners. In one of the scenes, viewers are treated to a rare show when Sally makes self disclosure about her feelings towards Harry through a fake orgasm. The film When Harry Met Sally established itself as the greatest romantic comedies in the history of film making.

It has continued to tickle the ribs of many a lover of romantic comedies. More, the deterioration of a relationship from the initial stages of initiating, experimenting and intensifying, to the very last of avoidance, stagnation and termination is inevitable in any given relationship. The only way out to determine the fate of the relationship depends on the quality of communication between the partners.