For children of the 90s, there was no scene more traumatic and therefore iconic as this one. Were talking, of course, about the absolutely heart-breaking moment in which Mufasa, King of the Pridelands, is killed in an attempt to save his cub, Simba, from being squashed to death. After successfully rescuing Simba from the clutches of a stampede, poor ol Mufasa is betrayed by whod have thought? his own brother, Scar. With a name like Scar, you mightve guessed that bad stuff was going to happen, but the moment when Mufasa clambers up the side of a cliff, begging his brother for help, only for Scar to dig his claws into his siblings paws, and throw him to his death... well, it's a travesty. And then the worst part comes: Simba, confused and alone, attempts to wake up his father, who lies motionless on the ground. Just thinking about it is enough to bring on the tears all over again.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
