9 Disney Movies With Upsetting And Dark Moments

9. Dumbo Is Separated From His Mother- Dumbo

Dumbo may well be getting a live action remake, but the emotional force of the 1941 classic is going to be hard to beat. Disney animation humanises its animal protagonists in ways that simply aren't replicated, and the moment in question is just after Dumbo has been separated from his mother.

After Mrs Jumbo's imprisonment for being a "mad" elephant for defending her son, he sneaks out to visit her and they hold trunks through the bars of her cell. After seeing the little guy ridiculed for most of the movie, this is a rare emotional high for Dumbo, as his mother gently rocks him to the lullaby "Baby Mine" sung by Betty Noyes.

It's truly a gut-wrenching moment, as Disney anthropomorphise Dumbo through his expressive face (and subsequent tears after they part) so that you really feel for the little guy. When she starts rocking him through the bars, I challenge anyone not to shed a tear, especially set against the montage of other circus animal families sleeping soundly together. I don't blame the poor guy for getting dizzy on champagne outside the clowns' tent, this separation would be hard on anyone.