Ten Deep 12.03.09: Depressing Movies

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 12.03.2009

It's a maudlin week, as we turn our teary eye to the saddest, depressing-est movies ever made!





Welcome to week 58 of 'Ten Deep'! We have only a brief rundown of comments to get through, so first as always to:

Reactions and interactions

Seems I got the ultimate seal of approval for my list of sidekicks:

"An all around decent list man, I abide"

Posted By: the dude

Awesome.

Anyway, the reason I didn't include Spock or Ted 'Theodore' Logan is because they're not sidekicks, they're equal players, at least in my eyes. The other main omission was seemingly Ron and Hermione from the Harry Potter films, but seriously? Sure, they're fun characters, but not exactly up there with the greats.

Elsewhere, it seems the love for Chewbacca and Sam Gamgee was sufficient to convince me I got the top two choices right, and Earl brings up the exact scene I was thinking of from Empire that initially had me put Chewie in the top spot... at least till I rewatched the video I posted from Lord of the Rings.

Kudos too to wemedge for suggesting Clyde, surely Clint Eastwood's best ever sidekick. Right? And also props to Guest#7699 for mentioning Michael Bolton from Office Space, who was cut from the list right at the death. Lots of other fun suggestions too, nice work folks.

Moving on!

This week, we're taking a look at those movies that just make you want to stay in bed and weep, they're so depressing. Well, maybe "depressing" isn't quite the right word for it - as Roger Ebert once said, and I'm paraphrasing here, no truly sad film ever fails to uplift you in some manner. But semantics aside, you all know what I mean by depressing films, and I'm not talking about stuff like Meet the Spartans. These are the films that most make you reconsider your faith in humanity, and consign you to the sofa weeping for hours at just how woebegotten they make you feel. Well, maybe not if you're less of a sensitive soul, but you get the gist of it. Just to get the point across, I'm not using the term "depressing" in any sort of derogatory way. Don't worry, we'll tackle a happier subject next week to get you out of your funk. You may be wondering why such a moribund topic this week; well, it's a sad day indeed, as I'll be stepping down from my position in charge of 'Ten Deep' (and indeed from 411 as a whole) in a few weeks - you've got me until Christmas Eve when I shall make my festive departure - so I figured we should revel in the collective sadness that announcement will surely engender.

Surely?


As always, there's one golden rule: if I haven't seen it, it's not allowed on the list.

This week's golden rule notable omissions: 21 Grams, Dancer in the Dark, Happiness, Lilja 4-Ever, Nil by Mouth, They Shoot Horses Don't They?





Honorable mention: Leaving Las Vegas

Even more depressing than Cage's haircut in Bangkok Dangerous.

Honorable mention: Million Dollar Baby

Clint cries - nuff said.

Honorable mention: Schindler's List

If it weren't for the fact that it carries an uplifting message at heart, this would be an easy number one.

10. The Proposition

You know you're off to a good start in terms of making a depressing film when your soundtrack is performed master of misery Nick Cave (and I mean that in a good way, I enjoy the man's music, but he's not exactly Danny Elfman), and The Proposition certainly has that, a wonderful score from Cave and collaborator Warren Ellis that captures the desolate and dissonant mood perfectly. Directed by John Hillcoat, helmer of current box office miserymaker The Road, the film is something of a post-modern western, although far darker than even noted miserable films for that genre like Unforgiven. Even just examining the films chronological extremes gives you an idea of what's in store; the film opens with a nasty gunfight involving a gang of rapists and murderers, and ends with the torture and attempted rape of a police captain and his wife. The middle of the film isn't much cheerier, with all sorts of public floggings, torture and bounty hunter killings, and it's photographed in a disarmingly bleak fashion (all the better to support Cave's score, natch). Guy Pearce's protagonist is no do-gooder, but Danny Huston as his brother eclipses him for pure psychopathy (if that's even a real word... well, it is now), a horrible little man who enjoys a spot of murdering and pillaging as his pastimes. Other than, arguably, Ray Winstone's gruff captain, I can't really recall a sympathetic character in the film - even his seemingly fragile wife is somewhat responsible for encouraging an innocent man to be flogged to death. The Aussie outback has rarely been portrayed in such a harsh light (it's a far cry from Home and Away, that's for sure), and The Proposition is all-in-all quite a demanding watch. Definitely rewarding, but you certainly have to suffer to get your reward.

9. Irreversible

In a clever narrative twist, infamous French flick Irreversible actually ends on a note of hope and happiness. Unfortunately, considering the film is told in reverse chronological order and features some utterly horrible things before that, it's really a bit of false hope that's only actually a saving grace if you pretend the previous eighty minutes didn't exist. As it stands, the denouement is more of a twist of the knife than anything else. As you no doubt all know, this is the film that features one of cinema's most notorious rape scenes, a protracted and torrid affair that will give any female viewers an abiding and lifelong fear of underpasses (and and act that, in a subtle but savage twist, is witnessed by a passerby in the background who chooses to walk away and forget what he's seen). However for me it's the other "nasty" scene in the film, that tends to get little mention but for my money is the hardest thing I've ever watched in a motion picture, that occurs in the opening act and casts an intentional pall over the rest of the movie, that constitutes a large part of what makes Irreversible so depressing. Without going into too much detail, for the sake of sparing the impact for any of you who go watch the film for the first time on the back of this column, you too will find yourself despairing after making it that far into the movie (except for the self-consciously "cool" commenters who will no doubt appear after this to tell the world that they didn't find anything disturbing or depressing about the movie - congratulations, and good for you, you sad little person). While the rest of the film doesn't particularly feature too much depressing material, the shadow that hangs over it is palpable and renders it worthy of inclusion in this list.

8. Elephant

Gus Van Sant, lest we forget, is not a man who particularly aims to please the mainstream with his filmic output (included on his résumé, for example, an apparently entirely superfluous shot-for-shot remake of a Hitchcock classic, and a film that consists of very little more than two men walking into a desert and getting lost), and both the tone and subject matter of Elephant suggest that he wasn't exactly intending for this to be a hit with the majority of moviegoers. Very loosely based on the Columbine high school massacre, that noted source of motion picture inspiration, Van Sant idly chronicles the decision of two teens to take arms and gun down their classmates, for no really apparent purpose. It's a downbeat film, to be sure, and while Van Sant's directing style here may put some people off, for those whom it engages it only worsens the state of depression. Lingering shots of brewing stormclouds are, too-literal metaphors aside, not exactly redolent of good times, and the camera floats through the movie as if completely apathetic, happening to glance at these horrible goings-on but not really caring about them either way. Such detachment only heightens the torrid nature of the film's happenings - and of course, the fact that it's based on a true story just makes the events depicted all the more horrific and cause for disbelief at the state of the human race. While the similarly-themed Gerry and Last Days are more existential in their examination of the human condition, Elephant ties things to a foundation that we can all empathize with, and the stark imagery makes this far from a simple philosophical examination of things. Certainly not a film to make you feel good about life, the universe and everything.

7. Grave of the Fireflies

Taking up the list's token "animated" slot at the expense of When the Wind Blows (which, while undoubtedly sad, has far too depressing a couple of protagonists for me to recommend fully), Grave of the Fireflies is one of those Studio Ghibli films that gets a bit less press due to not being directed by Miyazaki. Apparently there are some live-action remakes of this doing the rounds in Japan, which is depressing in itself albeit for entirely different reasons, but we're of course sticking with the original anime. Somewhat similar, thematically speaking at least, to honorable mention Schindler's List, the film follows a couple of orphans in Kobe, Japan, during the last months of the second world war, as they struggle to survive in the firebombed ruins of the city, met by apathy for their suffering from family and strangers alike. It's certainly setup to provide a sadly humanistic take on the war, and while the merits of its actual anti-war sentiment could be debated, I don't think you can take issue with its depiction of personal tragedy. I'll save revealing the fate of the young lad and his little sister, which is tangentially related to the tin of fruit drops the boy carries around, but suffice to say it's pretty heartbreaking when it rolls around. For all the potentially overdone firefly symbolism throughout, the use of war as a backdrop to an intimate story is invariably more effective in these types of things than having it front and center (I'm reminded a little of Blackadder Goes Forth, and with very few actual significant characters in the film we're left to wander alone with Seita and Setsuko as they try desperately to hold onto their humanity. For those who doubt the power of animated film to evoke emotion, you really need look no further.

6. Bully

Another one of these films that's exacerbated by its "based on a true story" disclaimer and thus providing a depressingly non-fictional account of the depths to which people can and will sink. Bully is one of those films that would be described be a more lazy writer than myself as an "underrated indie gem" or some such, which is to say it's one of those films that's quite good but you've never seen it. Anchored by a memorably villainous performance from Nick Stahl as the titular no-goodnik, Bully sees a bunch of teens banding together to exact a horrible (and horribly ineffective) revenge on their tormentor, a dirty piece of work played with excruciating vigor by Stahl. Perhaps not coincidentally not the only entrant this week to feature a scene of forcible bum love (for after all, there can't be too many topics of discussion more saddening than that), albeit this time played out in front of some gay porn rather than in a pedestrian underpass, Bully can't be accused of shying away from difficult subject material, and as a result of its unmitigating approach there's a black cloud hanging right over the film. Even the stabs of black comedy, such as Leo Fitzpatrick's woefully inept "hitman", don't do anything to break the mood. After dishing out all manner of indignities and suffering to his companions, the scene where Stahl finally gets his comeuppance is simultaneously brutally violent and cringe-inducingly blundersome, and it's hard to work out if even a character as nasty as this one deserves a fate so protracted and awful. And even after that, it's difficult to establish what's harder on the viewer, the atrocities meted out by Stahl or the collective breakdown the rest of the characters suffer after exacting their revenge. Either way, Bully is a horrible film in the best possible way and certainly one to make you ponder.

5. Spider

Pleasingly having nothing to do with actual spiders, Spider is one of David Cronenberg's rare outings that don't focus on horribly gruesome things happening in a variety of horribly gruesome ways, being instead more of a psychological thriller. A film I'll always remember thanks, in a display of utter ineptitude, to the fact that the back cover of the DVD case gives away the bloody denouement - I mean, seriously, you might as well have the blurb for The Usual Suspects saying "Keyser Soze, played by Kevin Spacey" - Spider is ultra low-budget, and focuses on a mentally disturbed Ralph Fiennes revisiting memories of the time his father killed his mother, and playing all kinds of mental games with the audience. Fiennes has, for my money, rarely been better than he has here, and Spider's mental anguish is totally understandable as he slowly but inexorably builds his shattered memories back together to reveal the horrible truth of what actually happened. I won't spoil it here, but if you don't want to bother watching the film, just track down a copy of the region two DVD case, it'll probably clue you in. The unnerving effect of Spider's flashbacks being glued together in a seemingly higgeldy-piggeldy fashion gets the mood just right, and the film always feels as if something bad is lurking in the shadows, even if nothing overtly nasty actually happens. Witnessing Spider's disjointed mental state, though, is the real sticking point of the film, as accurate (in my renowned medical opinion) a depiction of schizophrenia as you'll find outside of Clean, Shaven and the madness is conveyed scarily well by Cronenberg and Fiennes, who outshines even a sterling Gabriel Byrne in a supporting role. Definitely a prime contender for the "mentally disturbed" category of depressing movies.

4. The Mist

Harking back to the classic theme of "it turns out the real monster is man" from sources like Lord of the Flies and The Twilight Zone (and, memorably, The Scary Door), The Mist is ostensibly a horror film about big nasty scary bug monsters from another dimension, but it soon becomes apparent that, yes, the real horror resides within the human survivors of the onslaught. While the torment of being trapped under siege from an array of mutant alien beasties is certainly depressing in itself, the interpersonal conflicts that emerge amongst the group of survivors cast a real pall over proceedings, and the fact that you can identify it as perfectly feasible for a group of people in the same circumstance to do similar things, just makes it all the more unbearable. It's perfectly feasible that the "flat earth" types who venture into the mist early on, and the religious zealot types who come to demand human sacrifice to appease a vengeful god that soon dominate the film, would come to fruition were a similar situation to play out in the real world. It's depressing that humans are apparently so predictably vile. The film wisely chooses not to paint anyone in too heroic a light (even the supposed hero, Thomas Jane, betrays a promise to his son and is antagonistic towards a few other characters), encapsulating the ethos of "nobody's perfect, and some are a lot worse than that". And then of course to cap it all off there's the ending, wisely altered from Stephen King's original story, the most remorselessly downbeat ending to any film I think I've seen in the past several years. Yes, it's divisive, but I don't think you can argue how depressing it is. The Mist is a film that leaves you feeling gutted, and makes no bones about it.

3. Johnny Got His Gun

Known, to some extent at least, throughout popular culture for its forming the basis of Metallica's first music video for 'One', Dalton Trumbo's grisly classic is one of the most understated yet vehement anti-war cases any director has ever put forward. It's simple and gutwrenching in its setup, as a young soldier is hit by a shell on the final day of the Great War, and as a consequence loses all his limbs and sensory functions, leaving him trapped in his own body. Frankly, you don't really need to go much further than that to have yourself a depressing movie, but as the film flashes back to his pre-war life, the terrible reality of his condition sets in as he's unable to do anything at all but reason with his inner monologue, desperately hoping that the doctors will end what passes for his life (indeed, one benevolent nurse tries this but is thwarted before she can properly pull the plug). As despressing sights go in movies, they don't come much worse than the faceless man strapped to his bed, repeatedly banging his head against his pillow to spell out "kill me" in Morse code. As he fantasizes that maybe the army will place him as a freak show exhibit to expound the dangers of war, he comes to accept that he'll have to live the rest of his life a prisoner in his own body. Many stories have used this scenario (in fact, didn't a recent episode of House do a similar tale rather well), but none that I can think of quite have the impact of Johnny Got His Gun (even the title of the film is quietly and referentially mocking, only adding to the grimness of it all). If you see this film and still think that going to war is a good idea, you're a braver man than I.

2. Requiem for a Dream

Aha! Hopefully I've pulled the ol' switcheroo on at least a few of you who were expecting this to be a clear choice for the top spot. Well, no, there is something a bit worse than this, believe it or not, but for the time being let's indulge the downward spiral of addiction that provided Darren Aronfosky with his most acclaimed work. The simple fact is that in presenting an uncompromising look at addiction, with all four of the protagonists descending into a bottomless pit of misery far beyond redemption, Requiem is most likely the most depressing film ever to achieve mainstream recognition. With the backdrop of Clint Mansell's cold, string-laden score (you know the one, it's been remixed and ripped-off to damnation in the ensuing years), the characters barely even begin to attempt to escape their downwards paths, recognizing on some level that their lives need improving, but being completely unable to overcome their reliance on various substances and ideas in order to actually achieve those dreams. I don't think there's a single upward trajectory to be found in the film; everyone involved ends the movie so much further below their initial low standing that it's almost hard to comprehend quite how damaged their lives have become. Cheery viewing, naturally, and that Aronofsky somehow manages to make a Jennifer Connelly sex scene unappealing and hard to watch is testament to his skill in the art of crafting a depressing flick. That and getting, remarkably, a strong performance out of a Wayans brother, a feat that to my knowledge has only been accomplished one other time in the history of cinema (The Last Boy Scout). For the majority of cinemagoers, Requiem for a Dream is as depressing as movies get, and it's certainly not a film you'd rewatch more than once or twice for the sheer haunting feelings it evokes.

1. Threads

I'll probably get a bit of slack for including an obscure British TV movie at the top here, but please do me a favor and see if you track down a copy before judging me, because quite frankly this is the only movie I've ever seen that's so depressing I don't ever want to watch it again, the first viewing having been so harrowing. It starts off badly enough being set in Sheffield in the 80s, which is enough to make any further narrative have depressing overtones, but after the improbable happenstance of a nuclear detonation in the north of England as a consequence of the Cold War, the film goes on to redefine the meaning of the word "bleak". Frankly, if this film had been shown to world leaders at the time, I imagine we might have been celebrating the end of that particular global conflict several years earlier. I won't recount the litany of tragedies the film depicts for fear of running out of stiff drinks to keep my mind straight, but needless to say, the nuclear winter that follows the eruption of atomic conflict is some to some of the most horrifying things I've seen on the screen, and by the time the final disturbing freeze frame rolls round I was about ready to tie the noose. There's good reason this wasn't shown again on TV for about twenty years after its release. If ever the world again strays close to global conflict, I'm convinced that a mandatory screening of Threads would prevent nuclear action. Yes, it's just a film, but it's an utterly traumatic experience, and while you can appreciate its intent and the fact that it's a good film, it's just too depressing to ever watch again. Which, frankly, is quite an achievement these days.

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And finally…

Feeling aggrieved or elated at this week's ten picks? Then let me know! The magic of the interweb allows you to post your comments right here on this very page, and if they're especially insightful (or idiotic), I may even respond in the next column. Be sure to tune in next week for another edition of 'Ten Deep', but until then - keep watching the skies.