24 Great Films Too Painful to Watch Twice - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

SecretMethod70 · 05-05-2010, 05:52 PM

I saw this list elsewhere on the internet about a year ago and just came across it saved on my hard drive. So, I figured I'd reproduce it here and get your thoughts on it.

Have you seen any of the movies on this list? What do you think of them? Are you interested in seeing others? What would you add to the list?

Irreversible and Requiem for a Dream are two of my favorite movies. I could go on about these two and sing their praises, but I don't want to distract from the whole list prematurely. I've seen parts of Dancer in the Dark but never the whole thing, and oddly enough I haven't seen any of the other movies on the list. Many of them already interested me though.

Here's the list. I've tried to add trailers when I could find them.

Quote:

1. Requiem For A Dream (2000) [trailer]
Darren Aronofsky’s brutal adaptation of Hubert Selby’s novel depicts the horrors of substance abuse in many forms-heroin, pot, caffeine, prescription pills, hope-with such visceral, breathtaking force that shell-shocked audiences were forced to think long and hard about pouring that first cup of coffee the next day. The result is one of the only genuinely effective, non-hysterical anti-drug movies ever made. Dream flirts extensively with delirious camp during its fever dream of a climax, but retains a pummeling power thanks to Aronofsky’s unblinking willingness to trawl deep into the bowels of hell alongside his heartbreakingly fragile characters.

2. Dancer In The Dark (2000) [trailer - contains big spoilers]
Starting with 1996’s Breaking The Waves, writer-director Lars von Trier all but commandeered the genre of fascinating, beautifully wrought movies that are too agonizing to sit through twice. Waves, Dogville, Dancer In The Dark, and even the less successful Manderlay all center on women making well-meaning but disastrous choices, attempting to help other people but winding up meekly agreeing to their own financial, sexual, and emotional exploitation. And when presented with such humble, cooperative victims, the people around them tend to abandon any semblance of morality and decency in order to take full advantage of the sacrifices they’ve been offered. Dancer In The Dark follows the same pattern as the others, but it’s particularly painful thanks to Björk’s sweet, nakedly vulnerable performance as a cringing immigrant factory worker who’s gradually going blind while trying to save up money so her son can have the operation that will save him from the same fate. Von Trier calculates his plotlines with exacting, inspired sadism, ensuring that her attempts to reach out to others backfire, her kindness is repaid with betrayal, and every seeming spark of hope exists only to better illuminate the miserable darkness. And yet Dancer is a beautiful film, filled with terrific performances and heartbreaking music, performed by Björk in character.

3. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)
Von Trier owes his entire painful career to his Danish countryman Carl Dreyer, particularly his silent classic The Passion Of Joan Of Arc, which deals with the ultimate case of a woman suffering for her faith. What makes the film difficult to watch isn’t so much Joan’s persecution at the hands of her ecclesiastical tormentors, or even Maria Falconetti’s famously expressive performance, which registers her anguish in every crevice of her face. Its disturbing intensity comes mainly from Dreyer’s refusal to play by the rules: Defying the most basic tenets of cinematic grammar, which require filmmakers to establish spatial relationship on a 180-degree plane, Dreyer instead constructs the film as a series of extreme close-ups, with little sense of where the characters are in relation to one another. That disorientation, combined with the feverish emotions whipped up by the trial, places viewers in a grim psychic space.

4. The Seventh Continent (1989)
Just about every film by Michael Haneke-the fiendishly precise Austrian director of Funny Games, The Piano Teacher, and Caché-could have made this list. An unsparing moralist with a peerless talent for getting under viewers’ skins, Haneke backs up his schoolmarm-ish theses on violence with a punishing aesthetic that couldn’t be further from the escapist frivolity of Hollywood fare. The first entry in a so-called “glaciation trilogy” that continued with Benny’s Video and 71 Fragments Of A Chronology Of Chance, Haneke’s brilliant debut feature The Seventh Continent watches with chilling dispassion as an average middle-class family sets about destroying itself. Haneke starts by focusing on the mundane, joylessly repetitive details of their life, then follows the drastic measures they take in carefully dismantling it. In the pantheon of Haneke shocks-the “remote control” in Funny Games, the broken glass in The Piano Teacher, Maurice Bénichou’s fate in Caché-Continent’s fish-tank scene may be the most emotionally wrenching.

5. Winter Light (1962) [trailer]
Perhaps the grimmest entry in Ingmar Bergman’s “Trilogy Of Faith” (also known as the “God’s Silence” trilogy, which should be a good indicator of the bleakness standards at play), Winter Light follows a small group of parishioners who have no celestial answers for their anguish. The opening scenes alone constitute one of the sparest expressions of Bergman’s dour spirituality: As a rural pastor performs his noon service, a handful of the faithless faithful go through the requisite motions, but with a palpable disconnection from their meaning. Though he offers himself as counselor, the pastor can’t comfort them, because he too is in spiritual crisis; after serving in Spain during the civil war, he witnessed so many bloody atrocities that he struggled to reconcile the idea of just loving God with the reality of human cruelty and violence. In the end, apostasy is the only answer.

6. Bad Lieutenant (1992) [trailer]
The blunt title turns out to be an understatement: The hard-living detective in Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant, played with fearless brio by Harvey Keitel, surely counts as one of film history’s most corrupt cops. He’s a gambler and an addict, given to pocketing drug seizures for recreational use and planting them when necessary, participating in sleazy sex-and-drug-fueled bacchanals, and flagrantly abusing the public trust. For his part, Ferrara coughs up some suitably repulsive images: a nun getting gang-raped on the altar; a virtual how-to clinic on preparing and shooting up a ball of heroin; a profanity-laced confrontation with Jesus; and most memorably, a scene in which Keitel pulls over two underage girls and agrees to let them go in exchange for sexual favors. As hard as these scenes are to watch, the clincher may be Keitel’s performance itself-a display of raw, unvarnished emotion from a character whose slumbering conscience and faith are suddenly reawakened. Witnessing his transformation is like watching a dried-out junkie.

7. Straw Dogs (1971) [trailer]
A forceful, unrelenting statement on masculinity and violence, Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs sounds like a perfectly watchable home-invasion thriller, concluding as it does with the hero standing his ground and beating back his formidable attackers. But like many of the films on this list, it’s a case where the moviemaking is skillful enough to make even its simple revenge scenario seem dangerously potent. Critic Pauline Kael described it as a “fascist classic” for casting Dustin Hoffman as a wimpy, bespectacled academic and pacifist whose manhood remains questionable until he’s put through a bloody rite of passage. Hoffman’s gruesome showdown with a group of crude locals would be shocking enough on its own, but the infamous scene that prefaces it counts as even more disturbing. Left alone in their home in a seemingly quaint Cornish village, Hoffman’s wife (Susan George) is raped by her former lover and his crony. Initially horrified, she eventually responds with something close to ecstasy, underlining her husband’s weakness in the context of an indefensible rape fantasy.

8. Audition (1999) [trailer]
“Kiri-kiri-kiri-kiri-kiri!” (“Deeper, deeper, deeper…”) J-horror maestro Takashi Miike has plenty of disturbing images to his credit-a man suspended horizontally by hooks and doused with hot oil in Ichi The Killer, the infamous lactation sex scene in Visitor Q-but Audition, his best film in a walk, unsettles because its shocks are character-oriented, in addition to merely being gross. The first half of the film could be mistaken for austere melodrama, as Miike follows a widowed producer who “auditions” a new wife under false pretenses, and finds a quiet, petite young woman who fits the bill. But the woman turns out to have a dark agenda, and she answers his deceptions in a horrifically extended torture sequence involving a very long needle. Her retribution is Miike’s sick idea of social critique, addressing the problem of female objectification with unspeakable (and yet weirdly erotic) acts of cruelty.

9. Sick: The Life And Death Of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997)
Simply describing the sadomasochistic stunts pulled by Bob Flanagan, a performance artist who died from cystic fibrosis at age 43, is enough to get half the population wincing as if they were sucking on a lemon wedge. But seeing Flanagan’s work in Kirby Dick’s surprisingly moving and inspiring documentary Sick is another matter. As a way of combating a body that was constantly betraying him, Flanagan tested his astounding pain threshold in shocking ways, most notoriously including a nail pounded into his penis. (In close-up.) It may sound like something no one would want to watch the first time, let alone twice, but Sick is redeemed by Flanagan’s wicked sense of humor and courageous defiance in fighting a disease that normally strikes down the afflicted during childhood.

10. Come And See (1985)
Many films use a child’s perspective to tell a war story-it’s a easy way to chronicle loss of innocence and portray the consequences of violence. Nothing on film drives this point home quite as effectively as Elem Klimov’s Come And See, the chronicle of one boy’s struggle to defend his Belarusian village from the Nazis in 1943. Aleksei Kravchenko spends the early part of the film eager to join his comrades, finding a damaged rifle of his own and dressing in oversized military clothing, camouflaging his youth before the war actually takes it from him. Kravchenko’s face tells the story, as repeated close-ups document his transformation. By the film’s end, it’s hard to tell whether dried dirt or actual wrinkles are violating his once-youthful visage. The scene where a Nazi officer gleefully pushes Kravchenko to his knees and points a pistol at his temple to pose for a photograph may once have brought to mind Saigon and that notorious execution of a Viet Cong officer. Now, it’s hard not to think of Abu Ghraib.

11. In A Year Of 13 Moons (1978)
There’s torment enough in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s deeply personal In A Year Of 13 Moons long before it reaches the sequence that made it semi-notorious. Fassbinder’s hero, a transvestite martyr played by Volker Spengler, is a pitiable Frankfurt drifter who had a sex-change operation years earlier, prompted by an offhand comment (“too bad you’re not a girl”) from an unattainable object of desire. Spengler convinces neither as a man or as a woman, and he winds up subjecting himself to his old crush, now a cruel businessman whose towering office space is accessed by the password “Bergen-Belsen.” And on top of it all, the film was shot mere weeks after Fassbinder’s lover committed suicide. But 13 Moons saves its most disturbing setpiece for its final act, which contains a monologue on self-mutilation set against footage of the killing floor in a slaughterhouse. Fassbinder super-fan Richard Linklater lifted the idea for Fast Food Nation as a tactic for letting audiences know where their steaks and burgers come from, but the combination of those images and the dissociated voiceover makes 13 Moons considerably more disturbing.

12. Safe (1995)
A sort-of horror movie in which the monster is the entire world, Todd Haynes’ Safe follows a rich, empty housewife (played masterfully by Julianne Moore) into the depths of “environmental illness”-a malady that real-world doctors still can’t agree on. Is it all in her head, which is half-vacant and in need of something to worry about when all basic needs are met? Or is she just sensitive to low levels of toxic chemicals that most people simply don’t notice? The film doesn’t offer an clear answer-instead, it follows Moore through incredibly uncomfortable anxieties and unpeggable illnesses. She ends up at a wellness retreat, which at first seems to offer some hope, but she’s soon sucked even deeper into the discomfort of her own mind. It’s pure bleakness.

13. Irreversible (2002) [trailer]
Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible picked up some well-deserved notoriety for its centerpiece, a gasp-inducing nine-minute single-take sequence in which Jo Prestia anally violates Monica Bellucci at knifepoint in a grimy (and highly symbolic) red underground tunnel, then beats her to an unrecognizable pulp. There’s nothing cinematic or subversively sexy about the rape scene; it’s a ghastly, raw experience that seems to go on for hours, with Bellucci’s muffled cries and wide, blank eyes becoming increasingly inhuman as the process drags on. But Noé doesn’t make the rest of the film any easier to take. Laying out the story in reverse chronological order, he begins with a stomach-churning act of revenge for the rape, then sets his camera spinning slowly end-over-end, preventing viewers from gathering their bearings and turning the film into a ghastly carnival ride. Throughout the film, his shocking content and his startling intimacy with his characters make for a strikingly vivid, immersive, intense experience, but it’s a singularly exhausting one as well.

14. Boys Don’t Cry (1999) [trailer]
Graphic rape scenes are tough enough to sit through without squirming, but the brutal assaults in Boys Don’t Cry make repeat viewings of the film an act of psychic self-abuse. Based on the real-life tragedy of transgender 21-year-old Brandon Teena-played with haunting depth by Hilary Swank-Boys is relentless in its portrayal of barbaric bigotry in small-town Nebraska. After Swank starts a romantic relationship with Chloë Sevigny’s Lana Tisdel, Lana’s redneck friends forcibly expose Teena as a biological female, then savagely rape her before the hatred escalates to an inevitably horrific end. Just as sickening as the violence, though, is the complicity of Lana’s mother-who calls Teena “it” and ultimately gives the boys sanction to “clean up” the situation-and the outright antagonism (bordering on titillation) of the hick sheriff who grills Teena after the rape. The fact that the film’s events are based on truth-and the lingering attachment Boys Don’t Cry has to the hate-fueled murder of Matthew Shepherd around the time of its release-only magnifies its gut-crawling impact.

15. Grave Of The Fireflies (1988) [trailer]
From the opening scene showing 14-year-old protagonist Seita dying on a train-station floor as harried travelers look on bemusedly, it’s clear that Grave Of The Fireflies isn’t going to be easy to watch. An animated Japanese film as visually beautiful as it is emotionally draining, Fireflies finds tragedy in the horrors of war and the dangers of human pride. The story of two Japanese siblings orphaned during the firebombing of their village during World War II, Grave draws out the suffering of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko over 88 quietly horrifying minutes as they struggle, and eventually fail, to survive in a bleak, war-torn landscape. In spite of its dark subject matter, Fireflies is brightly colored and peppered with sweetly innocent moments between brother and sister, making their eventual fates all the more disturbing.

16. When The Wind Blows (1986)
This deceptively sweet little British animated feature emphasizes the cost of war on a very personal level, by observing a quiet rural couple preparing for impending nuclear conflict, then slowly dying of radiation poisoning afterward. Naïvely accepting everything their government pamphlets tell them (though they don’t understand much of what they’re told, and remain sure that since they can’t see or feel any radiation, it can’t possibly be hurting them), they fumble through their days, gently squabbling and supporting each other in homey old-married fashion without comprehending either the scope or the causes of the fight that’s killing them from afar. Perhaps the saddest part is their conviction that nuclear war will be no different from World War II, which they lived through, and that if they just tough it out and tighten their belts, they can get through lethal radiation poisoning the way they got through wartime shortages. Much like Grave Of The Fireflies, When The Wind Blows is adorable in its personal, knowing details, and excruciating in its big picture.

17. Leaving Las Vegas (1996) [trailer]
It’s been a long fall for Nicolas Cage, from celebrated Best Actor Oscar winner a mere decade ago to the star of Next, Ghost Rider, and (tee-hee, “How’d it get burned?”) The Wicker Man. It’s honestly hard to remember at this point what a revelation he was in his Oscar-winning role in Leaving Las Vegas, as a failed screenwriter pointedly setting out to drink himself to death. The film, written and directed by Stormy Monday’s Mike Figgis, is more consciously polished and Hollywood-y than most of the films on this list, but it has much the same quality of unstintingly, aggressively delving into just how miserable human beings can get. It isn’t enough, for instance, that co-star Elisabeth Shue is trapped in a degrading life as a Vegas prostitute. It isn’t enough that her best friend is an abusive, suicidal drunk who seems content to drag her down with him. It isn’t enough when she gets gang-raped, and subsequently evicted from her home by landlords clearly uncomfortable with the disreputable appearance of a bruised-up, limping rape victim. No, she actually has to get mocked and abused on her way home after the rape, as her taxi driver, noticing how gingerly she’s moving, asks if she got “a back-door delivery you weren’t expecting,” then tells her she was asking for it by dressing the way she does. Only Figgis’ glittery, somber direction and the leads’ stellar performances turn this wallow in miserablism into something sadly poetic.

18. Jonestown: The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple (2006)

19. S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003)
Though they take drastically different approaches, the Jim Jones documentary Jonestown and S21 are both far too intense and draining for repeat viewing. S21 coldly but powerfully appraises the devastating aftereffects of totalitarianism through the firsthand stories of survivors of Khmer Rouge terror. Jonestown, meanwhile, traces the tragic rise and fall of Jim Jones, a fiery idealist and social activist corrupted by power. People’s Temple attains an almost unbearable intensity in a heart-stopping climax that draws extensively on audio footage miraculously documenting Jones’ endgame strategy of poisoned Kool-Aid and mass suicide. It’s as close to being there as humanly possible.

20. The Last House On The Left (1972) [trailer]
Taxi Driver is considered the definitive rebuke of ’70s vigilante movies, but it’s a laugh-a-minute joy ride next to the vengeful depravity depicted in The Last House On The Left. Drawing from Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, Wes Craven’s brilliantly unwatchable first feature is a no-holds-barred depiction of the rape and murder of two teenage girls by a pack of hippie lunatics, and the graphic revenge the girls’ parents enact on the murderers. Last House looks cheap and amateurish, which adds to its snuff-film-style realism. Never has the gulf between “great film” and “enjoyable” been so wide.

21. Million Dollar Baby (2004) [trailer]
The first three-quarters of Million Dollar Baby play like an old-fashioned sports movie, focusing on the heartwarming father-daughter dynamic between coach Clint Eastwood and boxer Hilary Swank. Then (spoiler alert!) Swank suffers a horrible accident in the ring, and Million Dollar Baby is suddenly rich with ripped-from-the-headlines relevance as Eastwood wrestles with the question of whether he should euthanize his surrogate daughter. The decision is appropriately gut-wrenching, and Eastwood’s direction is always tasteful, but who wants to ponder the difficulty of putting a loved one out of their misery if fate doesn’t require it?

22. United 93 (2006) [trailer]
Writer-director Paul Greengrass dramatizes the events of September 11 on the ground and in the air with a “you are there” veracity that’s gut-wrenching and surprisingly probative. From the initial confusion to the panicked response, United 93 explains what the whole last six years have been like, from shock to violence to exhaustion. But Greengrass’ refusal to insert any kind of distancing effects means that viewers get to relive every second of sick horror from one of the worst days any of us will ever experience. A lot of Americans didn’t want to see United 93 even once, and it was hard to blame them.

23. Lilya 4-Ever (2002) [trailer]
Just prior to Lilya 4-Ever, Swedish writer-director Lukas Moodysson made Together, a movie so generous in spirit that a lot of its fans found this follow-up, a comparatively bleak story of a teenage Russian sex slave, too tough to take. Actually, Lilya follows logically from Together as another profound illustration of how people need people. (A little familial support would’ve prevented most of the movie’s string of tragedies.) But in spite of a spectacular lead performance by Oksana Akinshina-and a lyrical final scene that tries to put a happy spin on human misery-Lilya 4-Ever essentially asks its audience to watch the hopes of a bright, pretty girl get crushed one by one. It’s powerful stuff that lingers in the memory so strongly that a second viewing may not even be necessary.

24. Nil By Mouth (1997) [trailer]
Gary Oldman has openly said that he appears in dreck like Air Force One because Hollywood paychecks let him fund his own indie films. So far, though, his only writing-directing project is Nil By Mouth, a gritty, grueling drama in Mike Leigh mode. Like Irreversible, it centers on a protracted, nauseating act of violence against a woman, framed within a nervy, talky plot. But Nil By Mouth is less story-driven; it mostly captures, intimately and unsparingly, the details of working-class life in South London, among addicts and alcoholics. It’s an impressively immediate, immersive film, but a hard one to sit through, thanks to its direct look at physical and emotional abuse. Then again, the accents are so dense, and the dialogue flies so fast and furious, that it may be necessary to watch it twice just to follow what’s going on. Sometimes even the most exhausting films have to be watched more than once.

noodle · 05-05-2010, 06:28 PM

Dancer In The Dark -- Used to own it, seen in until the VHS tape broke. I love how poignant and amazing the acting is.

Audition -- will NEVER watch again. NEVER. It was horrifying the first time. That and Gozu.

Boys Don’t Cry -- I despise Hilary Whozit, that's the reason I wouldn't see it again.

Leaving Las Vegas -- Not sure I've ever actually completed this movie, I keep falling asleep.

Million Dollar Baby -- See above Hilary comment.

I might add some of Jan Svenkmeyer's stuff, because it disturbs the hell out of me and Three Extremes which totally freaked me out. Oh, and Vulgar. Great, now I'm so creeped out, I have to go watch Big Bang Theory reruns to go to sleep...

Punk.of.Ages · 05-05-2010, 06:46 PM

I loved Leaving Las Vegas...

It was such a dark movie, but it had this whole almost humorous gloss over it. Nicholas Cage has never done, and probably will never again do such a great movie in my opinion.

Jetée · 05-05-2010, 06:53 PM

Gonna answer out of turn as it comes to me... of course I am interested to see the rest of those films that I have not yet experienced (which probably accounts for ~20 films to place in my queue). I like lists and the thoughts in which they convey.

Also, thanks for posting this. I have tons of stuff in my notes and queue I still have yet to post (even look at twice!) so I about dalyying around until some fateful rummaging helps spring something back up.

Question: is the list done in any kind of hierarchical format, ascending / descending in terms of "impact" for the author and their point, or is this just a collection of "one-blow" tearjerkers? Doesn't matter really if it's one or the other, but I can foresee a stray comment about "why is ___ film ranked at #12? It should be #1 easy!" and I'm not sure if that's even warranted if that wasn't the intention in the first place.

Furthermore, I'm real glad I wasn't the first one to reply to this, and seeing as how noodle has set a very good model, I think I'll adopt it.

just thought to make this known: I'll only be commenting upon the films in which I've actually seen:

Requiem for a Dream - when I first saw this film, I didn't quite understand the message which was being conveyed, other than darkness. I don't agree with this film being in the listing, if only because in my experience, the second and third viewings of this film helped reveal undertones of which I was not aware the first time through, and it was that much more powerful in subsequent viewings.

La passion de Jeanne d'Arc - I'm really speechless about this film right now. I caught this late-night some years, maybe decades, ago on TCM, and throughout the whole thing, it felt as though I had an invisible hand clasping my throat, unflinching. Superb film.

Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies) - despite being produced (not directed, though) by master animated filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and even being cheerful in pockets of scenes, one needs to keep in mind that this film is set in post-war-torn Japan, just days after the end of WWII, and is being seen through the experiences of two orphaned siblings. It's really one of the most impactful, "everlasting" achievements in film storytelling, not just in animation, not just being credited to Miyazaki, but this is a truly GREAT film, no caveats or genre-specific annotations needed.

Million Dollar Baby - I saw this film from beginning to end, expecting it to be something altogether different than where the story was leading me, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Is it sad; I don't know. Empowering? I don't really think so, but I could be wrong. I still don't get why this was such a "powerful" film, and I altogether can't really remember how the protagonist ended up in her pummeled state. I watched it once; I don't really care to watch it again (but only because I don't think I understood, or will ever understand why this film touches people).

United 93 - As much as I'm probably in the very, very, small, miniscule minority of persons who didn't view 9-11 as the world-changing event that America portrays it to be, I do realize its significance on policy, and on people whensoever you make mention of it (if pushed, I'll say it was grandly-resonating, but also temper it to say maybe a tad bit overrated). Besides that, the film, which was speculative dramatic fiction at best, I still found moving. It's an okay film, I don't think may would say it was 'flat', but one which I'd rather not watch again. This film may best define the author's point, in my opinion.

Lastly, I believe this would be a real good addition to the List-All topic, but seeing as that thread doesn't foster much cues for discussion, if you feel you'd like to add it there, I wouldn't mind if you do so whenever you think the timing is right.

Gina_ · 05-05-2010, 07:04 PM

Though it is mainstream, much like "Million Dollar Baby", I'm surprised "Schindler's List" is not included. I've only since it once since its release. As it portrays a true story, it's just too heart breaking to sit through twice.

The only other film I've seen on the list is "The Bad Lieutenant". I didn't realize until now, that I really wouldn't choose to watch it again.

SecretMethod70 · 05-05-2010, 07:27 PM

Ah-ha, I found the place I got the list from: Not Again: 24 Great Films Too Painful To Watch Twice | Film | Inventory | The A.V. Club (warning: page has many youtube embeds)

It doesn't seem the list is made in any particular order, otherwise I'd agree that some are out of place.

At least for the movies I've seen, I agree that they can actually benefit from multiple viewings, but I think the issue this list is getting at is that most people wouldn't want to go through the negative emotions the movies elicit more often than necessary. In the case of Requiem for a Dream, and especially Irreversible, I required significant breaks between viewings. I'm someone who generally doesn't mind and even enjoys depressing movies, so I can definitely imagine how many other people would simply rather not see the movies ever again. And yet, I think they're totally worth seeing at least once and are two of my favorites movies of all time.

Jetée · 05-05-2010, 07:41 PM

See, my scale of "excellence", for anything really, not just films, is something I call "replayability", or the subject's overall ability to withstand multiple viewings without depreciating significantly in value, or enjoyment experience. This might not be my perfect list to comment upon because "great" films, no matter if I find them too sappy, scary or sad, I'd always want to view again to revisit those elicited emotions.

That said, I'll add a few films that I've watched once, and would never want to watch again, because as they say, "once is enough".

The Descent - I cheated on this film, and watched it agian, but still, I liked it, but not enough to want to view it again (ever).

Requiem - too normal and too "real" of a portrayal of exorcism (I didn't even know the girl was possessed until halfway through the film) to subject myself to again.

The Saddest Music in the World - I know, I know. It's not really a "painfully, emotional" film, even though that's what the story would lead you to believe. The only reason I'm commenting on this film is that it was literrally too painful for my mind to comprehend what was going on, and how I basically viewed it as a "parody" film (whether or not it was meant to be portrayed as such I don't even care to find out). I really disliked sitting through the entire thing.

Moyaboy · 05-06-2010, 02:48 AM

I have to say that Requiem for a Dream is the saddest movie I had ever seen. By the end of it I was sick to my stomach. Not is disgust so much as it was sadness.

I even stated that after I saw it, I will never watch that movie again.

Also, Audition is skin curling creepy. I couldn't even finish it.

genuinegirly · 05-06-2010, 07:05 AM

I'm going to add one to this list:
Au Revoir les Enfants

Jetée · 05-06-2010, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

I'm going to add one to this list:
Au Revoir les Enfants

I thought about mentioning this fim as well, but I thought it was a great film (even though it dealt with WWII 'Holocaust hunters', and once you recognize all the protoganists are children, well..). See, if I find a film powerful enough, even though it's incredibly-convincing in its ability to portray the sadness or horrors of the experience, then I just somehow gravitate towards wanting to try and recapture that. Only very rarely will I ever state I only need to watch a film once to integrate all that was supposed to be conveyed by its production (except for really terrible films that cause indirect pain, like giving me strep throat because it caused me to groan 50+ times).

SecretMethod70 · 05-06-2010, 10:25 AM

I think you're taking the name of the list/thread a little too literally Jetée

I've watched Requiem for a Dream probably five times at this point, and Irréversible three times, but they make me feel like crap - in a good way - every time I watch them. I expect many other people would watch them once and say "that was an amazing experience, but I never want to go through that again." (This attitude is not restricted to movies either - it can be applied to real life events too.) For you and I, the list is probably more accurately described as "24 great films so painful that you need a longer break than normal between viewings" or something along those lines. I hope that helps

Grasshopper Green · 05-06-2010, 03:31 PM

I've only seen Boys Don't Cry, Leaving Las Vegas, and Million Dollar Baby. I don't remember Boys Don't Cry well enough, but I don't think the other two are so painful that I couldn't watch them again. I doubt I will ever watch them again because they weren't enjoyable enough to spend two hours on.

If I had to add to this list, I'd add Hotel Rwanda. I was physically ill after watching that movie, it was so shocking and appalling to me.

Daniel_ · 05-06-2010, 10:55 PM

When the wind blows was one of my favourite books as a child, and I love the film - it bears repeated watching because it is so beautiful and painful.

Leaving Las Vegas is a wonderful piece of cinema and features great performances. I have seen it three or four times, and liked it every time.

girldetective · 05-07-2010, 12:05 PM

I would add the horror that is Sophie's Choice to this list.
An important film, but terribly painful to watch.

hunnychile · 05-07-2010, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by girldetective

I would add the horror that is Sophie's Choice to this list.
An important film, but terribly painful to watch.

I agree about "Sophie's Choice". It was painflu to watch and afterwards I made a mental note to not see it again.

Looks like it's a good thing I never saw "Boys Don't Cry"....sounds too horrible and sad to watch at all. Didn't want to patronize a movie of this type.

levite · 05-07-2010, 12:44 PM

Yeah, those of the films on the list that I've seen, I'd agree with.

I would also add:

Scorsese's Bringing Out The Dead
Schindler's List
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Shauk · 05-07-2010, 01:03 PM

Lord of the Flies belongs on that list. I don't know about this fireflies nonsense.

Tully Mars · 05-07-2010, 03:19 PM

Many on the list I haven't seen, most that I have I agree with. I also agree with others regarding "Schindler's List" though I think it's portrayal, accurate or not, of an important historical tragic event makes it a must see film. It was a "hard watch." I remember lending it to my parents before it needed returned, they couldn't watch the whole thing.

ARTelevision · 05-08-2010, 09:33 AM

Pasolini's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom has some value as an adaptation of de Sade for modern times, specifically Italian Fascism of the mid-1940s and more broadly fascism, in general.

I see it more as an exercise in aesthetic decadence which can be interpreted as either a condemnation - or glorification - of aesthetic decadence. Of course, that goes for the rest of the films on this list and most other (pseudo)moralistic entertainment or "art" (whatever that is).

...as they say in both the cheapest and most expensive restaurants these days, "Enjoy!"

Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plan9 · 05-08-2010, 09:45 AM

Yeah, Last House on the Left makes a guy want to move to Mars.

oliver9184 · 05-09-2010, 04:39 AM

That's a great list. I don't agree that all of them are too painful to watch twice.

Requiem for a Dream: seen it twice and it's been long enough that I'd watch it again; no problems at all about it being too painful as its intrusive style regularly breaks the illusion (in a good way).

Dancer in the Dark: is pretty devastating but I would watch it again - would be more painful (but still not TOO painful, and less good) without the musical interludes.

Bad Lieutenant: certainly not a "great" film, too OTT and silly to be properly painful, and just not good enough to watch again; though I might anyway before seeing Werner Herzog's version.

Straw Dogs: watched this more than once, it's unpleasant in parts but not really painful.

Audition: watched this twice, probably wouldn't again, is very horrible but not unbearable. I want to show this to someone who's never heard of it.

Irreversible: I did watch this twice in one day, the first time properly by myself and the second with others who I wanted to show it to and gauge reactions - for the horrible parts I sat somewhere I couldn't see the screen. It would take a lot to make me watch it again, but if the chance came to see it in a cinema I'd probably make myself.

Grave of the Fireflies: very very painful, but I expect I'll see it again sometime. Probably my saddest on this list.

Leaving Las Vegas: shouldn't be on the list. Getting drunk isn't sad or painful!

Million Dollar Baby: I wouldn't watch this again because it's boring, not because it's painful.

Nil By Mouth: was an amazing, electrifying experience that I didn't want to end. Certainly no qualms about seeing it again, though I can see why some wouldn't want to as critic Tom Shone of the Sunday Times said that, given the choice, he'd happily unwatch it.

Antichrist belongs on the list but I guess the list was done prior to its release. Possibly Breaking the Waves too. Funny Games (old one) was pretty painful but not bad enough to stop me watching it again. I think a lot of people wouldn't want to an intact cut of Cannibal Holocaust twice, arguable "greatness" of the film notwithstanding.

I've had a United 93 DVD for years but still don't dare to watch it as I know it'll be extremely painful. I suppose it's unlikely to be great but there's a 1988 Hong Kong film called Men Behind the Sun which is pretty hard to get hold of that I probably wouldn't ever dare to watch as it depicts ghastly Unit 731 experiments, and reportedly contains actual autopsy footage of a boy, and other things that I don't want to have in my mind.

Jetée · 05-09-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

I think you're taking the name of the list/thread a little too literally Jetée ...

For you and I, the list is probably more accurately described as "24 great films so painful that you need a longer break than normal between viewings" or something along those lines. I hope that helps

Of course I take the title of the list as is, and perhaps as you say, literal, to the umpteenth degree. It's my nature of interpreting what anybody on the internet states at face value, innocously trusting what they've stated was there wholest intention of conveying a point, and I usually misread some underlying mention (or sarcasm) because of it.

If you say that our own contributions to this thread should be along the lines of "films that are gut-wrenching, and take a (long) while to get used to", then I suppose I can live with that sort of definition. And with that, I'll add one more film that can be mentioned as a "hard watch; not easy to get over" (but one I'll most probably want to watch again):

12 and Holding

Ananas · 05-13-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

I'm going to add one to this list:
Au Revoir les Enfants

I totally agree with this selection. Of course, our choices are going to be selective, based upon each person's cringe factor, but Louis Malle's masterwork left an indelible imprint on me. The progression of the film just felt like doom approaching. Add to that the fact that it's based on Malle's personal experiences, and it becomes even more cringe-inducing.

I do not relish watching the first half of "Saving Private Ryan". It actually felt like I was being physically pummeled by the scenes.

Charlatan · 05-13-2010, 06:30 PM

I worked at a Rep Cinema where we used to play Bad Lieutenant on a regular basis. While I like the film, I saw it a few too many times.

Eilonwy · 05-13-2010, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliver9184

Leaving Las Vegas: shouldn't be on the list. Getting drunk isn't sad or painful!

I agree. I didn't feel sorry for him at all, and the end was just... disturbing.

The only other one off that list I've seen is Boys Don't Cry, which I hated. I couldn't believe she won the Oscar for this 'movie', which, if it'd been made in the '80s would've been an after school special.

I'm surprised The Passion of the Christ didn't make the list... though I've personally never seen it.

Vaultboy · 05-21-2010, 04:42 AM

I expected 8 mm to be on that list, instead of Leaving Las Vegas. (one Nicholas Cage movie on any "best of" list is enough).

Leaving the cine after 8 mm, everyone looked as if they were coming from a funeral. I made a mental note never to watch it again, but like many movies on this list, I feel that it is a movie everyone SHOULD watch.

SecretMethod70 · 05-21-2010, 10:14 AM

A friend of mine recently told me about a movie called Huozhe (To Live), which he says was very painful to watch but very good.

Quote:

Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry. Addicted to gambling, Fugui loses everything. In the years that follow he is pressed into both the nationalist and communist armies, while Jiazhen is forced into menial work. They raise a family and survive, managing "to live" from the 40's to the 70's in this epic, but personal, story of life through an amazing period.

Turns out the full movie is posted on Youtube (in 22 parts).

Fremen · 05-23-2010, 02:14 AM

"The Pianist" should be on there, in my opinion.
I definitely wouldn't want to see it again.
I found it more disturbing than "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Boys Don't Cry".

Strange Famous · 05-23-2010, 03:37 AM

When the Wind Blows is one of my favourite movies, but it certainly is incredibly sad.

Salem · 05-26-2010, 07:13 PM

The only film on this list I've seen is Boy's Don't Cry. And I"ve seen it probably half a dozen times, and I own it. I love it. Absoulty love it. It breaks my heart, but that's why I love it. It's a true story, and I love that. Not for the horror of what happened to Brandon, but for the honesty. I think any story has more power when it's real. It breaks my heart and I love that, it's touching, its...worth it.

No it's not the BEST film, it's slow, it's kinda lame, but it's worth it. To me, it was worth it. I also have a hard-on for Hilary Swank... but still.

Jetée · 05-26-2010, 07:29 PM

Oh. (how does one mimic that sound of sparked revelation memory retrievance - "O(aug)h"..?)

Nearly forgot to even mention this film: Xiu Xiu [Tian yu] (abridged title) - The literal translation of this film's title is "heaven('s) bath".

Again, I don't judge films on a rating scale like perhaps 80% of Americans who watch and review films are wont to do, but this is a masterpiece.

Jetée · 07-29-2010, 02:53 PM

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

(I believe the 30-35 anniversary of it will be seen sometime later this year.)

Painful in pockets; joyful in others - an all-around disheartening/uplifting achievement in cinema, depending upon whom you ask.

05-05-2010, 06:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
Punk.of.Ages Forming Location: ....a state of pure inebriation.	I loved Leaving Las Vegas... It was such a dark movie, but it had this whole almost humorous gloss over it. Nicholas Cage has never done, and probably will never again do such a great movie in my opinion. __________________ "The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion..." - Henry Steel Commager "Punk rock music is great music played by really bad, drunk musicians." -Fat Mike

05-05-2010, 06:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	Gonna answer out of turn as it comes to me... of course I am interested to see the rest of those films that I have not yet experienced (which probably accounts for ~20 films to place in my queue). I like lists and the thoughts in which they convey. Also, thanks for posting this. I have tons of stuff in my notes and queue I still have yet to post (even look at twice!) so I about dalyying around until some fateful rummaging helps spring something back up. Question: is the list done in any kind of hierarchical format, ascending / descending in terms of "impact" for the author and their point, or is this just a collection of "one-blow" tearjerkers? Doesn't matter really if it's one or the other, but I can foresee a stray comment about "why is ___ film ranked at #12? It should be #1 easy!" and I'm not sure if that's even warranted if that wasn't the intention in the first place. Furthermore, I'm real glad I wasn't the first one to reply to this, and seeing as how noodle has set a very good model, I think I'll adopt it. just thought to make this known: I'll only be commenting upon the films in which I've actually seen: Requiem for a Dream - when I first saw this film, I didn't quite understand the message which was being conveyed, other than darkness. I don't agree with this film being in the listing, if only because in my experience, the second and third viewings of this film helped reveal undertones of which I was not aware the first time through, and it was that much more powerful in subsequent viewings. La passion de Jeanne d'Arc - I'm really speechless about this film right now. I caught this late-night some years, maybe decades, ago on TCM, and throughout the whole thing, it felt as though I had an invisible hand clasping my throat, unflinching. Superb film. Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies) - despite being produced (not directed, though) by master animated filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and even being cheerful in pockets of scenes, one needs to keep in mind that this film is set in post-war-torn Japan, just days after the end of WWII, and is being seen through the experiences of two orphaned siblings. It's really one of the most impactful, "everlasting" achievements in film storytelling, not just in animation, not just being credited to Miyazaki, but this is a truly GREAT film, no caveats or genre-specific annotations needed. Million Dollar Baby - I saw this film from beginning to end, expecting it to be something altogether different than where the story was leading me, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Is it sad; I don't know. Empowering? I don't really think so, but I could be wrong. I still don't get why this was such a "powerful" film, and I altogether can't really remember how the protagonist ended up in her pummeled state. I watched it once; I don't really care to watch it again (but only because I don't think I understood, or will ever understand why this film touches people). United 93 - As much as I'm probably in the very, very, small, miniscule minority of persons who didn't view 9-11 as the world-changing event that America portrays it to be, I do realize its significance on policy, and on people whensoever you make mention of it (if pushed, I'll say it was grandly-resonating, but also temper it to say maybe a tad bit overrated). Besides that, the film, which was speculative dramatic fiction at best, I still found moving. It's an okay film, I don't think may would say it was 'flat', but one which I'd rather not watch again. This film may best define the author's point, in my opinion. Lastly, I believe this would be a real good addition to the List-All topic, but seeing as that thread doesn't foster much cues for discussion, if you feel you'd like to add it there, I wouldn't mind if you do so whenever you think the timing is right. __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi Last edited by Jetée; 05-05-2010 at 07:27 PM..

05-05-2010, 07:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Ah-ha, I found the place I got the list from: Not Again: 24 Great Films Too Painful To Watch Twice \| Film \| Inventory \| The A.V. Club (warning: page has many youtube embeds) It doesn't seem the list is made in any particular order, otherwise I'd agree that some are out of place. At least for the movies I've seen, I agree that they can actually benefit from multiple viewings, but I think the issue this list is getting at is that most people wouldn't want to go through the negative emotions the movies elicit more often than necessary. In the case of Requiem for a Dream, and especially Irreversible, I required significant breaks between viewings. I'm someone who generally doesn't mind and even enjoys depressing movies, so I can definitely imagine how many other people would simply rather not see the movies ever again. And yet, I think they're totally worth seeing at least once and are two of my favorites movies of all time. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling Last edited by SecretMethod70; 05-05-2010 at 08:30 PM..

05-05-2010, 07:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	See, my scale of "excellence", for anything really, not just films, is something I call "replayability", or the subject's overall ability to withstand multiple viewings without depreciating significantly in value, or enjoyment experience. This might not be my perfect list to comment upon because "great" films, no matter if I find them too sappy, scary or sad, I'd always want to view again to revisit those elicited emotions. That said, I'll add a few films that I've watched once, and would never want to watch again, because as they say, "once is enough". The Descent - I cheated on this film, and watched it agian, but still, I liked it, but not enough to want to view it again (ever). Requiem - too normal and too "real" of a portrayal of exorcism (I didn't even know the girl was possessed until halfway through the film) to subject myself to again. The Saddest Music in the World - I know, I know. It's not really a "painfully, emotional" film, even though that's what the story would lead you to believe. The only reason I'm commenting on this film is that it was literrally too painful for my mind to comprehend what was going on, and how I basically viewed it as a "parody" film (whether or not it was meant to be portrayed as such I don't even care to find out). I really disliked sitting through the entire thing. __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi

05-06-2010, 02:48 AM	#8 (permalink)
Moyaboy Crazy Location: Charlotte, NC	I have to say that Requiem for a Dream is the saddest movie I had ever seen. By the end of it I was sick to my stomach. Not is disgust so much as it was sadness. I even stated that after I saw it, I will never watch that movie again. Also, Audition is skin curling creepy. I couldn't even finish it. __________________ "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." - Steven Weinberg

05-05-2010, 07:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Gina_ Upright	Though it is mainstream, much like "Million Dollar Baby", I'm surprised "Schindler's List" is not included. I've only since it once since its release. As it portrays a true story, it's just too heart breaking to sit through twice. The only other film I've seen on the list is "The Bad Lieutenant". I didn't realize until now, that I really wouldn't choose to watch it again.

05-06-2010, 07:05 AM	#9 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	I'm going to add one to this list: Au Revoir les Enfants __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

05-06-2010, 10:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	I think you're taking the name of the list/thread a little too literally Jetée I've watched Requiem for a Dream probably five times at this point, and Irréversible three times, but they make me feel like crap - in a good way - every time I watch them. I expect many other people would watch them once and say "that was an amazing experience, but I never want to go through that again." (This attitude is not restricted to movies either - it can be applied to real life events too.) For you and I, the list is probably more accurately described as "24 great films so painful that you need a longer break than normal between viewings" or something along those lines. I hope that helps __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

05-06-2010, 03:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I've only seen Boys Don't Cry, Leaving Las Vegas, and Million Dollar Baby. I don't remember Boys Don't Cry well enough, but I don't think the other two are so painful that I couldn't watch them again. I doubt I will ever watch them again because they weren't enjoyable enough to spend two hours on. If I had to add to this list, I'd add Hotel Rwanda. I was physically ill after watching that movie, it was so shocking and appalling to me. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

05-06-2010, 10:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
Daniel_ Evil Priest: The Devil Made Me Do It! Location: Southern England	When the wind blows was one of my favourite books as a child, and I love the film - it bears repeated watching because it is so beautiful and painful. Leaving Las Vegas is a wonderful piece of cinema and features great performances. I have seen it three or four times, and liked it every time. __________________ ╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗ Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air, And deep beneath the rolling waves, In labyrinths of Coral Caves, The Echo of a distant time Comes willowing across the sand; And everthing is Green and Submarine ╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

05-07-2010, 12:05 PM	#14 (permalink)
girldetective sufferable	I would add the horror that is Sophie's Choice to this list. An important film, but terribly painful to watch. __________________ As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons...be cheerful; strive for happiness - Desiderata

05-07-2010, 12:44 PM	#16 (permalink)
levite Minion of Joss Location: The Windy City	Yeah, those of the films on the list that I've seen, I'd agree with. I would also add: Scorsese's Bringing Out The Dead Schindler's List Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer __________________ Dull sublunary lovers love, Whose soul is sense, cannot admit Absence, because it doth remove That thing which elemented it. (From "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" by John Donne)

05-07-2010, 01:03 PM	#17 (permalink)
Shauk Confused Adult Location: Spokane, WA	Lord of the Flies belongs on that list. I don't know about this fireflies nonsense.

05-07-2010, 03:19 PM	#18 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	Many on the list I haven't seen, most that I have I agree with. I also agree with others regarding "Schindler's List" though I think it's portrayal, accurate or not, of an important historical tragic event makes it a must see film. It was a "hard watch." I remember lending it to my parents before it needed returned, they couldn't watch the whole thing. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

05-08-2010, 09:33 AM	#19 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	Pasolini's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom has some value as an adaptation of de Sade for modern times, specifically Italian Fascism of the mid-1940s and more broadly fascism, in general. I see it more as an exercise in aesthetic decadence which can be interpreted as either a condemnation - or glorification - of aesthetic decadence. Of course, that goes for the rest of the films on this list and most other (pseudo)moralistic entertainment or "art" (whatever that is). ...as they say in both the cheapest and most expensive restaurants these days, "Enjoy!" Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975) Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia __________________ create evolution

05-08-2010, 09:45 AM	#20 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Yeah, Last House on the Left makes a guy want to move to Mars. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

05-09-2010, 04:39 AM	#21 (permalink)
oliver9184 Psycho	That's a great list. I don't agree that all of them are too painful to watch twice. Requiem for a Dream: seen it twice and it's been long enough that I'd watch it again; no problems at all about it being too painful as its intrusive style regularly breaks the illusion (in a good way). Dancer in the Dark: is pretty devastating but I would watch it again - would be more painful (but still not TOO painful, and less good) without the musical interludes. Bad Lieutenant: certainly not a "great" film, too OTT and silly to be properly painful, and just not good enough to watch again; though I might anyway before seeing Werner Herzog's version. Straw Dogs: watched this more than once, it's unpleasant in parts but not really painful. Audition: watched this twice, probably wouldn't again, is very horrible but not unbearable. I want to show this to someone who's never heard of it. Irreversible: I did watch this twice in one day, the first time properly by myself and the second with others who I wanted to show it to and gauge reactions - for the horrible parts I sat somewhere I couldn't see the screen. It would take a lot to make me watch it again, but if the chance came to see it in a cinema I'd probably make myself. Grave of the Fireflies: very very painful, but I expect I'll see it again sometime. Probably my saddest on this list. Leaving Las Vegas: shouldn't be on the list. Getting drunk isn't sad or painful! Million Dollar Baby: I wouldn't watch this again because it's boring, not because it's painful. Nil By Mouth: was an amazing, electrifying experience that I didn't want to end. Certainly no qualms about seeing it again, though I can see why some wouldn't want to as critic Tom Shone of the Sunday Times said that, given the choice, he'd happily unwatch it. Antichrist belongs on the list but I guess the list was done prior to its release. Possibly Breaking the Waves too. Funny Games (old one) was pretty painful but not bad enough to stop me watching it again. I think a lot of people wouldn't want to an intact cut of Cannibal Holocaust twice, arguable "greatness" of the film notwithstanding. I've had a United 93 DVD for years but still don't dare to watch it as I know it'll be extremely painful. I suppose it's unlikely to be great but there's a 1988 Hong Kong film called Men Behind the Sun which is pretty hard to get hold of that I probably wouldn't ever dare to watch as it depicts ghastly Unit 731 experiments, and reportedly contains actual autopsy footage of a boy, and other things that I don't want to have in my mind.

05-13-2010, 06:30 PM	#24 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I worked at a Rep Cinema where we used to play Bad Lieutenant on a regular basis. While I like the film, I saw it a few too many times. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

05-21-2010, 04:42 AM	#26 (permalink)
Vaultboy Addict Location: Third World	I expected 8 mm to be on that list, instead of Leaving Las Vegas. (one Nicholas Cage movie on any "best of" list is enough). Leaving the cine after 8 mm, everyone looked as if they were coming from a funeral. I made a mental note never to watch it again, but like many movies on this list, I feel that it is a movie everyone SHOULD watch. __________________ "Failing tastes of bile and dog vomit. Pity any man that gets used to that taste."

05-23-2010, 02:14 AM	#28 (permalink)
Fremen With a mustache, the cool factor would be too much Location: left side of my couch, East Texas	"The Pianist" should be on there, in my opinion. I definitely wouldn't want to see it again. I found it more disturbing than "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Boys Don't Cry". __________________ Google

05-23-2010, 03:37 AM	#29 (permalink)
Strange Famous follower of the child's crusade?	When the Wind Blows is one of my favourite movies, but it certainly is incredibly sad. __________________ "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered." The Gospel of Thomas

05-26-2010, 07:13 PM	#30 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	The only film on this list I've seen is Boy's Don't Cry. And I"ve seen it probably half a dozen times, and I own it. I love it. Absoulty love it. It breaks my heart, but that's why I love it. It's a true story, and I love that. Not for the horror of what happened to Brandon, but for the honesty. I think any story has more power when it's real. It breaks my heart and I love that, it's touching, its...worth it. No it's not the BEST film, it's slow, it's kinda lame, but it's worth it. To me, it was worth it. I also have a hard-on for Hilary Swank... but still.

05-26-2010, 07:29 PM	#31 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	Oh. (how does one mimic that sound of sparked revelation memory retrievance - "O(aug)h"..?) Nearly forgot to even mention this film: Xiu Xiu [Tian yu] (abridged title) - The literal translation of this film's title is "heaven('s) bath". Again, I don't judge films on a rating scale like perhaps 80% of Americans who watch and review films are wont to do, but this is a masterpiece. __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi

07-29-2010, 02:53 PM	#32 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (I believe the 30-35 anniversary of it will be seen sometime later this year.) Painful in pockets; joyful in others - an all-around disheartening/uplifting achievement in cinema, depending upon whom you ask. __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi