The problem as I see it

I respectfully disagree.

I can see how the film's recurring line about the true measure of love can mislead about Heindrich's character, he, unlike other Pandora's admirers, didn't do anything special to earn her love... on the surface.

Both Stephen and Montalvo accomplished fearless stunts (racing and bullfighting) or sacrificed things of great value ... although Stephen took the car back and Montalvo was more blinded by his ego and only wanted Pandora because he thought only a man of his stature would deserve her. More than Pandora, he loved himself.

It's all different with Heindrich.

He's a man condemned to sail the seas for eternity, to find a woman who'd accept to die for him, so he can finally be relieved from his curse. How could he 'make efforts' to make a woman accept to die for him? His curse was unbearable but the remedy was even worse because it implied the death of an innocent.

Heindrich loved Pandora with the most genuine and disinterested love, he loved her enough to sacrifice the most precious thing he could ever have: that very love. Remember the declaration scene, when she finally opens her heart, he rejects her pretending he doesn't want to stab Stephen on the back, he knows which buttons to push to make her hate him. But you can tell he's devastated and doesn't believe one word he says. He only lies to preserve Pandora's life.

Remember "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is about "a man unable to die who falls in love with a woman unable to love". When they meet, Heindrich realizes he can finally 'die' if he's willing to accept her love, and she realizes she can finally 'love', because she feels some strange attraction toward him, a mysterious attraction as if she knew they were meant to be together, it's as mysterious as the Flying Dutchman's curse, one borrowed from Germanic and the other from Greek mythology.

Stephen and Montalvo were willing to make sacrifice in order to win Pandora's love, they were sportsmen and she represented the ultimate trophy, but Heindrich was about to sacrifice that very love, which is more than any other admirer was about to lose.

And this is why I believe it's one of the most romantic films ever.

"Darth Vader is scary and I The Godfather"