Brought to you by science: The saddest movie scene ever
It’s true. Movies move us. Science has proven it.
The Smithsonian recently published an article about the saddest movie in the world, a movie used to elicit pure sadness with none of those other pesky emotions getting in the way.
Ricky Schroder is making you cry.
That movie is “The Champ.” Surprised? While there are a plethora of sad scenes out there, scientists were looking to isolate that one emotion in order to see how it affects our actions, like if we spend more money while sad (we do) or eat more (we don’t). Don’t bother arguing those results, by the way, science has spoken!
“The Champ” stars a young Ricky Schroder witnessing the death of his boxer father, played by Jon Voight. While the film itself isn’t what many consider a great film (or even a good one), it did garner a Golden Globe award for Schroder and now belongs in the annals of scientific history. See the clip here.
But the question is, what do you consider the saddest movie scene of all time? There are many out there, and they all couldn’t be added to the poll. So, if you don’t see the scene you think is the saddest, tell us in the comments.
Comments
squidlover
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:32 a.m.
Aaron beat me to it, but the scene in Schindler's List when Oskar Schindler broke down in tears thinking that he could have saved more. Also, seeing the body of the young girl in the read coat being wheelbarrowed to be incinerated was another very sad moment.
Tom Teague
Tue, Aug 2, 2011 : 6:45 p.m.
General Marshall reads the letter to Mrs. Bixby in "Saving Private Ryan."
Donna Wettig Hitz
Tue, Aug 2, 2011 : 1:12 a.m.
The last scene in Blade Runner. " Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."
Dr. Goon
Tue, Aug 2, 2011 : 1:12 a.m.
You wanna have a catch? (Not even naming the movie. There's not a red-blooded American man who has watched that scene without claiming to have hay fever.)
Aaron Bragman Bragman
Tue, Aug 2, 2011 : 1:08 a.m.
The scene at the end of "Schindler's List," where Oskar Schindler has his epiphany while the Allies are closing in on the plant, realizing that for the price of the gold lapel pin on his chest, he could have saved another life... I don't cry at movies (like, any movies), but this scene had me blubbering like an infant.