04-12-19
I am fond of sad movies. Tears confessed to me that they were apt to go astray when intent on rhyme. Quite contrary to what a well-known song ‘Sad Movies’ said, “And in the middle of the color cartoon, I started to cry. Oh-oh-oh sa-a-a-d movies always make me cry.”, tears can produce positiveness. I was often disburdened after a flood of tears. I became a happier man.
Perhaps the truth is like what the poet Christopher Morley described, “Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.” Have you watched the 5 sad movies which, I think, could heal because they carry special messages.
Love Story is a 1970 Hollywood romantic drama film which was also the best-selling novel. Oliver, belonging to the rich upper class, attended Harvard College and met Jennifer, a working class girl. They quickly fell in love in spite of their social differences. After the vengeful cut off of the financial support from Oliver’s father, they still insisted on getting married. The poverty-stricken couple worked their ways out. Finally, Oliver graduated and became a lawyer. The bad news was that Jenny got terminal cancer. Her last wish was nothing but to be embraced tightly by her husband when she died. True love is pure, eternal and without money consideration.
In 1983, Japan’s film The Ballad of Narayama was greeted everywhere with acclamation. It won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is set in a remote village in Japan in the 19th century. According to tradition, once a person reached the age of 70, he or she should travel to the high mountain to die of starvation in the name of a religious practice but the real purpose was to save food for the younger ones at winter time. An old lady Orin had no hesitation about her death. Her nervous concern was how to discharge the family duties before she set off, especially the marriage of her son. The happiness of such a brave mother was to make sure that everyone would live happily except herself. Selfless sacrifice is something for us to aspire to.
In 1992, America produced a film Scent of a Woman that tells the story of a young student who took up the job of accompanying a blind, retired and irritable army officer (Al Pacino) over a weekend trip to New York. The blind colonel blew his all money extravagantly in the expensive city and plotted to kill himself at the end of the journey. He decided to give up such terrible idea after being woken up by the caring things that the student did. The film’s lesson is that any tragedy can be utilized as a source of strengthen if you look at life from a good angle.
Hong Kong also made great sad movies. Award-winning director Derek Yee produced an unforgettable film called C’est la vie, mon chéri in 1993. The popular theme song of the movie is really sad but it is a cure for sadness too. A jazz saxophone player lost direction in his life but the innocent and cheerful girl next door helped him re-discover the value of love, affection and bravery. When he was determined to get an achievement to thank the girl, she was going to die due to illness. She was happy that he became strong again. The most wonderful beauty in living lies not in never falling, but in rising after your fall. We may cry in the muddy gutter but should not miss looking at the bright stars.
The final sad movie is recent. The 2018 film More Than Blue was a Taiwan one. There were two orphans from different families who happened to live under the same roof. The boy and girl took care of each other like brother and sister. She did not have many friends. She loved her ‘brother’ secretly and deeply. He had no courage to love her as he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He introduced her to a very attractive boyfriend who was a dentist. He coaxed them to get married. She sadly yielded to his demand but more sadly found out he disappeared after her happy wedding. He sacrificed his love but actually did not lose it. He just passed the precious girl on to a better man.
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to be sad—it sounds paradoxical but works for some including myself. Perhaps joy and sadness are part of the emotional package of human beings; and one will come after the other.
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