The Director of ‘Purple Hearts’ Says There Was ‘Originally a Love Triangle’ in the Movie
The film Purple Hearts premiered on Netflix on July 29. Purple Hearts stars Sofia Carson as Cassie Salazar and Nicholas Galitzine as Luke Morrow and follows their love story. In an interview with Cherry Picks, Purple Hearts director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum revealed the movie ‘originally’ had ‘a love triangle’ plot.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Purple Hearts.]
There was ‘originally a love triangle’ in ‘Purple Hearts’
In Purple Hearts, Cassie marries Luke, a Marine, for his health insurance benefits because she was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
While the two originally entered a marriage of convenience, Cassie and Luke become closer after Luke is injured overseas.
In a recent interview with Cherry Picks, Rosenbaum revealed that the movie did not always focus solely on Cassie and Luke’s relationship, saying:
“The scenes that I found most difficult to direct, interestingly, were the ones you’ll never see because the movie ended up being a little too long. We’re not entirely sure why, but some of it was because there’s a lot of subtext between the words. There was also originally a love triangle that didn’t end up having the real estate to remain in the story. There were other scenes that I struggled with as well, and I think the reason why is because they didn’t serve the story. Ultimately they didn’t end up in the movie, which is part of filmmaking. In some ways, it’s really sad, but in another capacity, it is sort of like sculpting. You know you’ll find the pieces that need to be on the surface and to tell your story.”
Sofia Carson thinks Cassie and Luke’s story in ‘Purple Hearts’ is ‘unique’
In Purple Hearts, Cassie and Luke’s marriage is made even more challenging because of their conflicting political views.
Carson, one of the movie’s leads, was also interviewed by Cherry Picks. In the interview, Carson delved into what made “Cassie and Luke’s love story” so special.
“Cassie and Luke’s love story takes place in a unique way, as they begin to fall in love after they get married. I fell in love with their story so deeply because they are two people from such different worlds, two separate colors, red and blue, and all they see, at first, are each other’s differences rather than any connections,” Carson said.
She continued, “Yet through the power of love, they start to see each other as human beings and begin to fall in love, coming together in a beautiful shade of purple. It’s such a beautiful love story, metaphor, and message that the world needs now more than ever. I hope that people seeing the film feel moved.”
What Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum wants fans to take away from Luke and Cassie
Speaking with Cherry Picks, Rosenbaum revealed that she “was drawn” to Purple Hearts because of its political messaging.
“Part of the reason I was drawn to the project was that it explores the challenges that the next generation is experiencing with the very high cost of living in general and limited access to healthcare,” the director said.
She continued, “Within our love story, there’s a layer where we explore these social and political issues, and I’m hoping people will feel seen and identified in their own way when they are watching the film.”
Purple Hearts is available to stream on Netflix.
