Thursday, March 21, 2013

Top 10 Scenes of People Receiving the Worst News of Their Lives


When I present a list as random as this one, I typically use the introductory paragraph(s) to justify why you might want to read it, and how I came up with the idea in the first place. And the honest truth is, I have no idea where the basis for most of my lists come from. I get an idea and off it goes.

With that in mind, I can’t particularly pin point what caused me to rank 10 movie scenes in which people receive incredibly troubling news. Other than the fact that scenes like these usually lend themselves to gut wrenching acting. I hope you enjoy my picks, and to prove I’m not a heartless bastard who enjoys watching people (fictional or otherwise) suffer, I’m going to post the inverse of this list tomorrow.

For now, revel in the pain, and be sure to tell me some of your most memorable moments of cinematic despair in the comments. The possibilities are endless.

Orson Welles – Citizen Kane (1941)
After Charles Foster Kane’s second wife (you know, the one who attempted suicide because Kane forced her into a singing career) leaves him, old Charlie boy embarks on what may be the best room-trashing scene in movie history. He slowly makes his way around his wife’s room and wrecks everything in sight. Furniture, decorations, expensive gifts, jewelry, clothes – nothing is spared. Nothing except his precious snow globe. Welles said he shot this scene once, and forced himself to “feel it,” physically injuring himself in the process. Whatever the method, it damn well worked. Watch the scene here.

Ingrid Thulin – Winter Light (1963)
What’s worse than hearing your lover describe how repulsive you are? That’s precisely what poor Märta Lundberg (Thulin) endures when her cold lover, Tomas (Gunnar Björnstrand) finally reveals all the reasons he despises her. Everything from her “clumsy hands” to her “timid displays of affection.” He says he tried to push her away calmly in the past, but because she wasn’t smart enough to pick up on it, he was forced to destroy their love for good, “Once and for all I have to escape this junkyard of idiotic trivialities.”

Leave it to Ingmar Bergman to sling something so irreparably sharp. Watch the scene here.

Beatrice Straight – Network (1976)
This is easily one of the most lacerating break-up scenes of all time. After Max Schumacher (William Holden) tells his wife, Louise (Straight) that he’s been having an affair with a much younger woman, and has no intention of ending it, he leaves the ball in Louise’s court, to which she reacts as one might suspect.

“I’M YOUR WIFE, DAMNIT!” she screams. “If you can’t work up a winter passion for me, then the least I require is respect and allegiance!” Now that’s how you take bad news. Want to know how to win an Oscar for just six minutes on screen? Look no further. Watch the scene here.

Meryl Streep – Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Sophie’s Choice isn’t a very good movie, but the scene in which Meryl Streep is forced to make the titular choice is completely fucking devastating. It’s a beyond cruel predicament that, no matter what the helpless Sophie decides, will haunt her for the rest of her life. Will, and did.

You can watch the scene here if you wish, but just be warned. This is heavy shit. 

Vincent Cassel – Irréversible (2002)
Drunkenly stumbling out of a party with his buddy, Cassel’s Marcus notices police officers dispersing a large crowd nearby. Curious, Marcus innocently asks a passerby what’s going on.

“Some whore got raped,” the man says.

Marcus looks down and the camera quickly zooms in on his horrified face as the sound of a rapid heartbeat fills the soundtrack. He begins repeating the name of his girlfriend over and over, but she’s gone – victimized every which way to near death. As a human being, it’s difficult for me to grasp the horror of that situation, but goddamn if Cassel doesn’t execute it with accurate terror. Because Irréversible is told in reverse chronological order, the audience shares Marcus’ presumed curiosity of just how bad the situation is. If he only knew.

Sean Penn – Mystic River (2003)
This entire list could be made up of scenes in which parents discover that their child has been murdered. There are so many different ways to play that situation, but few are more animalistic than Penn’s in Mystic River. Jimmy Markum’s tireless roaring of “IS THAT MY DAUGHTER IN THERE?!” as a handful of police officers attempt to restrain him, has proved to be the most ferocious scene of Penn’s career.

A bit of interesting trivia: originally, director Clint Eastwood chose to have only three officers hold Penn down during the scene. Right before they shot, Penn quietly approached Eastwood and said that if he gave it his all, three wasn’t going to be nearly enough. So Clint brought on 12 additional actors, and directed them all to do whatever they could to pull Penn to the ground. If you’ve seen the movie, you know Penn doesn’t go down (and he actually broke a few of the cops’ ribs in the process). Method or not, that’s intensity. Watch the scene here.

The Passengers – United 93 (2006)
United 93 is a stellar cinematic effort for a number of reasons. One of the main ones, in my mind, is its depiction of how people react differently to the same situation. Some pretend everything’s going to be okay, others stand up and fight. Some call home, others cry for help. And some, like the couple I have pictured above, sit quietly and accept their fate. Titanic displayed this range of emotions as well, though, in my opinion, to a far less effective degree. Either way, it makes you ask: how would I respond? Watch the scene here.

William Hurt – Into the Wild (2007)
William Hurt is one of my all time favorite actors, and this brief, dialogue-free scene is my favorite moment of his career. Finally accepting that his free spirited son is never coming home, Walt McCandless walks idly down his suburban street, turns to make sure no one is looking, and collapses to the ground, silently wailing in pain. He clutches his pants, because he has nothing else to hold on to. Nothing. Kills me every time. That’s fucking acting right there. Watch (part of) the scene here.

Hanna Schygulla – The Edge of Heaven (2007)
I really need to talk about The Edge of Heaven more on this blog. It’s a tiny Turkish/German film about how ripples in human nature can affect people across the world. Some have called it a more accomplished Babel, which may not be far off (and I say that as a great admirer of Babel).

I risk giving away a major plot point in describing Schygulla’s perfect, devastating emotional breakdown in the film, but just know that Schygulla’s insurmountable grief, coupled with Fatih Akin’s restrained direction, makes for a grueling sequence of loss. Akin simply let’s the scene play out, void of cinematic flourishes. There is only pain filling the screen here.

Marion Cotillard – Rust and Bone (2012)
If you’ve seen Rust and Bone (side note: it’s now on DVD, so see Rust and Bone) then you may agree that we have no idea what drives Cotillard’s Stéphanie. From where does she derive pleasure or pain? We don’t know, because it’s quite possible she doesn’t know. It takes a random act of brutal violence to wake Stéphanie up. Watch this scene and you’ll know that she’s awake all right.

37 comments:

  1. Great list, I love the choice of William Hurt in Into the Wild, that is a brilliant selection, and one that would definitely make mine. Hurt is such an underrated actor in my opinion, and that scene is the most moving in the film.

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    1. Thanks Jay! So cool that you're a Hurt fan. That is definitely my favorite scene from the movie as well. The way he looks back at the house to make sure no one is watching... it's as if he's ashamed to feel pain. Just devastating.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!

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  2. I've only seen a few of these films, but the moments you highlighted in them are seared into my memory. Now, I need to see the other movies too.

    Moments of despair/rage/devestation are tricky and oh so important - when done well, the moments are gut-wrenching and unforgettable. When done poorly, these moments can ruin a scene/movie (i.e. Russel Crowe's performance in Les Mis, esp when about to commit suicide - gut-wrenching in a different way... Sorry, I digress.)

    Great post, Alex. Can't wait to read the inverse list too!

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    1. Thanks Fly! You're so right about the delicate balance of these scenes. Love the Crowe reference as well. Ugh. Just... ugh.

      Definitely must watch the scenes up there that you haven't seen!

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  3. Oh man, Penn's scene is just too raw to watch sometimes. And Straight's scene really is solid proof on how to win an Oscar for such little screen time. And I'm not sure about you, but I think that scene with Cotillard alone should've earned her a nomination at least.

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    1. It almost is too raw, isn't it? That's a man going all in and not holding anything back. Wow.

      Of COURSE I think that scene should've earned dear Marion an Oscar nom. Such a pity how that film was ignored.

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  4. Great list! The scene in United 93 that always gets me is the flight attendant calling her family and swearing that if she makes it through this she'll quit tomorrow. That's heart-wrenching.

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    1. Thanks! Oh god, that is a devastating scene. And to think all those conversations are word for word to what was actually said. I mean... fuck. What a truly horrible thing.

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  5. Ah, Marion's breakdown in Rust and Bone was one of the most intense scenes of 2012. Her performance was so haunting and memorable. Excellent list here!

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    1. Thanks! So glad you agree about that Rust and Bone scene. She's perfect.

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  6. Nice list. Yeah Sean Penn was heartbreaking in that scene. Almost warranted that Oscar... almost (Bob Harris 4eva!).

    One performance that comes to mind is Abbie Cornish's in Bright Star when her character receives the news of John Keats' death. That was just devastating to watch.

    And, even though it is really funny, in Drop Dead Gorgeous, Kirstie Alley screaming "The swan ate my baby!" after her daughter dies, is brilliant. At least for me.

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    1. Oh yes, that Bright Star scene! Definitely would have been near the top of my list.

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    2. That Bright Star scene is a fantastic pick. Cornish really deserved more praise for her work there.

      Your Drop Dead Gorgeous pick made me laugh out loud. "At least for me..." Brilliant.

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  7. Have you seen "A Mighty Heart"? Angelina Jolie's reaction to the news about her husband is a great scene too, in my opinion.

    These are all great choices. That Mystic River scene in particular slays me. Strangely enough, I've watched that clip many times. I kinda "enjoy" watching it, even though it's heartbreaking. To me, it's a completely honest and accurate reaction. I don't get the whole "Sean Penn is too hammy or over-the-top"...this is exactly how many persons would react in real life!

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    1. That A Mighty Heart scene is perfect for this list. Great pull there. Arguably the best scene of Jolie's career.

      I know exactly what you mean about "enjoying" that Mystic River scene. It definitely stirs emotion, for better or worse. Knocks the wind out of me every time.

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  8. When I first realized the Straight won an Oscar, my first reactiion was Who's that? And then I realized and I was like - Yeah, I can see why. She was truly amazing and so was Penn. Also I have seen Sophie's Choice but I often wondered what was her choice? I never remember. Now I do. :)

    One role that does come to my mind is Ian Holm in The Sweet Hereafter. I love this movie and Holm's reaction when he gets a phone call about his daughter is just devastating.

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    1. Glad you like the picks, my friend!

      That Holm scene is an excellent choice. I forgot how perfect he is in that film, and that scene is indeed truly devastating. Man, I need to watch that again.

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  9. How random is this list! And how awesome is this blog! I'm forced to follow it because it's so good..


    But really, awesome list. Especially the scene from Sophie's Choice. Meryl Streep is one great actress, and this scene proves that!

    Keep it up man, and keep putting up lists just as random as this one!

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    1. Damn dude, thank you so much for this comment. Truly made my day.

      Glad you appreciate the randomness of some of my lists! Hopefully they are a good read, despite how "out there" the concept my seem :)

      Thanks again for stopping by, I will surely be following Andy Chills from now on!

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  10. That scene in Rust & Bone... still gets to me to this day as does that scene in Into the Wild.

    One of my favorite scenes in that category is in Trois Couleurs: Bleu where Juliette Binoche receives the worst news of her life that changes everything as she is devastated and then breaks into a room where she tries to swallow many pills. It's just chilling to watch.

    I also have to add that scene in Bright Star as well.

    That scene in Drop Dead Gorgeous was hilarious considering how badly over-the-top Kristie Alley is.

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    1. Oh man, that Blue scene is a perfect choice. That's one of the reasons I consider Binoche's work in that film to be one of the all time great acting performances. GREAT call.

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  11. This is a really good list and I really love the inclusion of Mystic River on here. I think another one I might add would be the very end of American History X.

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    1. I was very close to included that AHX scene. Just awful. But I knew if you commented, you'd definitely call that one out!

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  12. Oh, great list! That scene with Marion was just devastating to watch.

    Ones that I'm instantly thinking of is Susan Sarandon in "In the Valley of Elah" when Tommy Lee Jones calls her to tell her their son is dead. You see her sitting on the floor, devastated but if you look closely you see the room is trashed - she obviously became so overwhelmed with grief she started demolishing it and we only see hints of it.

    Another is every time Christine Collis hears bad news in Changeling. That movie was unbearable to watch at times because of Jolie's performance.

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    1. Thanks! Your In the Valley of Elah pick is perfect, for the exact the reason you mentioned. That is such a great use of editing and cinematography - literally letting the craft of film tell the story. So much more effective than actually seeing her trash the room.

      Jolie is a beast in Changeling. I thought she deserved even more praise then she received for that performance.

      Great picks!

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  13. Interesting list, totally agree about Sophie's Choice, so utterly devestating and harrowing.

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    1. Just gut wrenching, that moment. Streep really went all in there. Thanks for reading/commenting!

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  14. Thulin, Welles and Cotillard. Thulin above all though. She received the same treatment as the nurse from The White Ribbon but Thulin's character being so much more sympathetic makes her scene more poignant. One of the best performances from all three though.

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    1. I was so close to adding that scene from The White Ribbon, but I really felt Haneke was drawing from that Winter Light moment, so I went back to the source.

      But yeah, happy to hear you enjoy Thulin's work in that movie. It's a devastating sequence right there.

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  15. Another great list. So glad Rust & Bone is now on DVD. Plan on catching up with that one soon, especially given your constant high praise.

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    1. That's a rare film. Beautiful, poignant, raw and devastating. Truly unlike anything I've ever seen. Hope you appreciate it!

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  16. Lots of possibilities here:
    Ending to Unbreakable, "They called me, Mr. Glass..." one of the most devastating plot twists I've ever seen.
    Apollo 13 "Houston we have a problem"
    Blade Runner, Batty being told that there is no way to extend his lifespan by his "Father"
    Tree of Life, with the plane's engine drowning out all the sound, Pitt's expressions are all we need
    Up in the air, My love for Anna Kendrick begin with her over-the-top breakdown, showing no matter how strong or independent we project ourselves as we are all just as vulnerable to heartbreak as everyone.
    Social Network, Eddie being told by the accountant that he's been phased out of his company... and friendship.
    So many more but the granddaddy for me is summed up in the exchange,
    "Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal"
    "I cannot comply with that order, Dave"
    I hope this list wasn't precipitated by a recent event in your life Alex, but I do love these listings nonetheless.



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    1. Aw thanks for the concern, but this list was brought on from out of nowhere. Life's good, my friend!

      Great picks of yours. I think my favorite is that Tree of Life moment. Had that entered my mind, I might've been forced to include it. You're right, it's written all over Pitt's face. Great emotional expression.

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  17. Alex, your list ideas are stunning. It's not thinking of ideas like this that troubles me, it's thinking of what films I might put on the list, and you have some excellent choices. Also, yet another reminder for me to see Rust and Bone.

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    1. Wow Tyler, thanks so much man. Your compliments always mean the world to me. Really glad you liked the list. I highly recommend Rust and Bone. That is a film catered perfectly to my tastes. Perfect.

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  18. Man, you nailed it. Irreversible, Sophie's Choice and United 93 hit me hard. Also, the scene from Into the Wild slipped my mind, but that's a great choice.

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    1. Thanks man. I remember the first time I saw Into the Wild, I completely fell apart during that scene. That's really what it must be like. I mean, Jesus, the pain.

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