30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 4

So on to Day 04 of this miserable challenge. Yes, 'miserable', because I just realised that I have 26 days left to go!

Day 04: a movie that makes you sad.

I think movies have to try really hard these days to 'make me sad', simply because so many lack the depth of movies I used to watch years ago. While many of Hollywood's 'drama' offerings these days obsess on trying to get you to connect with the characters, I find that I'm generally apathetic, and even sometimes bored, by the proceedings. Personally, when it comes to serious movies, simplicity is key.

However, there are some strong candidates for this movie, and most of them are from at least 8-10 years ago. Can anyone say that they didn't feel a punch in the gut at the graveyard scene in "Saving Private Ryan"? Or what about the utter hopelessness that Brad Pitt's "Se7en" potrayed? Russel Crowe's heroic death in "Gladiator"? Hillary Swank's journey for relevance in "Million Dollary Baby"? Liam Neeson's amazing performance as Oskar Schindler, sobbing and saying "I could have got one more, one more!" in "Schindler's List"? And then there was "Green Mile" - need I say more?

But, in the end there can be only one, so without further ado, the winner is : Requiem For A Dream (2000)

Is there any doubt that this was the most rivetting movie of it's time? I still remember the hushed silence that fell over our room when my college friends and I first watched this in someones room. What starts off as a fun, trippy movie about a few individuals that like to get high, turns into the most darkest, gripping movie I can remember seeing. I cannot remember who I felt pity for more in this epic story, and even now, just the thought of it fills me with an uneasy feeling.

But it's not just the story; it's the ambience, which reaches a climax with a brilliant ending, accompanied by the tune of Clint Mansell's ever famous "Requiem" (the actual name apparently is "Lux Aeterna"), a tune that could make someone watching cartoons and eating candy to burst into tears.

This, is how movies should be made.

Runners up:
Buried (2010)
Million Dollay Baby (2004)