10 Saddest Character Deaths In Movie History
How we cried...
The goal of all artforms is to elicit an emotional reaction from the audience, making them feel something that reminds them of their humanity. Movies are no different, from the adrenaline-pumping rush of watching an action blockbuster to the hair-raising chills great horror films send up the back of the neck, our emotional reactions are central to our enjoyment of the viewing experience.
Arguably the hardest emotion of them all to draw from an audience is sadness. Since this is so deep-rooted in our own experiences of loss and grief, artificially replicating this through the cinematic devices available is incredibly difficult to pull off, not least since audiences are aware that movies are inherently emotionally manipulative. Done badly, the results can be too sweet and overly sentimental, the moment spoiled by the fact that we're aware of our heart-strings being pulled.
When a filmmaker pulls it off, however, the impact can be devastating, particularly when this appeal to sadness is constructed around the death of a character the audience has invested their heart and soul in. These deaths offer a masterclass in how composition, music and dialogue all come together perfectly, taking us out of the film and into a heartbreaking moment we feel intimately a part of, often as cherished as moments from our everyday lives...
10. Mufasa - The Lion King
Disney first proved they had a knack for manipulating the emotions of audiences and transforming everyone in the theatre into a blubbering wreck when they killed Bambi's mother (off-screen) way back in 1942, and have led the way when it comes to cinematic sentimentality ever since.
With Bambi's mother dead, fifty years later they turned to another anthropomorphic animal's parent to kill off, as king of the lions Mufasa (voiced by the inimitable James Earl Jones) is flung from a cliff to his death at the bottom of a deep chasm by his treacherous brother. Unaware of the betrayal which has just taken place, all Simba can do is nuzzle at his body, desperate to undo the circle of life and bring him back to life as clouds of mist shroud the canyon floor.
The reaction of outrage from millions of people around the world to the shooting of Cedric the Lion was almost certainly enhanced by the influence The Lion King has had on modern culture - our compassion for our furry friends might not have developed so strongly were it not for Mufasa's fictional sacrifice.