Written as part of the blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Join us by picking three movies that fit the week's theme - it's fun and easy!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Movies with devastating crushing endings that make you want to weep, huh? Well... I've already used
Dancer In The Dark and
Imitation of Life in other weeks... And to be honest, most movies with devastating crushing endings just make me feel depressed and/or angry, and most movies that make me want to weep do so from something that may be sad, but is also beautiful in a way. This topic calls for something beyond both of those. It took some digging and soul-searching, but I found three films that will give you the ugliest of ugly cry-faces:
West Side Story (Robert Wise, 1961) In my opinion, the best screen version of
Shakespeare's immortal
Romeo & Juliet. And it's even more devastating than its original source material, in part because it allows Juliet (in this case, Natalie Wood's Maria) to live. Watching Maria take her anger out on those who allowed the tragedy to happen, only to crumple to her knees in tears after she is unable to pull the trigger proves far more devastating than Shakespeare's original double-suicide ending. Add in the underscore, a mournful reprise of Tony and Maria's love theme (which was, let's be honest, already a pretty sad song), and it's definitely a recipe for weeping.
La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954) I love many things about
La Strada, beginning with my beloved Giulietta Masina's great performance as the simple Gelsomina, a young woman who gets sold to a brutish strongman as replacement for her sister (who died while working for him). He teaches her to play instruments and clown a little to help him make money. Eventually she meets another street performer, a clown and high-wire artist, and a love triangle emerges. Anthony Quinn's primal wail by the water after learning the fate of his beloved Gelsomina is as heart-wrenching a sound as was ever put on film.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Th. Dreyer, 1928) There are great films, and then there is Carl Th. Dreyer's
The Passion of Joan of Arc. There are great performances, and then there is Falconetti in
The Passion of Joan of Arc. There are films with devastating, crushing endings that make you want to weep, and then there is
The Passion of Joan of Arc. Do yourself a favor and watch it with noise-cancelling headphones on. There isn't a more stunning silent experience in cinema.
The only one of these I've seen is West Side Story, and I didn't care for it. The Passion of Joan of Arc is one I'd like to see eventually. You have me more intrigued now
ReplyDeleteCouldn't get past the dancing gangs of West Side, huh? I love it - definitely one of the greatest movie musicals ever made - but I can see where it's a bit much for some people.
DeletePassion of Joan of Arc is just incredible. See it even if it is in crappy quality on an iPhone screen. It's so powerful that it will still work.
La Strada is high on my list to see films. West Side Story is quite good and the ending is excellent but I always snicker at the beginning when the rough and tumble gangs start dancing. I finally saw The passion of Joan of Arc in a church last year. It was done through our university here and the George Eastman house along with Chorus Niagara. To say it was an experience is an understatement. It is pure cinema at its finest!
ReplyDeleteHoly wow but that sounds like quite the incredible way to see Joan. I can only imagine what an experience that must have been!
DeleteYeah, the dancing gangs of West Side Story are kinda ridiculous, but the movie as a whole works once you accept the stylized nature of it.
La Strada completely floored me. I was not expecting it at all. Wonderful, beautiful film.
Wonderful picks and great for the theme as well. I completely agree with your statement that devastating films leave you with a hollow feeling but aren't cathartic the way a more sorrowful picture can be where they alleviate some emotion within and even if you're watching the end through tears in a weird way you feel better. For me those are the kinds of films I'd re-watch again and again whereas something that makes me feel like a defeated husk is a one and done, wished I'd never watched in the first place kind of experience.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite of your three is West Side Story, ya the dancing gangs are something you have to be good with but the music, the story and Rita Moreno!! make up for the absence of a certain reality. Natalie is all wrong for Maria but I still love her in the film, Richard Beymer, well he's very beautiful but...
La Strada is beautifully done, even Quinn who I'm not much of a fan of is excellent but a shadow of Masina. Just saw Passion of Joan of Arc last month, it was quite the experience.
I thought of Imitation of Life too but since it figured heavily a previous week I looked elsewhere but my love of it remains and I think its everything the theme is meant to represent.
My picks all, at least to me, fall on the side of sad but with an underlying beauty side.
It's My Party (1996)-Eric Roberts, in the best performance of his career, plays Nick Stark a man with AIDS who chooses to end his life when told by his doctor that he is entering the final stages of PML which will reduce him to a vegetative state prior to death. Before doing so though he throws one last big party to say goodbye to all his friends and family. Randal Kleiser, director of Grease, based this on personal experience and called on many industry friends to work for scale. The film is loaded with a star filled cast including Olivia Newton-John, Margaret Cho, Marlee Matlin, Lee Grant (wonderful as Roberts’ mother) and a host of others. Laced throughout with gallows humor this will still punch you in the gut by its conclusion.
Running on Empty (1988)-In their youth protesting American involvement in the Vietnam War Arthur and Annie Pope (Judd Hirsch & Christine Lahti) bomb a napalm plant resulting in the blinding of a man who was there by mistake. They’ve been on the run ever since along with their two children. It's now sixteen years later and the musically gifted older son Danny (River Phoenix) longs to quit running and pursue his own dreams but his leaving will tear the family apart and he may never see them again. Can the family spare him and can he handle the loss if he decides to go? The film doesn't go for easy answers leading to an emotional workout. Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar and Lahti should have been.
Dark Victory (1939)-Bette Davis plays Judith Traherne a headstrong somewhat reckless 24 year old heiress who lives life on her own terms until she starts suffering from crippling headaches. It's discovered she has a brain tumor and she has what appears to be successful surgery. During her recovery she falls for her handsome doctor and they plan a life together only for her to stumble across the fact that her prognosis is negative and she only has a short time to live. How she copes with that information fuels the rest of the movie. Beautifully acted with a poignant deeply moving final act.
Honorable Mention-All Mine to Give (1957)-A young Scot couple (Glynis Johns & Cameron Mitchell) face many hardships as well as joys as they build a life in the logging town of Eureka, Wisconsin during the 1850’s, having six children along the way. When the family is hit by a succession of tragedies the mother extracts a promise from oldest son Robbie to secure the futures of his siblings. As Christmas approaches he sets out to fulfill her wish. The audience weeps. Based on a true story the British release title of this picture was “The Day They Gave Babies Away”.
RITA. FUCKING. MORENO. That is all.
DeleteI'm with you on not really being a fan of Quinn but I was totally blown away by him in that final scene of La Strada.
Dark Victory is a wonderful choice - almost picked it myself (and contemplated that other great Bette weepie, Now, Voyager). I REALLY need to see It's My Party. I love Eric Roberts. Also need to see Running On Empty, if only for Lahti, who is great in everything.
I ADORE Glynis Johns and wow both of those titles just guarantee a tear jerker, don't they? Yet another title from you that I've never heard of that I MUST seek out! THANK YOU!
Oh golly I'm crazy for Now, Voyager but I've always seen the ending as hopeful rather then teary. Even at its sudsiest Bette cuts through it with her resolute strength and if she doesn't Gladys Cooper is busy entertaining us by being one of the greatest bitches of all time!
DeleteI would LOVE to hear what you think of all three of these films. Completely agree that Christine Lahti is great in everything, Hollywood really flubbed handling her. She should be one of the greats. This is my favorite performance of hers, if I had my way she's have an Oscar for it. When you watch brace yourself for the restaurant scene, you'll be totally undone when it's over.
I used to love West Side Story but the ending is just so sad. I haven't seen the other two but I know of them, so many sad endings
ReplyDeleteI'm always devastated by the ending of West Side Story, no matter how many times I've seen it.
DeleteI've only see West Side Story. I remember liking it, but it's been thirty years since I've watched it. Time for a rewatch. Been wanting to see the others for quite a while. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteDEFINITELY time for a rewatch of West Side Story. It's only one of the greatest films ever made. Definitely see the other two whenever you can.
DeleteI'm so lost at classic movies. I've never seen any of this; I think I need to start seeing classic movies in no time :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes. You MUST start watching classic movies. RIGHT. NOW. :)
DeleteHELL
ReplyDeleteYES
to all three of these! OMG! Perfect choices.
THANKS! :-D
DeleteOk i there's been some focus on the weeping part, but really I was going more for the devastating part with the theme. Now I realise I should names it soul crushing endings. Anyway you don't have to weep literally, you can weep figuratively for humanity or whatever. Now the only one I've seen is West Side Story. The first time I saw it I couldn't get pass the dancing and singing and switched off. I gave it another try, because I always try to, and I really enjoyed it. It has something more to say than just warring families and puppy love.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen West Side Story in years. Really need to re-watch. My silent film journey is at the earliest of stages, but I'm about to do a Blind Spot on Birth of a Nation. It just has to be done. I think I'll do Passion of Joan of Arc as my next one. I also have La Strada on my Blind Spot list this year.
ReplyDeleteLa Strada totally sneaks up on you. For maximum impact, try to forget that I included it in this list when you watch it lol.
DeleteYes definitely watch The Passion of Joan of Arc as soon as possible. It's a MUST. One of the greatest films ever made. Dreyer's final cut was actually lost for decades until they found a print in a mental institution in Oslo.