I watched eight (sorry, nine) beautifully tragic films from “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” between February and March. Time for a mostly spoiler-free breakdown.
This year, I resolved to watch four movies featured in the list of “1001 Movies to See Before You Die.” I didn’t watch four of them in February, so I took the time in March to catch up to my goal. Mission accomplished! Firstly, some good news: my lapse in memory caught me up so well, I went over my expected four movies a month! However, some bad news to accompany it. I’ve been working through two versions of the list.
A new iteration of the original anthology issues each year, and with that, certain movies get dropped from the list. Hence, the “1001 Movies” now lies somewhere around “1,200.” Of the nine movies I watched in the past two months, only four of them are in the 2019 edition. However, because the other five previously made the list, I’ve elected to accept and appreciate them.
Based on the 2019 edition, the only remarkable movie from 2006 was “Pan’s Labyrinth.” I don’t think that the other fourteen movies from that year aren’t worth seeing (in fact, I watched one of them last week)! As a result, I also work off this list that includes every film that has ever featured in the anthology. In tandem, I use my 2019 edition to reference, and provide a deeper analysis of what films stand the test of cinematic time.
February and March: Beautifully Tragic Films
When I describe something as beautifully tragic, I mean that it’s heartbreaking, but visually appealing. The films from the past two months are rather bleak, circling death, heartbreak, war, and addiction. However, this is not to say they are not easy on the eyes. An early Kubrickian has one of the most crystal clear depictions of space travel, if a bit over-ambitious. You can always count on a period piece to provide scenic backdrops and picture perfect costumes. Then there are the auteurs who figure “Hey, if I’m going to tell a sad story, it might as well be nice to look at, right?” Hence, the beautifully tragic as a recurring theme in these films. My descriptions indicate some minor plot points, but I’ve done my best to leave the juicy bits out for others to experience on their own!
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a visceral projection into the not-so-distant future. The film begins with a flashback to prehistoric times, as cavemen discover a mysterious monolith and soon determine how to build stronger weapons. In a time jump, astronauts discover a similar monolith near a lunar outpost. The film is quiet, both in it’s tone and in its beauty. It’s also quietly disturbing, with the sudden violence in the prelude as well as the terror in the takeover of the mission by the spacecraft’s central computer, “HAL.”
I knew this film as one of the first (if not THE first) masterpiece in Stanley Kubrick’s oeuvre. Certainly, I had seen it referenced throughout my life in pop culture, chiefly in “The Simpsons” and “Zoolander,” but I had no idea what to expect with the actual plot of the movie. I love the idea of “computer comes to life and wreaks havoc,” so I enjoyed the entire existence of “Hal”. However, much like everyone else, I wasn’t sure of the best interpretation of the ending. I’ll avoid spoilers, but I will say this: to think we’d come that far by 2001 was ambitious. Over twenty years later, I’d say we’re not even close.
Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s first major movie! What a concept! Is it bad that I didn’t love it? Leonard Shelby, a former insurance investigator, wakes up in a motel room with no memory of how he got there. Strewn across his motel room are notes and photographs providing him with bits of information. Further information exists through tattoos on his body, including the most important note of all: someone brutally murdered his wife, and left him with a brain injury in the process. The mission at stake? Find the murderer, and get revenge.
I think most know “Memento” specifically for the ending and its non-linear narrative storytelling. Truthfully, I think the latter is the most fascinating thing about it. This isn’t to say that the writing isn’t good, or that the actors have no talent (on the contrary, I wish Carrie Anne-Moss did more things). I just think that if you played the film straight, rather than through flashbacks and chopped up backwards storytelling, you wouldn’t get something super memorable. “Memento” certainly takes the audience on a ride, I just don’t know if it’s thrilling enough to want to watch it more than… twice. You know, you have to watch it at LEAST twice to see what you missed the first time. That’s kind of the point, right?
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Why did I pick the most beautifully tragic movies? “Requiem for a Dream,” Darren Aronofsky’s first major film, depicts the lives of four drug addicts over the course of a year. Harry Goldfarb and his best friend Tyrone decide to get into dealing heroin to make enough money to follow their dreams. Tyrone desires to escape the ghetto he lives in to make his mother proud, and Harry wants to help his girlfriend Marion open a clothing store to sell her designs. All three suffer with a heroin addiction.
Meanwhile, Harry’s mother spends her days in a tiny apartment watching TV. After being selected to appear on one of her favorite shows, she goes on a crash diet and develops an addiction to diet pills. As time passes, all four characters feel the exciting highs and lows of their chosen addictions. However, the highs don’t last. Worst of all, the lows do.
In season two of “Euphoria,” a desperately hooked on drugs Rue bangs on the door of her dealer, begging and angrily demanding he let her in and give her drugs. I don’t know if this was intentional, but it mirrors the opening scene of “Requiem for a Dream,” as Harry Goldfarb bangs on his mother’s door to let him sell her TV (to buy more drugs). I don’t want to give Jared Leto any credit because he’s so bleh, but he did a great job.
Truthfully, the core four all did a great job. This was my first time seeing Marlon Wayans in a serious role, and he sells it. Jennifer Connelly shines, at first, but eventually diminishes into a black hole, character wise. Ellen Burstyn’s diminishing grasp on reality, complete with at least two rambling scenes of how everything is fine, just fine, she’s just excited to be on television, is too disturbing to look away.
“Requiem for a Dream” disturbs, not just in its plot, but in its artistry. There’s side-by-side shots, uncomfortable close-ups, and quick shots as each character consumes their drug of choice. For all that people think that D.A.R.E. failed to keep kids away from drugs, they really should just have them watch this movie. The last twenty minutes should terrify anyone who wants to even think about doing hard drugs.
The Prestige (2006)
Six years after “Memento,” and Christopher Nolan has established his style completely in “The Prestige.” The Prestige” is based on a short story about competing magicians, both out to prove themselves as their generation’s greatest illusionist. Love, pride, and increasingly modern science all play their roles in this “greatest show” (the Hugh Jackman of it all). But as Robert Angier and Freddy Borden come to realize, success is a lot like magic: with a bit of misdirection, now you see it… now you don’t.
I remember sitting on my couch, stunned, after finishing “The Prestige.” This movie is almost twenty years old and at the risk of sounding like a jaded old critic, movies don’t feel that way anymore. It’s truly thrilling in every element. I know I’ve barely scratched the surface plotwise, but it’s hard to talk about it without giving everything away at once!
“The Prestige” came out when I was eleven years old. I’m happy I didn’t see it at that age, especially considering “Inception” came out four years later and it took me three viewings to fully understand it. I’m glad I watched “The Prestige” now, as an adult, so I could fully appreciate it. However, it definitely deserves to be appreciated in an IMAX theatre! “The Prestige” isn’t beautifully tragic, however. It’s something different, even if it carries elements of beauty and tragedy. Magic? Obviously!
Into the Wild (2007)
“Into the Wild” is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who gave away his life savings after graduating college to live off the land in the late 1990s. The story of his adventures became the subject of news articles, books, and hikes off the beaten path. But after one considers his tragic end, it’s worth asking: is it worth it?
Christopher McCandless starts his journey in Georgia, and makes his way in his beaten down car to Arizona. After a flash flood renders his car unusable, he begins hitchhiking his way to California. In his travels, he meets friendly hippies, vagabonds, and US National Park officials, who admire but question his confidence. After kayaking his way to Mexico and spending some time in Los Angeles, Christopher ultimately decides to hike his way to Alaska.
Despite pleas from the friends he’s made along the way to follow a map, and not his heart, Christopher ends up on a trek near Healy, Alaska. He sets up camp in an abandoned bus, and eventually realizes that life is most beautiful when spent with people you love. Unfortunately, the river he crossed that winter has become too wild and wide to cross in the warmth of spring. With his provisions depleting and his hunting skills sub-par, Christopher falls victim to the elements and ultimately dies from malnutrition.
No one is a bigger fan of getting out in nature than I am. And this film shows exactly why. It’s beautiful, and seeing the glory of the American southwest is something to behold. Emile Hirsch captures all the optimism and hope of McCandless, and if he weren’t so selfish, I’d find his ambitions admirable. However, experts and park officials told him to not make reckless choices. Each time he shrugged them off, believing fear was no way to live. If only he had realized that kind of caution can save you. “Into the Wild” is a beautifully tragic story that I hope inspires people to see the natural beauty of America, while we still have it. Just… do it with a map, or a radio, or a better understanding of poisonous plants.
Atonement (2007)
Is this movie more beautifully tragic than “The Notebook”? I haven’t decided yet. Based on the award winning book by Ian McEwan, “Atonement” takes place in 1930s England. Briony Tallis, a 13 year old aspiring writer, catches glimpses of a budding romance between her older sister, Cecelia, and the housekeeper’s son, Robbie. Briony witnesses something shocking in the shadows one night. After a (some might say willful) misinterpretation of the moment, Robbie faces time in jail or time in the military. As the second World War builds, Cecelia leaves home to serve as a nurse, leaving Briony to reckon with her choices.
“Atonement” is perfectly casted. Saoirse Ronan in one of her first roles plays Briony, yet another young girl destined for literary greatness. However, I’ve never wanted to slap a child so much in my life. This movie came out in 2007, so it was also a somewhat early role for Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays a chocolatier friend of Briony and Cecelia’s brother. His pencil-thin mustache is proof he cannot be trusted.
I believe it is a truth universally acknowledged that if it’s a period piece, Keira Knightley MUST be cast. She captures Cecelia’s sometimes snobby, often headstrong stubbornness, though it ultimately turns tender when it comes to Robbie. And when Robbie is played by James McAvoy, you can’t necessarily blame her.
“Atonement” broke my heart, especially with it’s devastating ending. To avoid spoilers, I’ll pivot to my favorite shot in the film (from an artistic perspective): As Robbie approaches closer to his next leave, he finds himself walking among the rubble at Dunkirk in a single tracking shot that lasts over three minutes. It’s chilling to look at, remembering that while the story is fiction, the tragedy behind it is real. It becomes all the more chilling when considering that such tragedy isn’t so far away, as explosions and violence have painted Ukraine since earlier last month.
The Big Short (2015)
Remember the 2008 financial crisis? Because I don’t. I remember Obama being elected president and then the BP explosion. Around that time, I remember people talking about being in a recession, and how that meant we were going to be in a situation like the Great Depression. Because I never saw people selling apples for five cents on the street, I assumed it wasn’t that bad. I was wrong.
“The Big Short” is a mostly biographical (with some elements added for drama) retelling of the early-aughts financial crisis. Through the eyes of three separate groups of people, “The Big Short” breaks down what happened with the real estate bubble burst, and how certain people profited while the majority lost everything.
The film includes pockets of cutaways explaining what exactly happened in the bubble bursting, and what led up to it. These pockets include Ryan Gosling (who acts as a narrator for the film, and as “Jared Vennett,” a salesman who makes over $40 million from the bank collapses) explaining how things happened behind the scenes. Ryan Gosling is a highlight in the movie, as is Steve Carrell, portraying the only person who seems to care about the millions of “poor people and immigrants” who will now be homeless as a result of Wall Street greed.
Like I said, I don’t really remember life during the fallout of the crisis. I remember a lot of people being angry, but I didn’t understand why. Thanks to The Big Short, now I understand.
Despite “Requiem for a Dream” being on this list, this is the most depressing movie I’ve ever seen. To know now of all the ruined lives and how the perpetrators got off with barely a slap on the wrist enrages me more than I can verbalize. But hey, there’s always the student debt crisis, right, current administration? If you can bail out a bunch of corporate fat-cats for destroying the national economy so much that it extended to international markets, surely you can bail out the jabroni punk millennials who didn’t understand how college interest rates worked at the age of seventeen, right? Right?
mother! (2017)
Holy visceral visuals, Batman! “Mother!” is Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, premiering smack dab in the pre-pandemic and post-Obama era. It’s an allegory for many things, ranging from global warming, religion, and modern feminism. It’s not very subtle, and it’s not trying to be. “Mother!” grabs you from it’s first frame, and doesn’t let go until the last second.
None of the characters actually have names in “mother!”. However, Jennifer Lawrence portrays the eponymous “mother,” and her husband, Javier Bardem, is a poet known as “Him.” They live a life of quiet solitude as mother paints and finishes their dream home. Meanwhile, her husband struggles to find inspiration for a follow-up to his first masterpiece. Their lives get increasingly disrupted with the arrival of a man claiming to be a doctor. As the man makes himself comfortable in the new home, his wife and children soon follow. Their arrivals mark the beginning of an increasingly terrifying journey for mother, as strangers fill, defile, and destroy the home as she tires endlessly to make, and keep, it perfect.
I don’t like Javier Bardem. Scratch that, I’ve never met him, I’m sure he’s lovely. However, in every performance I’ve seen, I’ve wanted to kill him. “Mother!” was no exception. I was about ready to set the house on fire with him in it (spoiler alert? Just kidding. But not really). Truthfully, every character in this movie felt like a personal affront, save for mother. They’re all pushy, callous, and insistent intruding on mother’s brief moments of contentment. Similarly to “The Prestige,” I don’t want to give my thoughts away on it too much. All I can say is that this planet, however it got here, deserves defending. As well, we would all do well to go with grace.
Little Women (2019)
In this interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s essential novel, “Little Women” tells the story of four sisters in their teenage years. Jo March, a feisty and fearless aspiring writer, befriends Laurie, a new neighbor at a party. He quickly becomes friends with her sisters Beth, Amy, and Meg as well.
As time goes on, Laurie and Jo spend all their time together, much to the delight of Laurie’s grandfather and guardian. Laurie’s grandfather takes a particular liking to Beth, permitting her to play the piano in his house anytime. As time passes, the Civil War rages on in the background. Meg becomes the first sister to marry, and Amy accompanies her aunt on an extended trip to Europe. A tragedy reunites the family and Laurie, and each March sister must come to terms with what truly matters most to them: love, family, and happiness.
Everyone, and I do mean everyone, told me that I needed to see this movie. I knew that I did. However, every streaming platform dropped the ball and the only way I could watch it was through a sixteen dollar Amazon purchase. I was willing to wait for a better chance! A boondoggle of an opportunity was handed to me in the form of an in-flight movie. Did I have to put my television screen away, visually missing the last eight minutes and only listening to it on my headphones? Yes. It still counts.
I understand why everyone wanted me to see this movie. It’s beautifully made, from the costumes to the scenery to the profoundly wonderful score. Florence Pugh truly shines as Amy, and Timothee Chalamet broke my heart as Laurie the first moment I saw him. “The scene” with him and Jo towards the end of the movie is the definition of beautifully tragic! Certainly, the true honor must be given to Saoirse Ronan. I feel as though she’s found a niche for playing strong, smart women. She captures Jo’s intelligence, creativity, and bravery with such compassion. Five stars for being the best part of a movie that features both Meryl Streep and Laura Dern!
A Beautifully Tragic Conclusion
A great movie can make an audience feel a lot of things: suspense, joy, and more often than not on this list, sorrow. I didn’t realize how many of these movies were ultimately bleak. Hence, I’ve set out to enjoy happier movies in April! Comedy transcends time, and I’m hoping to laugh my way through a decade or two. I think “Little Women” or “The Prestige” were my favorites of the past two months. Certainly, they lean more towards beautiful than tragic! It seems that the world takes on a bit more of the latter lately. As a result, I’m okay with movies taking on the role of the beautifully tragic every so often. Somewhere in the beautifully tragic, there’s something that’s needed both in reality and fiction: hope.