While both are romantic/touching, sacrificing/risking your life for more than one person seems....I don't know....better?? No, that word doesn't work.... :/

Both are very romantic! It was actually a VERY HARD choice but ultimately I went with this one. With the other one there is a chance that the guy will come out alive but with this one it's pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to do this and live. He willingly gave his own life without any thought of himself, so that his true love would be free and live a long happy life.

I definitely think this is the more romantic choice! There was a lot more at stake, and yet Phillip bravely charged forward anyway.

This scene is the best in the whole movie.

A lot of people in the past have argued that it would have been smarter for Eugene to let Rapunzel heal him and THEN cut off her hair. The fact that he didn't shows just how romantic this scene truly is. In cutting off Rapunzel's hair, he's signing his death warrant. There's no going back after this point, no chance (as far as he knows) that he'll be able to come out of this alive. And for Eugene that's alright, because at least Rapunzel will be alive. No not just free, alive. Look at the discussion they have when Rapunzel tries to save him:

Flynn Rider: I can't let you do this.
Rapunzel: [Tearfully] And I can't let you die.
Flynn Rider: But if you do this-
Rapunzel: Shh, shh, shh.
Flynn Rider: -then you will die.

For Eugene, Rapunzel going back to Gothel is akin to her dying. Because like Rapunzel said, she'll never talk back, never fight, and her spirit will essentially be broken. Going with Gothel will be the death of Rapunzel the person, and for Eugene, that's the only thing he truly cares about. As a result, exchanging his life for hers is a no brainer, because to him, he's not sacrificing his life for her freedom. He's sacrificing his life for hers.

With that, I don't think the two cases above are even comparable. Sure Philip goes after Maleficent to save Aurora, but he also get's to play the hero, and there's a fair amount of hubris involved. What Eugene does is the most selfless thing anyone can do, the exchange of one life for another, and purely the most romantic thing as well.

^ I don't see how hubris is involved with Phillip. Most people think of hubris as arrogance (thanks to high school English classes), but it actually refers to tragic insult -- i.e. seriously wronging a person with no mind for the consequences. But I suppose I only know that because I'm a Classics major. :/

That being said, I don't even see how he could have been motivated by arrogance. He was rescuing the girl he loved, despite the serious risks of going after her!

I'm not going to say that Eugene cutting Rapunzel's hair isn't romantic. It's just that I've never liked stories where one person directly sacrifices himself/herself for another. He wanted Rapunzel to have a happy life, but could she really have done that knowing that he gave up his for hers? And if you're going with the interpretation of ~true love~, would she ever have moved on? The grieving process is a beast, especially when someone feels responsible for another's death.

^ True, but isn't it better to save someone you love, even if there's a risk of them feeling guilty. In the end, they're still alive. And I doubt Rapunzel is the type of person who would let personal tragedy affect he for her entire life. She is a very strong person mentally, and I like to think that she would be strong enough to honor Eugene's sacrifice and make it her duty to live her life the best she could.

And perhaps hubris isn't the right word. I was just trying to summarize the frame of mind he must have been in while going after Maleficent. He really didn't hesitate at all, and to go after a dragon without any hesitation must mean you're pretty confident that you can do it. So realistically, as much as there was to loose objectively, I don't get the impression that Philip realized that he could loose. There wasn't a pep talk or anything, he just went in all gung-ho. And I personally interpret that self-confidence as arrogance.

Also, I don't know if that is the correct definition of hubris. It did refer to tragic insult, but it was a tragic insult to the gods, beings you couldn't really wrong in a way that would necessarily harm them. It was more the fact that you felt your opinion was more important than the gods, and this arrogance would generally lead to folly.

^ Not necessarily. In ancient Athens, for example, committing acts of hubris, or extreme insult, against other people could even be punished by death, according to the law. (If you're familiar with the Iliad at all, that's what Agamemnon did when he claimed Briseis for himself--he committed an act of hubris against Achilles.) Obviously respecting the gods was important, but hubris was seen as an actual human-to-human problem (or human-to-god, god-to-god, etc). The folly you're referring to is more along the lines of a character's hamartia, as defined by Aristotle.

If we're talking about Sleeping Beauty, the hamartia (and a little bit of hubris) would be Stefan not inviting Maleficent to the party. The hubristic act would be her reaction of cursing little Aurora to die. Phillip bursting in would just be heroic. ;)

^ Huh, I didn't know that. Thanks for the analysis, the more you know. :)

^ No problem! Glad I could be of service. :D