Directors Name the most depressing film of all time (US or INT.) (2 Viewers)

[Bill McA]

Leolo
Beijing Bicycle
Videodrome
Padre Padrone
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

 

[Wes C]

Counting the time until someone mentions Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream

10 hours

 

[Angelo.M]

what time is it there?

 

[Lew Crippen]

Hearts & Minds is good... but if we go down the route of documentaries we will drift off.

Why?

 

[Kyle Tippett]

Becasue i am aiming for films that manipulate human emotion through writing, colour and music - that are fictional. if we start bringing up docs then we will have a long list of holocaust or civil rights films that are depressing because they are real and force us to think about how wrong our ideals appear to be through our actions... not because they are well written or scored.

 

[Nick-G]

Dancer in the Dark
A Beautiful Mind
Schindler's List
My Life

 

[Brook K]

What Time Is It There? is a pretty uplifting movie. His earlier films like Vive L'Amour and The River were much more depressing.

Ok, leaving out documentaries:

The Bride of Frankenstein
The Bad Sleep Well
The Silence
The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser

 

[Angelo.M]

What Time Is It There? is a pretty uplifting movie.

Pretty tough for me to see it that way. I found it desolate and depressing. It is, however, a unique experience, and one of the most vouyeristic films I've seen: it's as if you're simply eavesdropping on the events depicted in the film. In the end, I wasn't uplifted. :frowning:

 

[Chris Moe]

Nil By Mouth

 

[Jack Briggs]

Panic in Needle Park, In Cold Blood, etc.

 

[Agee Bassett]

The Bride of Frankenstein

What in the world is depressing about The Bride of Frankenstein?

 

[Dome Vongvises]

What in the world is depressing about The Bride of Frankenstein?

I'm guessing the whole Frankenstein goes through growing pains?

I can't take that movie seriously when I've seen Young Frankenstein before it.

 

[Lew Crippen]

What in the world is depressing about The Bride of Frankenstein?

For me the film is saved from being depressing by the humor.

But if you just deconstructed it and looked at the elements, there is plenty of depressing material.

Since I never watch the film without gin (my only weakness), I’ve never bothered with the deconstruction process.

 

[Brook K]

Spoilers in case anyone hasn't seen Bride.

"The Monster" has a kind and gentle soul. He could live out his days as a peaceful creature. But he is misunderstood, attacked, exploited, and abused by man. Frankenstein is given one last hope that another of his kind can be created, someone who will understand him and perhaps love him. But the Bride rejects him as well, and the pain is too much to bare. Knowing that existence holds only pain and suffering for him, he chooses to end his life.

Yes, the Bride has a great deal of humor, but I find it very sad and depressing.

That's why I can't stand Young Frankenstein, because it turns the monster into a buffoon and pokes fun at beautiful, emotional scenes.

 

[Andy Olivera]

I don't find many films to be depressing, but In The Bedroom got to me...

 

[Grant B]

Margaret's Museum
A.I

 

[JonZ]

Leaving Las Vegas

Also Tim Roths The War Zone

 

[JohnRice]

Ah yeah, Last Exit to Brooklyn. Forgot about that one.

Monster's Ball (excellent film, though)

I actually find Monster's Ball quite uplifting in the end, but I can see what you mean. That final scene is one of my favorites of all time.


Mine used to be Leaving Las Vegas until Requiem for a Dream came out.

What Dreams May Come is pretty rough as well.

 

[Bobbi*L]

While there are a lot of great films mentioned, that do have a very depressing quality, you much see "Rabbit Proof Fence", but, have a lot of tissues handy.

 

[Ray H]

Can't think of much that's gotten me depressed.

The Remains of the Day is one.